| | This fairly large annual trade tasting was very well attended and therefore quite crowded despite the sizable space at Cipriani. I arrived a little later than usual for me and I found it difficult to operate and often had to wait for people blocking the tasting tables catching up with colleagues or friends. It was a rather frustrating experience also because at various times I had to move away from other inconsiderate attendees who wreaked variously of perfume or cannabis. In an effort to cover as many of the wines as possible, I had to take very brief notes, so these are significantly shorter than I usually do but hopefully usefully succinct. To continue my rant… I find 2 year old Bordeaux extremely hard to taste and draw definitive conclusions from. I know many “critics” do so but as in this case there is significant variability due to any number of factors… How long ago the wines were shipped here? How long before were bottles opened? Even the size of the pour can alter one’s conclusions, not to mention ambient smells! For me, many of these wines seemed horribly closed and in need of significant aeration to really show their stuff. This was virtually impossible today with very few exceptions in which, I suspect a few smart “pourers” (many from the chateau’s) took the time to arrive early and open as many bottles as practical. White Bordeaux There weren’t many white’s offered to taste and a few ran out very quickly before I had a chance to taste them. The three I managed to try were all from Graves, Pessac-Léognan. Notably, I thought the Domaine de Chevalier Blanc was particularly delicious. - 2022 Château Bouscaut Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Seems Sauvignon Blanc dominant with some creamy grapefruit, tropical fruit and melon notes. Some mineral backbone and fresh acidity. Really quite fine. (92 pts.)
- 2021 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon. The Semillon is gorgeous and overpowers the Sauvignon Blanc to the overall benefit of the wine. This is just lovely with a great mouthfeel, creamy texture. More melon fruit than grapefruit. Wet stone mineral notes. Long and luscious. Love it! (95 pts.)
- 2021 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Bright acidity with both grassy and grapefruit elements as well as melon. Nice minerals and depth with a slightly saline finish that is medium long. (94 pts.)
Margaux The first table I really went to because there were some openings to get in quickly to get a taste was Margaux. Sadly, I found these all quite disappointing. I normally love anything Margaux but in this vintage I found these to be quite one dimensional and lacking fruit…and I am a more traditionally minded drinker, so that is really saying something! I overheard a group of attendees talking and they referred to the “ high-toned fruit” in the Margaux’s but for me they seemed much more “no-toned fruit”. - 2021 Château Brane-Cantenac - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
I found this rather harsh and rough. Earthy for sure, but fruit totally hidden like most of the Margaux's I tasted today. Seemed one dimensional. Perhaps this and the other Margaux's were tasted early in the event and had not had much time open? Not great for me in this instance. Of note I have enjoyed this wine in many vintage and warmly remember the 1982, 1983 and 1985, which are sadly long gone now. (91 pts.)
- 2021 Château Cantenac Brown - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Quite oaky, High Tannin, medium+ Acid. Quite grippy. A little funky and dark black fruited. Short finish. Not impressed with the 2021 Margaux's... (91 pts.)
- 2021 Château Desmirail - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Very "mid-weight" and lacking density. High acid and tannin, fruit quite hidden...??? Another uninteresting Margaux. (89 pts.)
- 2021 Château Giscours - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
A very "pretty" wine... Bright and structured. Medium Bodied but yet powerfully flavored. Has some florals and cherry fruit just peeking through the tannin. Needs air and aging, probably better then. (92 pts.)
- 2021 Château Kirwan - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Very woody on both the nose and palate. Bright acidity with a little less tannin. Red fruited. The Margaux's today were tiring to drink for me, not very interesting. (90 pts.)
- 2021 Château Lascombes - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
This is a wine that seems to fly under the radar in some vintages and can be a nice value purchase. Not so much this vintage. While the nose seems quite fruity and earthy, the palate is harsh. Its high in acid and tannin with a lack of balancing fruit. Very "grippy". Super closed down in my view. Probably needs a very long time to age and may not have the fruit to survive. Another less than interesting Margaux tasted today. (90 pts.)
- 2021 Château Malescot St. Exupéry - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
This showed a little better than some of the other mid-priced Margaux's tasted today. While the fruit was still a little hidden, there was some cherry along with plenty of earthy cedar, herbs, spice and wet stones. Long finish decent structure to age well. Fairly complex with some depth. Maybe better in a decade? (92 pts.)
- 2021 Château Marquis de Terme - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Earthy red and black berry fruit, lightly floral. Medium tannin. This mouthfeel, short finish. This showed a little more fruit and complexity than some of the other Margaux's but nothing to "write home about." (91 pts.)
