Bordeaux winemakers, some of the greatest in the world, have
united to make a community, Le Grand Cercle de Vins de Bordeaux to help ensure
quality, spread the best methods and techniques, and help find wine fans and
customers around the world. I was invited to their En Primeur 2016 tasting show
to taste last season’s wine, harvested over Autumn/Winter 2016, which is coming
onto the market to canny people willing to buy now and get a bargain. Later,
when some of these wines have aged, their price will seriously increase and
perhaps even multiply.
At London’s Le Meridien Hotel in Piccadilly, the dedicated
winemakers and estate owners assembled for this special tasting, designed to
give buyers and reviewers a sneaky peek at what will be coming from Bordeaux
over the coming months and years.
The first wine I sampled was the Chateau de Cerons sweet
white wine. Based in the same region as Graves (Rive Gauche of Bordeaux),
Cerons was, as I was informed by owner Caroline Perromat “a miracle”. She
explained that Cerons is a “tiny appellation” of 21 hectares only. The same
Semillon grapes are used as the more well-known Graves AOC wine, with the
deciding factor being the amount of botrytis on the grapes. 80% Semillon, 18%
Sauvignon, 2% Muscadelle is the makeup of this unique wine. The vineyard is
only 6km from Sauternes, but the result is a botyritis late harvest wine which
is very different from its illustrious famous cousin.
I found a good balance of acidity, a delicate aroma, without
over sugaring. Touches of saffron are detectable with slightly mild sweetness
and the merest hint of orange. Caroline explained that it is always a challenge
to balance the texture with freshness of the fruit, but I would say they have
met that challenge with panache. The Chateau de Cerons sweet white wine is made
by an extraordinary natural process,
and as a result, they do not produce a wine each year and only 3000 bottles are
produced if done at all. Quality and condition of the grapes is the key factor.
Quality control and care appear to be the watchwords, as the wine is generally
kept for 10 years of aging before being marketed; the 2008 is only now on sale.
A gorgeous wine for an indulgent Foie Gras starter or with dessert.
Chateau Fombrage was the producer of my next wine, another
white wine, from the same estate as a renowned Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe.
However, despite being produced in Saint Emilion, it cannot be granted AOC status
because the region famous for its red wines. The 2016 En Primeur wine is made
up of 60% Sauvignon blanc, 20% Sauvignon gris and 20% Semillon, it was a little
young at present, but with great potential. The clean fruitiness of the
Sauvignon blanc will be balanced by the herby greenery of the Sauvignon gris and
the richness of the Semillon.
Pomerol, on the right hand side of the river (Rive Droite),
is famous for being excellent and expensive; one of the very best in all of
Bordeaux. It’s a deeply rich red wine which is almost fleshy. I met Stephany
Lesaint, and sampled the 2016 Chateau Mazeyres Pomerol. The wine is biodynamic,
meaning that not only is it organic, but the grapes are tended and looked after
depending on the place on the Biodynamic calendar.
Suitable days for pruning, watering and harvesting are
identified and acted upon with diligence and strictness to get the best out of
the grapes. The wine resulting is smooth and rich, with 73% Merlot, 24.4%
Cabernet Franc, 2.6% Petit Verdot. I tried both the 2014 and the 2016 En Primeur
to compare the effect of aging. The 2014 had mellow acidity, deep fruit
flavours with rounded taste, a velvety feel in the mouth with elegant tannins.
The 2016 has fruitiness and the beginnings of those classic Pomerol velvet texture.
One to watch, I would say!
Hopping back over the river Garonne to Rive Gauche to the
famous Margaux appellation, my next wine was the Chateau Haut Breton
Larigaudiere, made by the De Schepper family. This 1550 hectare estate makes
its own Margaux from a combination of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit
Verdot grapes.
