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Bordeaux 2008: Pessac-Léognan
Bordeaux 2008
En primeur
Pessac-Léognan
We tumbled off the plane at Mérignac ready to taste, and our first stop was Smith-Haut-Lafitte for a tasting of the wines of Pessac-Léognan. Three groups - in three different vehicles - were due to converge in the car park, but due to some delays in collecting our hire cars we were already behind schedule when setting out. Fortunately the Rocade, the Bordeaux ring road, was unusually quiet, and we made it to the Cathiard estate with a reasonable if not ideal amount of tasting time in hand. Fortunately I was able to top up my Pessac exposure at other times during the week, at Chateau Brown with the members of Bordeaux Oxygène (young, next-generation châteaux proprietors), and later at La Mission Haut Brion; this also meant I could retaste one or two wines, always a valuable practice during the primeurs assessments.
The Graves region is unusual in Bordeaux in that it, excluding lesser appellations such as AC Bordeaux Blanc and Entre-Deux-Mers, it is the only region where decent volumes of dry white wine are made alongside the red. As such the region deserves some specific consideration; it was one of the worst affected by the April frost, and so yields here tend towards lower values, with considerably less than 30 hl/ha for the white vines on many estates. For the reds here, as elsewhere, many estates brought in less than 40 hl/ha, a huge reduction. Nevertheless, although small, the Graves harvest ran fairly smoothly, although naturally it was more stretched out here than elsewhere, as the white varieties are picked before the reds. Work got underway on the whites in the first week of September and continued throughout the month, although most was in before the vines were able to take advantage of the good weather when it arrived later in the month. The opposite was true for the reds; the Merlots were picked first followed by the Cabernets, with the majority of the fruit coming in during the warm and beneficial month of October.
Tasting
the wines, the whites are quite impressive on the whole, with fresh and zippy
fruit on the nose, and good structure and freshness on the palate. They have
more substance than the 2007 vintage, and as they missed out on the Indian
summer the acidities are good, so I think they outclass the 2005s as well. On
the whole I like the style of the wines, which are more similar to the
successful 2006s than any other recent vintage I have tasted at this point. The
wines of Haut-Brion, Laville Haut-Brion and
Domaine de Chevalier, which
outclassed many peers at the Smith-Haut-Lafitte tasting in both red and white,
are by far the best in my opinion.
As for the reds, there was more variation, with some wines showing monumental structure and potential, others showing freshness and vibrancy, and others showing heavy extraction with over-worked tannins. Haut-Brion is undoubtedly in the former category, and I include it as a candidate for wine of the vintage. Note that I don't mark it as the wine of the vintage, because such pronouncements based on barrel samples are surely premature. La Mission Haut-Brion was not too far behind in potential, and again Domaine de Chevalier.
Unfortunately I missed Haut-Bailly, the bottles having been wrung dry of every last drop when I reached them, so I will have to reserve judgement on that wine. Otherwise I tasted a reasonable sample, comparable to last year, despite our rather late arrival.
One final important point is on a matter of probity. I, like every other vistor to Bordeaux during the primeurs, required somewhere to eat and sleep. Few seem to declare this matter, however, although it seems to me to be increasingly important. I received hospitality from the propritors of Chateau Brown in this respect; I believe I have judged the wines fairly despite this, but with this information to hand the reader may at least judge for themselves. (9/4/09)
Pessac-Léognan 2008: Tasting Notes
Tasted in Bordeaux in April 2009. Click
to locate stockists.
Chateau Brown
Blanc 2008: This has some pure and vibrant fruit on the nose, with a flashy,
dense character. The palate is textured, structured and zippy, with an
attractive, broad, tangible substance. Plenty of good character here, backed up
by good weight and fresh acidity. Potentially very good indeed. 16.5-17.5+/20
Chateau
Carbonnieux Blanc 2008: A vibrant nose, with cream and ripe capsicum
fruit. A nice, weighty style on the palate, fleshy, with an appealing warm
substance. Good grip to it, fresh flavour and a very attractive density. There
is very good potential here indeed. 16.5-17.5+/20
Domaine de
Chevalier Blanc 2008: This is pure, lifted and rich, showing plump pear
and stone fruit. It has an elegantly polished character to it, and all seems in
total harmony. There is a slightly greener edge to the fruit than is found in
some of the bigger wines but I like that. The palate is full, stylish, with
delightfully vibrant and lifted fruit notes, and intense and piercing freshness
and vivacious acidity. Full of vigour, in combination with midpalate flesh, this
is a brilliant effort. 17.5-18.5+/20
Chateau de
Fieuzal Blanc 2008: There are little notes of grass and buttercream
here. The palate is attractive, polished, with good pithy fruit. The midpalate
is quite full and bright, with a peppery zip and good vigour. Nicely structured.
