Chateau Brane-Cantenac Vertical Tasting

    A few weeks ago Chris Riccobono, from the video blog Pardon That Vine, invited me to taste a select vertical of vintages of the renowned Bordeaux Chateau Brane-Cantenac. Brane-Cantenac is located in the Margaux commune in the Medoc region of Bordeaux. In wine circles, the wines from Margaux are known to be more feminine in style when compared to other communes in the Medoc such as Pauillac and St. Estephe that are typically more tannic and can sometimes express more power than grace. Typical of Margaux are seductive perfumes and silky textures on the palate that help reinforce its reputation as an elegant, yet compelling style of wine.  Cabernet Sauvignon typically dominates the melange (blend) of grapes in Margaux but it also tends to have the highest proportion of Merlot in its blends when compared to other Medoc communes.

     The vintages we tasted were all young: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, and 2010. The much heralded 2009 and the yet to be released 2010 are barrel samples that were flown in direct to New York City from Bordeaux by Corinne Saussier Conroy. Corrine is the Director of Marketing and Communications at ‘Brane’ and led us through an informative introduction to Chateau Brane-Cantenac. I really enjoy talking to people who work in the wine biz, we chatted before and after the formal parts of the tasting and I enjoyed our conversations about vintages, futures prices, travel and everything else wine.

     We talked through each vintage, discussing what we liked and how some aromas and flavors were different because of the vintage conditions. It was also nice to see the terroir as a common thread to each vintage, giving Brane a wonderful typicity. The barrel samples were a real treat as it is quite rare to taste a Bordeaux barrel sample outside of Bordeaux, let alone in New York City.

Here we go into the tasting notes:

2003
The most mature in color, slightly brick at the edges and the least vibrant in color. Aromas of mint/eucalyptus, licorice, blackberry, spice, a little dill and herb add a little extra nuance. The aromas flow into the flavors and hit the palate gracefully for such a ripe vintage. I was expecting more weight but it was not there, in a good way.

2004
The 2004 had more typical aromas of currant, plum, minerality, and spice mixed in with cooler vintage aromas and flavors of herbs matched with higher acidity. Supple and well balanced, this wine was elegant and a good representation of a cooler vintage Brane.

2005
The best wine of the night for me, the ’05 was pretty tight but revealed hints of what is to come as this wine moves into maturity. Full on all levels, the fruit, tannins and acidity wove a deep palate expression of roasted coffee bean, black cherry, cassis, minerality, and spice. It changed and evolved in the glass through the tasting, showing the varied array of aromas and flavors. Great length on the finish. Superbly balanced and complex, a real winner!

2008
A superb bargain, the 2008 offers up wonderful aromatics of a fruit perfume mixed with spice and a little toast. Loads of minerality and tobacco fight for the palate’s attention along with licorice whips and cherry. Silky and fine tannins pair well with bright acidity.

2009 BARREL SAMPLE
A blockbuster or a wine, the ’09 shows huge fruit on the nose and the mouth, with some noticeable heat from the higher alcohol. Tannins cover the palate, gums, and cheeks . Sweet tobacco, black fruits like plum and cherry. The tannins are pretty big, this is going to be a big wine on all levels. A long and silky finish! Not as noticeably acidic as the 2010 but I think that is ok and makes for an interesting counterpart to taste next to 2010.

2010 BARREL SAMPLE

When tasting such a young barrel sample you need to know what to expect. It’s not like tasting a finished wine, as you look for more primary flavors and textures in measuring balance on the palate. Since a nose is not as prevalent, you immediately go to the palate and you taste and feel the wine immediately. Massive tannins are the first thing I notice on this wine. Smoke, currants, and cassis reveal some pretty complete flavors that emerge through a forest of tannins and a sea of acidity. This is going to be a profound wine for the ages as it will take many years to mature. 2010 Brane is similar to 2005 in my opinion, but could be better. I’d be curious as to what the barrel sample for 2005 tasted like at this stage to compare to 2010.

Thank you to Corinne and Chris for organizing such an enlightening event. I feel like I know more about Brane, barrel tasting Bordeaux futures, and vintage variation. I look forward to tasting Brane from my collection over the coming years. I think on my next trip to Bordeaux I will have to make a stop at Brane to visit Corinne.