The Margaux 2012 won the 2015 gold medal for Vignerons
independents (independent winemakers). The estate is situated such that the
grapes are grown on gravelly ridges in the Bordeaux landscape, and the “hidden
ingredient” is the tiny proportion of those Petit verdot grapes. They are a very
small, exceedingly difficult to cultivate grape used for its deep red, luscious
colour. Unsurprisingly, the 2012 was excellent and the 2016 a work in progress
to be reckoned with.
Staying on the left side of the river, I moved back to white
wine to sample the Chateau de Myrat Grand Cru Classe Sauternes 2010. Don’t
worry, I changed my glass! Sauternes is made in a small part of the Graves
region of Bordeaux. The 2010 had a deep yellow colour with a touch of orange,
with a restrained sweet aroma. The taste is everything you would expect from
this utterly delightful appellation!
The current 2016 En Primeur has a makeup of Semillon grapes,
88%, Muscadelle 4% and Sauvignon 8%. Care is taken to choose the finest grapes
to make the most elegant wine; the aim is to avoid strong, unsubtle sweetness
in the final wine. Cultivating some minerality and a slight acidity to achieve
balance is the intention. The noble rot or botrytis can occur between mid
September and mid November, making planning ahead for harvesting very
difficult. The 2016 needs time, but it already has the beginnings of
brilliance.
Alain Raynaud is the President of the Grand Cercle des Vins
de Bordeaux. A retired doctor and current wine maker, he lives and breathes the
wines of Bordeaux. I had a chat to him and asked him which single wine, which
single producer would be his pick. Alain recommended Haut Carles and maker Thierry
Perdigon. This Rive Droite wine is a Fronsac appellation wine, made directly in
the barrel.
It is rare these days for all of the fermentation to happen
in the barrel, in these days of high capacity steel tanks. I asked Thierry why,
and he informed me that his process enables the soft extractions of all the
tannins and flavours from the grapes, which is far better than the harsher
process occurring in stainless steel tanks. His bijou 7-hectare estate grows a combination
of grapes with 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec making it into the
smooth and highly enjoyable blend. Alain knows his wines, and this is a one a
wine merchant or buyer with savvy will scoop up!
Chateau de la Dauphine was another Fronsac appellation wine
which caught my attention. Each year the balance of grapes changes; the 2011
was Merlot 85%, Cabernet Franc 15%, but the 2016 En Primeur is 90% Merlot and
10% Cabernet Franc. Interestingly, the 2016 already has a deeper colour than
the 2011. The 2011 wine is lightly oaked in a tasteful way, so we can expect the
same from the aged 2016. I detected mild liquorice, blackberry, hints of eucalyptus
and touches of minerality.
The ground at Chateau de la Dauphine, Lisa Sauniere
explained to me is very mineral, so the tannins from the grape skins temper the
minerality. The 2016 has a good lingering finish for a very young wine, making
it a strong candidate for a fabulous wine in 5 years’ time!
Finally, my last selection is the Entre-Deux-Mers Chateau
Sainte-Marie white wine. Owner Stephane Dupuch told me that 2016 had been a great
year for white wines, particularly for texture and ripening. The resulting
white wine (grown over 21 hectares) is made from 71% Sauvignon Blanc, 22%
Semillon, 7% Muscadelle. Stephane told me that slow ripening during 2016’s August
and September has preserved the acidity of the grapes. The warm days and cool
nights have been most welcome. Warm nights cause the skin to be ruined, losing
aromas and flavours.
The 2016 Chateau Sainte-Marie has the crispness of Sauvignon
Blanc, good richness from the Semillon. Stephane does not believe in oaking, as
the goal is to bring out the grapes. I found the acidity was perfect. 2016 was
a good year for both quality and quantity of grapes, a feat which only happens
every 2 to three vintages in a decade. A delightful white to be enjoying soon!
Snigdha attended the En Primeurs tasting of Grand Cercle des
Vins de Bordeaux as their guest. Snigdha has not received any incentive,
whether paid or otherwise, for posting this review. This review represents her
genuine opinions of the wines tasted.
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