- 2021 Château Prieuré-Lichine - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
This showed a lustrous bright garnet that caught my eye. High in Tannin and acidity though. There is some red fruit and blueberry that seems to show through a little more than some of the other Margaux's tasted today. Moderately long finish with licorice and cedar. A bit interesting and a reasonable value it seems to me. (92 pts.)
- 2021 Château Rauzan-Gassies - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Distinct vanilla on the nose. Very pretty and balanced. mixed red, black and blue berries show through the tannin and bright acidity. Nicely perfumed, licorice on the moderately long finish. Better than I expected... (90 pts.)
- 2021 Château Rauzan-Ségla - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
I don't know what some of the pro's were drinking but the wine I tasted today is nowhere near a mid-to-upper 90's score. Maybe they had wine that was properly decanted? I have liked this in the past but this was disappointing for me. While I usually like "old-school" Bordeaux like this seemed it wasn't balanced for me. It seemed a little lightweight with some green notes and camphor as well as lots of cedar. ??? Another uninteresting Margaux... (90 pts.)
- 2021 Château Siran - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Earthy and reasonably well perfumed with good tension and acidity without grippy tannin. Fairly long finish but lacking a little fruit. Pretty but didn't wow me. (91 pts.)
The Rest of the Left Bank Lots of variability here but there were a few wines I really liked. Notably the Domaine de Chevalier, Gruaud Larose, and Lynch Bages stood out as likely to be long-term gems. - 2021 Château Bouscaut - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Mid-weight, herbal, plummy. Solid but a bit thin and lacking depth. (89 pts.)
- 2021 Château Carbonnieux - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Pretty forward and round, easy to drink. Fresh, tannins in check with decent acidity. Plum, blackberry and cassis fruit notes. Clean. Moderately long. Nice. (92 pts.)
- 2021 Domaine de Chevalier - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
There seems to be quite a varied reaction to this wine so far but I found it delightful. Structured but elegantly balanced. Dense and full bodied with red and black fruit notes. Lots of energy. Really nice. One of the best Red Bordeaux tasted today. (95 pts.)
- 2021 Château Haut-Bailly - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Fresh and vibrant, not too tannic. Red berry fruit and plum. Bright acidity. Nice typical secondary element that need time to emerge. Among the better red Bordeaux tasted today. (94 pts.)
- 2021 Château Smith Haut Lafitte - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Good tension and energy, balanced. Charcoal, blackberry, herbs. Fresh. Layered. Fairly long finish. (94 pts.)
- 2021 Château Branaire-Ducru - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Earthy, herbal, dark fruited. Very grippy tannin. Way too young and without enough aeration, but promising...potentially a very good value. (92 pts.)
- 2021 Château Gruaud Larose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Great nose...very fragrant and spicy (lots of new oak ~95%?). Elegant texture, nicely balanced. Both red and black berry fruit. Charcoal undertone. Lovely, long finish. Somewhat classic Gruaud Larose for me. The last wine I tasted today and certainly one of the best for me...Perhaps a little more air helped...? (95 pts.)
- 2021 Château Langoa Barton - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Seems quite a bit more harsh and thin than the Leoville's tasted just before. Fresh and bright but lacking depth, fruit quite hidden. (91 pts.)
- 2021 Château Léoville Barton - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Very floral and minerally, well structured with bright acidity and lightly grippy tannin. Blackberry and black plum fruit, charcoal undertone. Licorice on the long finish. Nice wine, among the better ones today for me and a good value. (94 pts.)
- 2021 Château Léoville Poyferré - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Nose is a little light (needs aeration?) but floral. Dark fruited, well structured. Nice and long. Balanced. Could be much better with age and decanting. (94 pts.)
- 2021 Château Talbot - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Somewhat fleshy, at first, but draws out as thin and light to middle weight. Low tannin, modest acid, lacks structure for aging, somewhat flabby and unimpressive. (89 pts.)
- 2021 Château Batailley - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Floral, nice texture, balanced. Red fruit, chewy, should age well. If not for the abundant oak derived (e.g. lots of vanilla) notes I might rate higher. Could be better with time in the ce;;ar. (93 pts.)
- 2021 Château Clerc Milon - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Fresh and balanced, kind of "Old-school" in a good way. Nice texture/mouthfeel./ More red fruited than black. Bright acidity controlled tannin. Long finish. Upside with age. (94 pts.)
- 2021 Château d'Armailhac - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Decent wine with a fleshy mouthfeel, rounded but still structured. Black raspberry fruit dominates. Finish is short, which was the key demerit to my taste of this. Lacked the "umpf" to get to the next level but attractive for near to mid term drinking. (92 pts.)