Cheers,
Tom

2008 Bordeaux Wine Tasting

Union Des Grand Crus de Bordeaux

Great Wines of Bordeaux

USA Tour - New York City

Each year the UGC of Bordeaux tours the US to offer samples of the new vintage to the trade and consumers. The tasting represented most of the sub regions of Bordeaux with many classified and unclassified Chateau.  2008 was not an exceptional vintage, but a pretty good one.  Especially for the American palate that likes a little more fruit in their wine.  I like it better than 2002, 2004, 2006 and a notch better than 2001.  It is also the MOST affordable vintage in many years as prices in the US were released in the midst of the fallout from the 2008 economic meltdown.  

However this does not mean you can throw a dart and pick a good wine, you need to do a little homework.  By writing this I feel I have done a lot of the legwork for you the reader to choose confidently any of these wines, especially if you have experience with Bordeaux wines.

I list my 10 favorites first followed by the villages in group order.

#1 

2008 Château Troplong Mondot

Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Solid, the best wine for me at the 2008 UGC tasting in NYC as it was perfectly in balance and had all of the right components: beautiful aromas in the nose, wonderful flavors (though packed tightly b/c of youth), and stoic tannins that will allow this to age well for years, plus the right amount of acidity to keep things fresh.
Color: medium to dark red, crimson edges
Nose & palate: Coffee bean, licorice, blackberry and black cherry. The nose was a little tight, but still pretty generous. The tannins were so perfect for what you want at this stage, ripe and big but not too strong. Great texture and purity of flavor....very well done, I bought some the day after the tasting. (95 pts.)
90% Merlot
5% Cabernet Sauvignon
5% Cabernet Franc

#2

2008 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière

St. Émilion Grand Cru
My second favorite wine of the night, exceptional balance and purity, everything was showing extremely well.
Color: dark red to lighter gradation at the edges
Nose & Palate: A superb perfume with a long and full nose. Juicy with structure, a beautiful fruit filled cornucopia of cherry, cassis, currants and plum, concentrated and pure, with great focus from the ripe tannin and fresh acidity. Long finish. (94 pts.)
50% Merlot
45% Cabernet Franc
  5% Cabernet Sauvignon

#3

2008 Château Clinet

Libournais, Pomerol
I initially thought this started out slow but with a few minutes in the glass the wine's aromas and flavors grew and expanded nicely. Ripe cherry, plum, floral notes, and some toasty mocha all wrapped up in a superbly balanced wine that is nicely concentrated and finishes long and silky. (94 pts.)
85% Merlot
12% Cabernet Franc
  3% Cabernet Sauvignon

#4

2008 Château Pape Clément

Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Good concentration and showing very well, deep black flavors of cassis, cherry, tar, toasty oak with big tannins, a touch of mint lingers on the finish. It may be big with fruit but the wine comes into balance with the tannins. (94 pts.)

48% Merlot

48% Cabernet Sauvignon
  3% Petit verdot
  1% Cabernet Franc

#5

2008 Château Angélus

St. Émilion Grand Cru
Deep red and blue fruits, big but supple and silky tannins, currant and cherry wow the palate and help to provide a full aroma that also shows earth, sweet tobacco, a touch of mocha and a splash of spice. As usual super, silky and supple Angelus. (93 pts.) 

58% Merlot
42% Cabernet Franc

#6

2008 Château Malescot St. Exupery

Médoc, Margaux
A very impressive effort here and tops in Margaux on this night. The nose was singing fresh roasted toasty coffee beans, lush currants and black cherry, flowers and a spicy streak. On the palate raspberries joined the currants and cherry, to fan out over the palate in a full bodied and silky display of pure Margaux. The acidity finishes this clean while the tannins add structure and what would seem a nice ability to age. (94 pts.) 

#7

2008 Château Lascombes

Médoc, Margaux
The other top Margaux of the night, this was a solid wine with a wonderful perfume of currants, flowers, smoke, and earth. The palate was full and round, with a clean finish from nicely held acidity that buttresses the deep fruits and minerality. It was so fresh I had to go back for more! (93 pts.) 

#8

2008 Domaine de Chevalier

Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Superb concentration and length, this wine was an early blockbuster in the night's lineup. Meaty and cherry notes, some scorched earth and charcoal, smoky and toasty oak, ripe and full tannins. Great wine especially at $40! (93 pts.) 

