Good values to be had here in 2012 I expect. Most of the wines were tasted blind at Cercle de Rive Droite at Chateau Barde-Haut [an extremely well organized event] with a few others tasted elsewhere. The best Côtes de Bordeaux showed attractive fruit and good purity. They range in style from the forward and appetising, to really serious efforts with lots of style and verve. In this latter category Stephan von Niepperg’s Chateau d’Aiguilhe and Nicolas Thienpont’s Chateau Alcée in Castillon stand out as especially beautiful wines. I’ve also included notes on Domaine Virginie Thunevin, owned by Jean-Luc Thunevin’s daughter, but vinified by Thunevin himself. It’s delicious.

Overall 2012 looks much more promising than 2011 did at a similar stage and it feels more homogeneous. There’s still obviously variation here as we are talking a complex set of different terroirs under the Côtes de Bordeaux umbrella – Blaye, Francs, Castillon and Cadillac. Then there are differences in winemaking, vineyard practice and the vagaries of the weather in 2012. There were a number of wines that felt disjointed too but I expect them  to pull together. Ordinarily I would have re-tasted these but the pressure of time during the week meant that I only had one go. The week sped by in a flash, so I’m afraid it’s a bit sudden death. I’ve tried to be completely direct and honest in the notes in terms of what’s in the glass [not on the label].

A caveat on the scores. I’ve probably been pretty conservative overall [as usual]. These are primeurs notes and assessing such young wines is tricky and you are looking at a moving target. I’ve scored them in a two-point range, the upper score being what I’d hope they achieve obviously. As ever the notes are more important than the numbers. I stick ’em in as they are a necessary evil.

Chateau Alcée, Castillon – Côtes de Bordeaux

Deep and saturated look, vibrant edge; layered and plush on the nose, briary fruit with plums and a perfume lift; nice purity with minerality; sweet entry to the fruit, lots of layers and good density. Nice chew on the palate and good depth of material. Excellent effort. 89-91+ Tasted Friday 12^th April 2013 at Chateau Pavie-Macquin

Chateau d’Aiguilhe, Castillon – Côtes de Bordeaux

Deep and saturated looking; very rich on the nose; mincemeat, sweet cake, density; plums and spices; very rich and ripe on the palate but somehow not overdone; plums, spices, real ripeness; chew and density on the finish. Very good length. Excellent 89-91+ Tasted Friday 12^th April 2013 at Chateau Canon-La-Gaffelière

Chateau Reynon, Cadillac/Côtes de Bordeaux

Deep and saturated, pretty young Bordeaux nose; vibrant and perfumed; quite moreish palate; well made wine; supple, ripe and easy; lots of joy here. 87-89+ Tasted at the Cercle de Rive Droite, Sunday, 7^th April 2013

Chateau La Prade, Bordeaux Côtes de Francs

Deep and solid colour; vibrant rim; density here and a little more lifted; minerality with ripe red fruits, little jam and some plum & black cherry notes; plenty of fruit and density to the palate and a mineral finish. Nice bite. Good mouthful. 87-89+ Friday 12^th April 2013 at Chateau Pavie-Macquin

Chateau Puygueraud, Bordeaux Côtes de Francs

Deep and saturated; legs; healthly looking; some earth, nicely ripe fruit and lots of it; nice entry, fruity, lots of material and good density; nicely handled tannins. Sap and life here. Good effort. 87-89+ Friday 12^th April 2013 at Chateau Pavie-Macquin

Chateau Le Doyenne, Cadillac/Cotes de Bordeaux

Deep and saturated; tight to rim; vibrant edge; deep and thick nose; depth, extract; marzipan ripeness; some minerality [some complexity]. Attractive wine. Pure attack; ripe fruit, nice weight and mouthfeel. Good glass of Bordeaux. 87-89 Tasted at the Cercle de Rive Droite, Sunday, 7^th April 2013

Chateau Carignan Prima, Cadillac/Côtes de Bordeaux

Deep and saturated; denser than last; more extracted aromas; denser with some oak and coffee bean notes; palate has some depth and bite. This works well. Earthy and spicy. 87-89 Tasted at the Cercle de Rive Droite, Sunday, 7^th April 2013

Domaine Virginie, AOC Bordeaux

Vibrant colour; lots of lush and perfumed fruit, spices; very round, some spice and pepper tones; layered and very impressive polish and razzle-dazzle for AOC Bordeaux. Nice chew at the back 87-89 Tasted Friday 12^th April 2013 with Jean-Luc Thunevin in St Emilion

Chateau Fourcas Maldoror, Côtes de Bourg

Mid depth; purple edge; ripe and soft; easy entry; ripe supple Merlot; simple and fresh. Appetizing. 86-88 Tasted at the Cercle de Rive Droite, Sunday, 7^th April 2013

