Bordeaux Primeurs 2012: Moulis & Listrac
As you’d imagine Moulis and Listrac are fairly tight, tannic bunch in 2012. There is not the gloss here of the really great years like 2009 and 2010 when these properties provide real value. Most should settle ok. The real bright spot, as ever, is Château Poujeaux, which has crafted a very fine effort in this tricky, rain-affected vintage. Listrac has produced a chewy set of wines, but Château Fourcas-Dupré and Château Fourcas-Hosten should prove gutsy drinking. Still, with so much 2009, 2010, and even 2005, still widely available and drinking nicely, it doesn’t seem to make much sense tying up your cash in these right now.
MOULIS
Château Chasse-Spleen
Dense colour; glossy look; some bright fruit, black cherry, fresh. Purity on the nose. Fresh palate but oaky and feels very dry. Angular finish. 85-87 UGC Tuesday April 9 2013
Château Maucaillou
Dark and deep; nice purity of fruit, Cabernet but ripe; some tightness on the palate; lean and lacks mid palate richness. Should meld but dry finish. 84-86 UGC Tuesday April 9 2013
Château Poujeaux
Deep and saturated colour; tight to the edge; blackcurrant and briary fruits on the nose; quite open and seemingly a lot of fruit here; palate full and firm; lots of elements acid, tannin and fruit and considerable structure. Goodish effort – evidently lots of fruit here. 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. 87-89 UGC Tuesday April 9 2013
LISTRAC
Château Clarke
Deep and dense looking; some wet rock, chalk and blackcurrant notes beneath; feels ripe; some pretty fruit on the nose; some hardness to the palate; dense and chewy. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon 13.5% alc 85-87 UGC Tuesday April 9, 2013
Château Fonréaud
Deep and dense; more oak lift, some resin, some layers, quite seductive almost, meaty and oak palate; oak tannins, feels a liitle overdone. Dry palate. Tannic. Some length but oak and tannic at present. 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot 13.5% alc 30% new oak. 84-86 UGC Tuesday April 9, 2013
Château Fourcas Dupré
Dark centre; vibrant at edge; some perfume, prettiness on the nose; some cherry; depth not unattractive; good entry, ripe fruit, chewy but good nevertheless. Lots of guts. Chewy finish but will work. 86-88 UGC Tuesday April 9 2013
Château Fourcas Hosten
Deep and saturated; much more oak on the nose; toasty and espresso notes; some fruit layers beneath; oak very present on the palate; feels disjointed; a certain hardness. Fruit masked a bit at present. Lots of guts and material on the palate but pretty grippy and lots of tannin from the wood. Should settle. 85-87 UGC Tuesday April 9 2013
Château Mayne Lalande
Earthy looking; some smoke, ripe and some polish here; depth, rocks and some minerals; grippy and earthy palate with density; lots of structure and grip. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. 84-86 Tasted at La Fleur de Bouard, Wednesday April 10, 2013.
Tags: 2012, Bordeaux, Chateau Chasse-Spleen, Chateau Fonréaud, Chateau Fourcas Dupré, Chateau Fourcas Hosten, Chateau Maucaillou, Chateau Mayne Lalande, Chateau Poujeaux, Chteau Clarke, en primeur, Listrac, Moulis, primeurs