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Bordeaux 2018: Remaining Notes [and on some ’17s, ’16s & 15s]

Written by JW. Posted in Bordeaux

Finally notes taken on wines tasted at the Bordeaux Grand Cru Classé tasting in London last year. While the majority of these were 2018s that I’d missed during primeurs week, it was also a good opportunity to look at other recent vintages. In Margaux, Château Rauzan Ségla had made a sublime wine in 2018, so too Château Branaire-Ducru and Château Léoville Poyferré in St Julien. In Pauillac, Château Pontet Canet was astonishing, paralleled in different ways by extraordinary wines at Château Montrose in St Estèphe and Château Smith Haut Lafitte in Pessac-Léognan.

Other vintages tasted [2017, 2016, 2015] showed just how wonderful the 2016 vintage is, surely the most perfectly balanced Bordeaux vintage of recent years. It is not as show stopping in flamboyance as 2018 is [or perhaps 2009 was looking back], or as structured and sinewy as 2010, but the supple fruit, the sublime texture of the tannins and the balancing freshness of acidity makes this vintage a fantastic one. What’s more it is wonderfully homogeneous. In winemaking terms, châteaux also had stepped off the gas relative to the blockbuster years 2009 and 2010, as cellar methods have become noticeably less extractive across the region. Picking dates, too, now feel less pushed to the absolute limit, resulting in wines that are more nimble and fresher.

In terms of 2016s revisted, Château Léoville Poyferré and Château Branaire-Ducru looked fabulous and are still showing well. Château Pontet-Canet has all the elements but is beginning to shut down for the long haul. I think this retreat from the first flushes of youth into a more dormant stage did also seem to be evident in many of the 2015s tasted. I’d fully expect them all to re-emerge.

The following notes were taken in May 2019. I’ve been a bit slow getting these up…apologies about that. I hope you find them useful.

Château Rauzan-Ségla, Grand Cru Classé, Margaux 2018

Glossy looking in the glass; ripe fruits, some floral rose petal; cassis; ripe cherry; intensity; mineral; lovely palate with sweet ripe fruit on entry; really glossy; black fruits; nicely balanced on the palate; feels nimble despite the evident ripeness. Firm finish with some warmth. [56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted May ’19. Drink 2027-2047. 94-96

Château Branaire-Ducru, Grand Cru Classé, St Julien, 2018

Deep; saturated; vivid colour; cassis; stone fruits; mineral tones; very pure blackcurrant notes; quite seductive; plush fruit but with plenty of structure beneath; love the texture here; this is impressive wine with that attractive Branaire restraint that makes this a truly moreish 2018. [58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted May ’19. Drink 2026-2050. 94-96+

Château Branaire-Ducru, Grand Cru Classé, St Julien, 2017

Mid depth; some fresh blackcurrant tones; evidently a lighter bodied vintage; easy and soft palate with some delicacy but lacks depth. Short finish, by comparison with the other vintages on display. [65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 6.5% Petit Verdot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted May ’19. Drink 2022-2032. 87

Château Branaire-Ducru, Grand Cru Classé, St Julien, 2016

Mid depth; attractive savoury note; blackcurrant; layers here with some spices; lovely palate; refined and balanced; freshness and that beautiful texture in 2016. This is super good St Julien with great length. You could start this already but it probably needs another five years to start with. [64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted May ’19. Drinking 2025-2045. 96+

Château Branaire-Ducru, Grand Cru Classé, St Julien, 2015

Mid depth; little tighter than 2016 overall; some acetone notes at first; opened up with good savoury style with spices and blackcurrant; some olive and a little tobacco. Has elegance. Not currently as knockout as the 2016. Feels a little more modest, but this might be because it is retreating into its shell. [65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlott, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted May ’19. Drink 2023-2040. 92+

Château Léoville Poyferré, Grand Cru Classé, St Julien, 2018

Deep and saturated looking; colour tight to edge; seductive aromatics; blackcurrant cassis, pain grillé from new oak; really pretty; lots of layers and super depth; very impressive; terrific aromatics; reminds me of ’09 in the glass; the texture and the fruit on the palate are super impressive; plenty of lush extract. Wonderful length. Some new oak still to integrate but exceptional fruit. [64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot] Tasted May ’19. Drink 2028-2060. 96-98

Château Léoville Poyferré, Grand Cru Classé, St Julien, 2017

Mid depth; red at edge; spices, some tobacco; certain depth to the aromatics; blackcurrant fruit; on the palate the fruit dips a little in the middle in what feels a slightly pinched vintage amongst a trio of great years [’18, ’16 & ‘15]. [67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot]. Tasted May ’19. Drink 2023-2035. 89

Château Léoville Poyferré, Grand Cru Classé, St Julien, 2016

Deeper looking; savoury notes; significant depth to the aromatics; blackcurrants, tapenade notes; black olives; lots of spices; pretty dense on the palate with layers of fruit; great depth overall and lovely texture to the tannins. This is wonderful stuff and has the balance to last. [63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted May ’19. Drink 2028-2050. 97