Chateau Carignan, Cadillac/Côtes de Bordeaux

Mid depth, deep, purple edge; pepper and spice; almost good Loire-like Cab Franc? More sweetness and lift; some chew. Spicy and interesting. 86-88 Tasted at the Cercle de Rive Droite, Sunday, 7^th April 2013

Chateau Cap de Faugères, Castillon/Cotes de Bordeaux

Deep saturated look; very ripe Merlot, fatness; ripe some jam. Fat palate with lots of fruit not over extracted but a little one-dimensional. Nevertheless chewy and gutsy. 86-88 Tasted at the Cercle de Rive Droite, Sunday, 7^th April 2013

Chateau Haut Bertinerie, Blaye/Côtes de Bordeaux

Saturated colour; little looser at the edge; vibrant nose; emphasis on the briary fruit; real bounce and freshness on the nose; spice and earthy characters too. Positive finish. 86-88+ Tasted at the Cercle de Rive Droite, Sunday, 7^th April 2013

Clos Puy Arnaud, Castillon/Côtes de Bordeaux

Deep and saturated; very ripe, unctuous and lots of jam; ripe fruit, jam; not over-extracted. Little on the jammy side but no shortage of fruit. 86-88 Tasted at the Cercle de Rive Droite, Sunday, 7^th April 2013

Chateau Veyry, Castillon/Côtes de Bordeaux

Deep and saturated; slightly leaner, more coffee bean and Cab Franc influence or terroir? Not unattractive; earthy and enticing. Earthy palate, some tobacco. Earthy Bordeaux – chalk and cheese versus Clos Puy Arnaud. 86-88 Tasted at the Cercle de Rive Droite, Sunday, 7^th April 2013

Chateau Joanin Bécot, Castillon/Côtes de Bordeaux

Deep and dense, saturated in glass; quite strong and big, if a little monolithic; supple palate but lacks a bit of life; chewy and gutsy. 86-88 Tasted at the Cercle de Rive Droite, Sunday, 7^th April 2013

Chateau Mont Pérat, Cadillac/Côtes de Bordeaux

Saturated but lighter edge; more vibrant; more coffee and sour cherry; fresher; vibrant; easy and open; emphasis on the fruit; mid weight not pushed; warm finish but not that bad; nice and modern. 86-88 Tasted at the Cercle de Rive Droite, Sunday, 7^th April 2013

Chateau Marsau, Franc/Côtes de Bordeaux

Deep and saturated look; sweet summer fruit compôte; some freshness and spice; leaner palate; some earthy notes; fresh. Okish but should come good. 85-87 Tasted at the Cercle de Rive Droite, Sunday, 7^th April 2013

Chateau Côte Montpezat, Castillon/Côtes de Bordeaux

Saturated, slightly looser at the meniscus than some; soft, easy and open; perfumed; oak here; masks the fruit a little; dryness to the palate. Oaky. May settle. 84-86? Tasted at the Cercle de Rive Droite, Sunday, 7^th April 2013

Chateau Ampélia, Castillon/Côtes de Bordeaux

Looser at edge; some oak influence and a whiff of sourness; some spice; very much a lighter nose; more higher toned and acid. Feels leaner and lacks flavour. Bit hollow? 82-84 Tasted at the Cercle de Rive Droite, Sunday, 7^th April 2013

Chateau Bel Air La Royère, Blaye/Côtes de Bordeaux

Deep saturated colour to the edge; briary fruit; oak, spices; little sour note; feels a little pushed; quite chewy. Hard tannins and slightly green note. 82-84 Tasted at the Cercle de Rive Droite, Sunday, 7^th April 2013

Chateau de France ‘Les Cerisiers’, Francs/Côtes de Bordeaux

Deep and saturated; legs; dense look; thick and rich lots of depth and fruit here. Pretty with depth. Palate feels a bit tannic and stretched with a little green streak at the back; vegetal note and too extracted. Promising nose, disappointing palate. 82-84? Tasted at the Cercle de Rive Droite, Sunday, 7^th April 2013

Chateau de Laussac, Castillon/Côtes de Bordeaux

Deep and saturated; vibrant purple at edge; oak influence on the nose; quite fat fruit; little disjointed with make-up showing; lots of wood tannin dominating the palate; feels a bit mean and pinched overall with chewy tannin. 82-84? Tasted at the Cercle de Rive Droite, Sunday, 7^th April 2013

Chateau Roland La Garde, Blaye/Côtes de Bordeaux

Deep and saturated; stones, minerality; feels a little hard; mean and dry. Not a good sample. 82-84? Tasted at the Cercle de Rive Droite, Sunday, 7^th April 2013