There is a little length to it as well. This good be very good indeed. 16.5-17.5+/20
Chateau Haut-Brion Blanc 2008: In this vintage this is 79% Semillon
and 21% Sauvignon Blanc. It has a much rounder style than Laville, with a more
polished, creamy-stony, honeyed yellow fruit. The palate is fat, slightly
mineral, with a chalky touch. Really cleanly defined, stylish, with hints of
tropical fruit. Rich, with a creamy underbelly, this has huge potential.
Brilliant wine. 18-19+/20
Chateau Latour-Martillac 2008:
This is another wine which is showing a lot of
Sauvignon character on the nose, with the aromas of green and yellow capsicum,
overlaid with a little lemon cream. The palate is attractive, pithy, with some
grip. A rather diffuse midpalate though. There are good components here, but
less harmony than in some other wines. Short finish. 15-16+/20
Chateau Laville Haut-Brion 2008: This is 55% Semillon and 45%
Sauvignon Blanc. Amazingly fresh on the nose, limpid, the pears and apples,
capsicums and cream, and even a little honeydew melon. The palate has great
acidity at the start, leading to a nice, rounded substance in the middle. This
is quite rich, stylish, with primary green fruit flavour. Broad, with
fresh acidity, and a firm acid finish. Excellent wine. 17.5-18.5+/20
Chateau
La Louvière Blanc 2008: There is a little reduction on the nose here,
but there are plenty of interesting Sauvignon nuances apparent, with notes of
white pepper and lemon cream. The palate is substantial though, with nice
density at the start, and moderate acidity. Good midpalate structure, a firm
grip too. This has quite a fleshy style, with good grip and structure. It could
just do with a little more vigour. 15.5-16.5+/20
Chateau Malartic-Lagravière Blanc 2008: Rather more muted on the nose
than some of the more expressive wines at this tasting. Just a little vanilla on
the nose. The palate has a nice, full, fresh and slightly weighty substance on
the palate though. there is good grip, moderate but fairly bright acidity, and a
full, round, slightly fat texture. Decent midpalate substance and good length.
If this shows more expression with time, this will be very good. 16-17+/20
Chateau Olivier Blanc 2008: A lovely and fresh, peachy and yet grassy
nose here; yellow capsicum too. The Sauvignon component is very evident here at
the moment. The palate is fresh and wholesome, substantial, with good acids too
although these are nicely covered by the fruit texture. There are lots of good
components here, and good grip. But not the vivacity or vigour of some other
wines. Short finish. 15.5-16.5+/20
Chateau
Pape-Clément Blanc 2008: Unsurprisingly this has a bigger nose, with
sweet and slightly candied fruit, with acacia, but also a huge layer of
polished, golden oak. This character comes though on the palate also, which has
full, fleshy and rather sherbetty fruit. But underneath this frothy surface
there is plenty of grip (oak-derived?), and good acids. My only point of
criticism is that it seems a little flat in the midpalate; is there the
substance to cope with this oaking regime? Time will tell; in the meantime I
have added query to my score. 16.5-17.5+?/20
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc 2008: This has fine and fresh fruit,
lively pear and aromatic acacia, although also a little oak. On the palate it
has a moderate weight, a good grippy substance and a nice core of acidity. A
good rounded character, with a nice peppery flesh. This has the characteristic
Smith-Haut-Lafitte liveliness off fruit that is so appealing young. 16.5-17.5+/20
Chateau Brown
2008: This has a fine colour, with dark, concentrated, slightly brawny fruit. Rich on
the palate, a little jammy perhaps, although there is a nice perfume to the
fruit. The tannins are ripe, slightly cottony, and there is soft acidity. Good
substance here. 15.5-16.5+/20
Chateau
Carbonnieux 2008: Sweet, smoky, slightly meaty fruit on the nose, showing
a little less purely than some wines. Full, rich, ripe and nicely perfumed on
the palate, a touch creamy, with well-coated tannins. Notes of violets and
sweet, aromatic berries. Rather soft acidity, and less focus than some. Nicely
fleshy though. 16-17+/20
Domaine de
Chevalier 2008: Sweet and smoky dark fruits, with a properly sweet sense
to the fruit character. A textured palate, with good substance, and sweet plum
and blackberry fruit. Balanced. A lovely ripe extract, good backbone, overall a
fine and harmonious wine. 17-18+/20
Chateau Haut-Brion 2008: This is 41% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon
and 9% Cabernet Franc. Just 7000 cases this year reflecting the low yields (for
comparison, 2004 was 14000 cases). Just 35% went into the grand vin, what
remained into Le Clarence, and a significant proportion sold off. Dense, firm,
tight fruit on the nose, with a dark, pure, intense and smoky character.
