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Bordeaux 2003: St Emilion & Pomerol
Bordeaux 2003
At Two Years
St Emilion & Pomerol
My assessment of the wines of St Emilion and Pomerol at the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2003 tasting was, inevitably, a limited one. There were only a small number of the hundreds of right bank estates in attendance, and of these I tasted an even smaller number. Time constraints meant I couldn't taste everything, to attempt to do so would have had a negative impact on the quality of my interpretation of the wines. Hence I have tasting notes for a biased selection of St Emilion and just two Pomerol estates.
What this sampling suggested to me was that the right bank did indeed have problems, with some St Emilions seemingly over-extracted; despite an often impressive, varietally correct set of aromas on the nose, they had an attenuated presence on the palate. Some showed a brawny character rather than finesse or elegance, although this finding is not confined to the right bank; many left bank wine also demonstrated this characteristic. Of the two Pomerols, both made a very good impression, but this sampling of two top chateaux is obviously too small to allow any meaningful interpretation. (27/10/05)
The Right Bank 2003: Tasting Notes
Tasted at the UGC de Bordeaux tasting in October 2005. Click
to locate stockists.
Chateau Beau-Sejour Bécot 2003: Exotic
nose of sweet black plums with a little chocolate. Full, ripe, quite creamy.
Well balanced and supple, with a firm but not obvious backbone of grippy
tannins. Roast nut, plum and black berry fruit finish. Ripe, well structured
wine. Very good. 16+/20
Chateau Belair 2003: Lovely nose here, showing some exotic, plummy fruitcake
character. Cool, stylish entry. rather firm presence on the palate, less,
textured and opulent than the nose suggested. But it has a pleasing elegance.
Ripe, integrated, slightly brawny. Grippy finish. Good style here. 16/20
Chateau Figeac 2003: A lifted, smoky, black fruit nose here, tinged with
liquorice. Restrained style on the palate, showing a creamy edge, but becoming
rather attenuated through the midpalate. Over-extracted? The grippy tannins sit
uneasily with the texture of the wine. 14.5/20
Clos Fourtet 2003: A super ripe nose here, of exotic dark fruits. Full on
fruit on the palate, although only moderate weight, a little creamy on entry,
but then loses it through the midpalate. Seems attenuated. Over-extracted again?
Piles of tannin here also. 15/20
Chateau Grand Mayne 2003: Good, stylish plummy varietally correct nose here.
Fine, slightly creamy, balanced, with a lovely presence and texture on the
palate. Ripe, grippy tannins seem a little svelte, and although rather prominent
there is a good texture and an elegant presence of fruit. Overall a very good
package with potential. 16.5+/20
Chateau Troplong-Mondot 2003: A nice, lifted, elegant black fruit nose.
Similar elegance on the palate, which has a nicely rounded texture, and
it has sufficient substance to cover the firm, grippy tannins that lie beneath. Lovely although quite
masculine style. Very good. 16.5+/20
Chateau Clinet 2003: A seductive nose of ripe blackcurrant fruits and exotic spices. This has real
appeal. Elegance, restraint and balance in abundance on the palate. This has a
soft, slightly plush texture, moderate weight, and a fine tannic structure. A
wine of quality here. A success. 17+/20
Chateau La Conseillante 2003: Black fruits and nuts, with some dried-spiced
fruit on the nose. Full, weighty and rich on the palate, but not lush, opulent
or overdone. There is plenty of firm structure beneath it all, but it sits well
with the rest of the wine. Good acidity. Lovely style and great potential here.
A real success! 17.5+/20