#9

2008 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Médoc, Pauillac
This seemed to have the most terroir of all of the grand vins of the night. Some funky notes of earthy barnyard mixed with concentrated floral currants, black cherry, roasted coffee, herbs, crushed rocks, and kirsch. This was very complex and intriguing as it was throwing quite a few layers of flavor and aroma. Medium to mostly full bodied, this was a remarkably fun wine to smell and taste. The tannins are big, but round and ripe with well balanced acidity.
63% Cabernet Sauvignon
29% Merlot
5% Petit Verdot
3% Cabernet Franc (94 pts.)

#10

2008 Château La Lagune

Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Another solid wine from the Haut MedocCantemerle.  Violets from the Petit Verdot jump from the glass and enhance the pencil lead and currants from the cab and Merlot. Good depth and a nice 30 second finish. (92 pts.)

60% Cabernet Sauvignon
25% Merlot
15% Petit Verdot

BEST VALUE

2008 Château Cantemerle

Médoc, Haut-Médoc
This Chateau is on a hot streak, even in 08 they deliver superior Bordeaux quality at a great price.
Color: Dark red core with vibrant red edges.
Nose: Smoky and toasty oak, coffee bean, currants and black cherry, a touch of oak
Palate: Medium to full bodied with chocolate, ripe bing cherries, currants. Nice structure with good tannins and very fresh acidity. Very well done.....back up the truck! (91 pts.)  

2008 Château Pavie Macquin

St. Émilion Grand Cru
Plum and blackberry, tobacco and black tea, tannic with full on ripe tannins.
Color: Black with red edges
Nose: Ripe, full of blackberry and ripe dark fruits, black tea aromas, lush
Palate: Juicy and ripe fruits of plum and blackberry, kirsch, but the terroir still comes through with notes of earth and minerality. Its a ripe wine with concentrated flavors but not heavy on the palate so its not fatiguing. (91 pts.) 

89% Merlot
14% Cabernet Franc
2% Cabernet Sauvignon

2008 Château Figeac

St. Émilion Grand Cru
Bright and full fruits that had a silky and inviting perfume that got better with a few minutes in the glass. Cherry, currants, spice and great texture with fine but full tannins. (92 pts.)
BLEND: As usual 1/3 Cab Franc, 1/3 Merlot, 1/3 Cab Sauv

2008 Château Larcis Ducasse

St. Émilion Grand Cru
A pretty wine with restraint and elegance, bright and juicy red fruits merged with obvious mineral notes. This was a very highly rated wine by Parker and I thought it was not up to his score, but thats fine, it was still a good wine but did not match my expectations.  Maybe it was in a sleepy phase as I felt the nose and the palate were a little shy.
Color: More medium red than the others, with lighter red edges
Nose & Palate: Elegant red fruits and acidity, tighter and more angular red cherry and flowers, lots and lots of minerality, very terroir driven wine (89 pts.)
84% Merlot
16% Cabernet Franc

2008 Château La Gaffelière

St. Émilion Grand Cru
Lots of raspberry and cherry, with the tannins in full bloom, feeling quite structured but still some suppleness and roundness from the fruit. (91 pts.)

2008 Château Haut-Bailly

Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Supple and elegant, this was a little shy compared to the other wines but was in great balance. This wine passed over the palate with the texture and feel of silk.  Deep red fruits in the nose and palate drew you in to keep trying this more, very complex and tight, this was not showing as well as I would have hoped, but the hints are there as well as the pedigree. (92 pts.)

2008 Château Smith Haut Lafitte

Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Lots of tannins, big fruits of cherry and raspberry with a toasty oak frame, not too much of course but just enough oak. (90 pts.)

2008 Château Beauregard

Libournais, Pomerol
Very full nose with sensual red and dark fruit aromas, toasty smoke and a touch of sweet oak. The palate is full and expansive, with silky cherry, sweet plum, a little earth and tobacco. Silky textures and a long easy finish with smooth and supple tannin. Very nice start to the Pomerol lineup. (91 pts.)

2006 Château La Cabanne

Libournais, Pomerol
The 2006 was being poured as this chateau lost all of their 2008 to fire, the 2006 was showing more animal and barnyard funk as well as more tannins, as you would expect, from 2006. A nice wine showing terroir and more strength than some of the fruity and plush 08s. (88 pts.)

2008 Château La Conseillante

Libournais, Pomerol
Nice and pretty, a little less oomph than the other 08 Pomerol, but a very elegant wine showing supple red fruits and silky tannins, with a touch more acidity than I'd like given it's lighter structure. (89 pts.)

