Wine Words & Video Tape

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Posts Tagged ‘Hubert de Boüard de Laforest’

Bordeaux’s best value red: Château Meyney?

Written by JW. Posted in Bordeaux

St Estèphe is awash with good value Bordeaux. This most northerly appellation in the Haut-Médoc produces firm yet fleshy reds with lots of extract and tannin. Modern methods of vinification combined with the picking of tannin ripe grapes have reduced the coarseness that characterised some of the wines here a decade or so ago. Full-throttle St Estèphe always was but now there’s much more finesse to be found here. A list of affordable, good quality wines from this appellation would certainly include Château Capbern, Château Le Crock, Château Le Boscq, Château Tronquoy-Lalande and Château Beau-Site. In very top vintages these wines are of classed growth quality. There’s another tier above which includes Château Haut-Marbuzet, Château Lafon-Rochet, Château Cos Labory, Château Phélan-Ségur, Château Ormes de Pez, Château de Pez and Château Meyney. At the top of the tree, classed growths Château Calon Ségur, Château Cos d’Estournel and Château Montrose often make wine of equivalent quality [in very different ways] to the neighbouring Pauillac first growths.

Bordeaux 2015: Lalande de Pomerol

Written by JW. Posted in Bordeaux

IMG_0955Château La Fleur de Boüard and Le Plus de La Fleur de Boüard are excellent this year, amongst the most impressive wines yet from this estate owned by the family that run Château Angélus. Domaine des Sabines is ripe and creamy with plenty of extract and matter. While there is a lot to sink your teeth into there is a glossy polish to the wine that’s a trademark of anything Jean-Luc Thunevin has a hand in. By contrast, Château de Bel-Air is a Lalande de Pomerol from the JP Moueix stable. It is light and fresh with the emphasis on sappy fruit and bright acidity in 2015.

Bordeaux 2015: Château Angélus

Written by JW. Posted in Bordeaux

IMG_0951Château Angélus is surely one of the wines of the 2015 vintage. It combines beauty and lush extravagance with a degree of freshness which is wonderfully exciting. It was among the most attractive wines I tasted during primeurs week. It confirms the beauty of this vintage here in St Emilion at the top level. The fruit tones are delicious and the balance is there. The question is whether we will be able to afford the wine. Le Carillon d’Angélus is a little firmer [partly the extra Cabernet in the blend] but it is very good. St Emilion Grand Crus Château Daugay and Château Roc de Boisseaux, properties with connections to the de Boüard family, are forward, precocious and enjoyable. I’ll discuss their Lalande de Pomerol, La Fleur de Boüard in a separate post [it is yet another beauty].  

Bordeaux Primeurs 2013: Château Angélus

Written by JW. Posted in Bordeaux

IMG_5674Château Angélus has particularly fine terroir in St Emilion with south facing sun exposure. It looks to have produced a very good wine in 2013. There’s composure and depth to Angélus and seductive violet tinged aromatics. There’s some weight and density here too and it all adds up to a pretty complete effort.

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