Château Léoville Poyferré, Grand Cru Classé, St Julien, 2015

Mid depth; glossy; lots of fruit here; spices; some tobacco hints alongside layers of blackcurrant fruit. Palate is packed with fruit and pretty dense. This is long haul again. In the glass it opens up significantly with additional olive and tapenade notes; the palate has genuine balance if there is fractionally less depth than 2016. Still wonderful. [65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted May ’19. Drink 2024-2045. 95+

Château Moulin Riche, St Julien, 2018

Deep and saturated look; lovely pure blackcurrant fruit; creamy and impressive; some tar notes too; lovely texture and material on the palate and nicely balanced with some acidity. This has all the elements. Impressive for Moulin Riche, which is ever improving. [59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 17% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted May ’19. Drink 2023-2038. 91-93+

Château Pontet-Canet, Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2018

Wonderfully glossy, healthy look; deep; beautiful fruit; blackcurrants, summer compote of black fruits; really juicy and pure; terrific stuff; cassis and blackcurrants on the palate; almost voluptuous; texture to the tannins and depth to the wine; great concentration. A beauty. Amazing wine. [70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot]. Tasted May ’19. Drink 2028-2050. 97-100

Château Pontet-Canet, Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2017

Mid depth; ripe blackcurrant fruit; inky quality; some depth though generally lighter toned than the other vintages shown. [ 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot]. Tasted May ’19. Drink 2026-2037. 91

Château Pontet-Canet, Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2016

Deeply coloured; red at edge; inky with plenty of matter; graphite and blackcurrant fruit; some resin; inky and dense on the palate with plenty of depth and layers of fruit; some chew to the tannins and feeling that this wine has gone into its shell since its joyful primeur days. Set to return I’m sure, but give it 5 years at least and will last for 50. [60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot]. Tasted May ’19. Drink 2025-2050. 97+

Château Pontet-Canet, Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2015

Deep; glossy red at edge; spices and blackcurrant fruit with some tobacco notes developing; palate has a boatload of inky blackcurrant cabernet fruit; there is evident structure and density here. Again this feels like a great wine retreating into itself for the long haul. Has terrific length, but needs 5 to 10 years to get into its stride and will be in its prime by mid century…iif we are all still here then. [65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot]. Tasted May ’19. Drink 2025-2050. 96+

Château Montrose, Grand Cru Classé, St Estèphe, 2018

Deep and saturated look; colour tight to rim; very classy Cabernet nose [reminds me of Latour in 2018 – more on that in an additional post]; cool, perfumed blackcurrants soar from the glass; black cherry notes also come in; this is wonderfully polished stuff; terrific palate; seductive and layered; cassis, blackcurrant and black cherry notes continue; layers and layers of fruit here; super texture to the tannins. Remarkable stuff. Up there with Latour. [72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot]. Tasted May ’19. Drink 2028-2060. 98-100

Château Montrose, Grand Cru Classé, St Estèphe, 2017

Mid depth; healthy; lots of fresh fruit aromatics; cherry and blackcurrant tones; quite pretty; this is an impressive ’17; good clean fruit on the palate with nice length; some middle and depth here which makes it one of the most impressive ‘17s tasted on the day. Has good texture and depth. [76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot]. Tasted May ’19. Drink 2025-40. 93

Château Montrose, Grand Cru Classé, St Estèphe, 2015

Deep; inky blackcurrant and menthol notes; evident depth and density but feels a bit brooding at present; plenty of extract on the palate with structure; grip and texture to the tannins. This has shut down but plenty of inky blackcurrant fruit here. Was super impressive during primeurs but slipping into dormancy for the long haul I suspect. [67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted May ’19. Drink 2028-2050. 96+

La Dame de Montrose, St Estèphe, 2018

Deep saturated colour; legs; lovely black cherry fruit; really lush and deep; texture and depth on the palate with structure; great depth for La Dame; lots and lots of fruit and balancing acidity. This is a tremendous La Dame. Such joy here in this vintage. [52% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted May ’19. Drink 2023-2038. 93-95+

Château Tronquoy-Lalande, St Estèphe, 2018

Ripe and saturated look; legs; lively black cherry aromatics; some earth but dominated by wonderfully pretty fruit tones at present; fruit packed palate but also fresh and nimble. Balanced. Firm tannin but with ripe texture. This is good, strong, vibrant St Estèphe in a lovely vintage for the appellation. [52% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted May ’19. Drink 2025-2035. 93+

Château Smith Haut Lafitte [Blanc], Grand Cru Classé de Graves, Pessac-Léognan, 2018

Pale straw; lovely salinity; some wax and citrus notes; oyster shell and white flowers; enticing; waxy palate with candied peel and oyster shell notes again; this is nicely balanced and looks very good. [90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris, 5% Semillon]. Tasted May ’19. Drink 2023-2030. 94-96+

Château Smith Haut Lafitte [Rouge], Grand Cru Classé de Graves, Pessac-Léognan, 2018

Glossy colour; ripe and pure fruit tones soar from the glass; this is lush wine as ever with plenty of layers; these impressions continue on the palate – beautiful fruit tones and plush texture. Wonderful wine with great depth. Seductive. [60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot]. Tasted May ’19. Drink 2025-2045. 97-100

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