Immediately there is evident class here. The entry is textured, powerful but
defined, and the midpalate is layered, substantial, with great structure. It has
massive grip, although it also has balance, with a pure and smooth tannic
structure beneath rich, firm fruit. And an amazing length too. Great wine, and a
candidate for wine of the vintage. 18.5-19.5+/20
Le Clarence de Haut-Brion 2008: This is the second wine of
Haut-Brion.
Deep and smoky character on the nose. The palate has a good appealing substance,
although it maintains a very fresh and stony character. Rich in tannin, giving a
very firm feel, with a moderate weight of fruit and good acids. A full,
substantially structured wine, with some length. 15.5-16.5+/20
Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion 2008: This is 43% Merlot, 51% Cabernet
Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc. Just 5300 cases, with just 40% making the grade
for the grand vin, the rest either going into La Chapelle or, in the case of
20%, being sold off. Chalky fruit on the nose, with a fine and perfumed
character. There is a fairly dense composition on the palate, with a fine linear
grip. Quite full, firm, with powerful tannins, but also with lots of texture and
substance too. It shows huge tannins at the finish, but also a fine perfume. A
true vin de garde. 17.5-18.5+/20
La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion 2008: The second wine of
La
Mission Haut-Brion. Stony-smoky fruit on the nose, although it is
fairly withdrawn. It has a richer and more creamy entry than Le Clarence, and
this carries on through the midpalate. Fine, rather silky tannins even at this
level, and a wealth of rich, dark, slightly chewy fruit. Good substance here. 16-17+/20
Chateau Larrivet-Haut-Brion 2008: Dark fruits on the nose here, slightly
sooty blackberry. The palate is sweet and intense, with quite a hard tannic grip
and a sooty edge to the tannins in the midpalate. A stalky grip, heavy
extraction and a slightly burnt quality. This seems coarse and overworked to me. 14-15+/20
Chateau Malartic-Lagravière 2008: Tasted twice. Perfumed and stony
fruits, with a warm, dark, slightly meaty substance. Really very fresh and
attractive on the palate, textured and substantial. A little creamy, but grippy
too, with a big tannic backbone through to a slightly charred finish. Nice
harmony here, and good length too. 16.5-17.5+/20
Chateau Olivier 2008: This has dark fruit, with a roasted meat nuance,
and quite a sweet character. Flashy, ripe, sweet but nicely harmonious on the
palate, with soft fruit and soft acidity, but a good grip beneath. It would
benefit from a little more vigour and precision, but it has some good structure
and is not overdone. 15.5-16.5+/20
Chateau
Pape-Clément 2008: Smoky fruit, and a lot of sweet oak here, over dense
blackberry and plum fruit. A very dry palate, with the oak showing through over
a firm, tannic backbone. There is good acidity, and a big, oak and
tannin-infused finish. There is little in the way of sweetness, softness or
generosity here. But there is certainly some substance. Could be very good
indeed. 16.5-17.5+/20
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte 2008: Tasted twice. Smoky, slightly mineral,
sweet and bright fruit on the nose here. Deep and creamy style on the palate,
violet-tinged perfumed red fruit character, with moderate acidity, lots of
flashy substance and a ripe grip. Overall a good, firm style. 16-17+/20
