Thursday’s 2014 primeurs tastings started at Château Latour and the wines showed impressive blackcurrant purity and freshness. Since Latour have withdrawn from the primeurs system, the current releases were also on show including their wonderful 2003 [more on this later]. Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste has also produced very refined and balanced wines in 2014 [including Haut-Batailley]. Lynch Moussas held the UGC tastings for St Estèphe and Pauillac. Top for me amongst the Pauillacs were Batailley, Lynch-Bages and an excellent Pichon Baron. In St Estèphe, Lafon Rochet is full and harmonious and Ormes de Pez concentrated. There was inconsistency in a few others, with hard tannins in some. At Pontet-Canet the chais was packed with visitors and the wine was round and vivacious. Pichon Lalande too has succeeded with a powerful wine with attractive fragrance. Cabernet has certainly done well in the Left Bank this year.

Moulis and Listrac are two of my favourite appellations in Bordeaux for value. The wines have a reputation for being full-flavoured and gutsy but the top wines have as much finesse as the Haut-Médoc classed growths. 2012 looks to have produced good wines in these districts. Though they are not the show-stoppers of 2009 and 2010, they seem to have more harmony than 2007, 2011 and 2013 and are more forward and immediately enjoyable than 2008 was at the same stage. The stand-out for me this year across both appellations was Château Maucaillou which has produced a delicious wine. Château Poujeaux, Château Fourcas Hosten and Château Fourcas Dupré also look successful in 2012.

As you’d expect in a vintage like 2013 Moulis and Listrac have produced a sappy, chewy bunch of wines. In Moulis, Château Poujeaux is elegant and attractive, with Château Chasse-Spleen seemingly leaner and a fraction austere. Château Fourcas Dupré looked the pick of the wines from Listrac. It has some sweetness and generosity on the mid-palate and is a whisker out in front of its chief competitors, Château Fourcas Hosten and Château Clarke.

Moulis and Listrac have produced a bracing set of wines in 2011. There isn’t the joy and flesh found here in 2009 nor the density of 2010. Still if you like your wines with chew and sap then these have something to offer. They could do with a little time to settle further, perhaps the wines of Moulis more than Listrac. There is elegance and harmony amongst the best if not a huge buzz of excitement.