- 2021 Château Grand-Puy Ducasse - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
This seemed a little more "modern" with more extracted and dense red and black fruit. Dense and structured, plummy. Long finish. Given some of the lack of fruit in some of the wines this did stand out a bit. Despite my bias for more classic style, I found this pleasant and attractive. (92 pts.)
- 2021 Château Haut-Batailley - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Soft but structured. Red and black fruit. Very long finish. (92 pts.)
- 2021 Château Lynch-Bages - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
This is classic Lynch-Bages. Good structure, and age-worthy. Ripe red and black fruit ( plum, cassis, cherry) along with earthy notes, leather and graphite. Luxuriously long finish. One of the best today for me. (95 pts.)
- 2021 Château Phélan Ségur - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Very fragrant, oak derived... vanilla, cherry, blackberry, cassis. Moderate tannin and acidity. A little thin and short on the finish for me. (91 pts.)
Right Bank These were on the whole pretty attractive wines but none were head and shoulders better than the average. - 2021 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Balanced and quite pretty. Has layers of red fruit, herbs and wet stony minerals. Nice length on the finish. (93 pts.)
- 2021 Clos Fourtet - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Earthy tobacco, scorched earth, good structure for aging. Cassis, cherry and plum fruit. Good balance. One of the better wines tasted today. (94 pts.)
- 2021 Château La Gaffelière - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Maybe this was poured from a bottle that was just opened but this was quite tannic, and oak dominated with lots of vanilla but showed very little fruit. Seemed very closed and hard to evaluate, earthy though for sure. Probably better with more aeration and age in the cellar, but as is, I'm not impressed. (91 pts.)
- 2021 Château Larcis Ducasse - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
This seems very fresh and quite floral with some mineral notes. Also layered with fruit, both red and black plum, raspberry, and black raspberry. Moderate tannin, bright acidity. Moderately long finish with licorice. I would not say this is one for extremely long aging, more of a medium-term drinker, say over the next 15 years or so. (93 pts.)
- 2021 Château Valandraud - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Mid-weight, fresh, floral, bright and high-toned with fruit. Good mineral undertone, seems like it had a low new oak aging regimen. Another of the better ones for me today. (94 pts.)
- 2021 Château La Cabanne - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Rather soft yet structured with nice balance, not too "grippy". Cherry, blackberry, cassis fruit. Rather long finish. While this is not a long ager it is a nice wine for nearer term consumption. (92 pts.)
- 2021 Château Le Gay Pomerol - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Fruit forward but also pretty massively structured and a bit oaky. Still pretty well balanced, long, rich with good depth. Moderately long finish. (93 pts.)
Sauternes/Barsac Many different vintages presented and some ran out of wine too quickly. Some had no wine in particular vintages due to hail, or other conditions. I found the 2016 Guiraud to be particularly good. - 2019 Château Bastor-Lamontagne - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Botrytis up front with honey, some sweet spice, apricot but also ripe pear and bruised apple. Dense, bordering on cloyingly sweet. Needs a touch more acid for me. (90 pts.)
- 2020 Château Doisy-Daëne - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac
Varied fruit with apricot most noticeable among them. Smelled less sweet than it turned out on the palate for me, (not sure if this had much aeration). Round, again for longevity I'd like a touch more acid. Nonetheless quite nice. (93 pts.)
- 2018 Château Doisy-Védrines - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Rather typical, everything in the right place, balanced but unremarkable for me today. (91 pts.)
- 2016 Château Guiraud - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
65% Semillon, 35% Sauvignon Blanc...Really loved this, as I usually do... Honey, apricot, perfect balance of sweetness, acidity and fruit. One of the best wines tasted today! (95 pts.)
- 2021 Château de Rayne-Vigneau - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
I am not certain I have the correct vintage for this note...At the large tasting in NYC, the Sauternes/Barsac tables were pouring different vintages than the rest that were all pouring 2021 Bordeaux. this wine I tasted was 80% Semillon with most of the rest Sauvignon Blanc with a small amount of Muscadet. Nicely balanced, Rich and dense but still bright. Honey, apricot, botrytis, and a little yeasty. Very long finish. Lovely! (94 pts.)
- 2016 Château Sigalas Rabaud - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Honey, beeswax, over-ripe stone fruit. Stony minerals as well. but lacking a little density and brightness. Still quite nice, but not top tier for me today. (92 pts.)
Despite my personal opinion of the circumstances, this was useful. It did identify a few really good wines that stood out among a vintage that I found had too many very similar wines that tasted, at least at this stage, on this day, indistinguishable and frankly unimpressive. Given how much great wine there is in the world, I am often surprised that some Bordeaux wines continue get so much attention. |