2008 Château Giscours

Médoc, Margaux
Lots of cab notes of green pepper, tobacco, piney, silky textures and a supple finish. Nice wine with more masculine aromas.
65% Cabernet Sauvignon
30% Merlot
  3% Cabernet Franc
  2% Petit Verdot (90 pts.)

2008 Château Branaire (Duluc-Ducru)

Médoc, St. Julien
A pretty wine with elegant textures and purity to the red fruits and a zesty freshness. Good length and texture on the palate and the finish. (90 pts.)

2008 Château Lagrange St. Julien

Médoc, St. Julien
Classy and elegant, this was a nice wine with good balance and structure. Cherry and cassis wove neatly into a medium bodied palate with sturdy tannins and good acidity.
72% Cabernet Sauvignon
26% Merlot
2% Petit Verdot (89 pts.)

2008 Château Gruaud Larose

Médoc, St. Julien
With nice depth and a fine elegance this was a good wine with nice fruit and perfume. Blackberry, currant and cassis meshed nicely with flowers, violets and spicy plums, a medium bodied palate with fine grained tannins and a touch of leaner acidity. (88 pts.)

2008 Château Saint-Pierre

Médoc, St. Julien
A lovely wine with bright red raspberry, cherry, flowers and spice box, very fresh on the palate, this medium bodied wine finished pure and clean. The 2005 is still the best frequent years,though this is a nice runner up that vintage. (91 pts.)

2008 Château Lynch-Bages

Médoc, Pauillac
A big and lush nose of black fruits, herbs, licorice, and spice. The palate was very giving upfront but the mid palate tightened too much and the finish clamped down with acidity and tannins shutting out some length on the finish. Too young or starting close down? Good potential however... (90 pts.)

2008 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

Médoc, Pauillac
A very ripe and expressive nose, plush mocha and roasted coffee beans mixed with currant and cassis fruit. Lots of oak, surprising though how it finishes so long and full, the Bordeaux really know how to use oak in the right way. Good acidity keeps things in line too.
71% Cabernet Sauvignon
29% Merlot (92 pts.)

2008 Château Les Ormes de Pez

Médoc, St. Estèphe
Pretty and simple but so great because of that simplicity. Very straightforward offering of red fruits like currants and so ice in a nice package of tannin and acidity. Good value wine. (87 pts.)

2008 Château Phélan Ségur

Médoc, St. Estèphe
What a bargain, this wine came across very classic in Bordeaux in style. Smoky and toasty oak aromas mix with ripe red fruits for a fresh nose of fruit and tastiness. The tannins were big, but ripe and perfectly fit for this wine. (91 pts.)

SAUTERNES (sweet wines)

Chateau Climens - Lisa had this and together with the Suduiraut, was the best of the stickies being poured that night. Climen is a little low on the radar, but is getting the word out by pour at events like this and scoring well in the critics cirlce. (92-95 pts.)

Chateau Coutet - Another under the radar producer generally speaking, the Coutet was very nicely balanced with peach, honey, fresh and sweet citrus acidity, some floral notes with a solid long finish. Great value. (91-94 pts.)

Chateau Fargues - Very classic in flavor, aroma, and texture, this sweet wine started with candied citrus notes, honey, and had a long and full finish. (91-93 pts.)

Chateau Doisy Daene - More citrus and ripe fruit, more acidity, less complex but still quite delicous. (88-90 pts.)

Chateau Guiraud - Good texture and lenght, this wine started with honey and stone fruits, peaches galore and a sweetness that was quite amped. (88-90 pts.)

Chateau Latour Blanche - corked

Sigalas Ribaud - Excellent, with a little more of a petrol aroma to the stoen fruits, a liuttle spice as well, cirus oil and honey add more complexit. Great value here as well. (89-91 pts.)

Chateau Suidaraut - We had dinner with the winemaker in Bordeaux last June, so there is a little bit of an attachment to this wine, but it is a very well made and consistently delicous producer. Lisa also has this one and was the best of the night. (92-94 pts.)

In summary the 2008 was not an exceptional year, but a good year in that many fresh tasting wines were produced with good acidities and full flavors and tannins from the long hang time achieved as most Chateau did not finish picking until mid to late October. I find it more approachable than 2006, but more flavorful and more charm than 2004, 2002 and 2001. This is also hands down the best priced vintage on the market, with many wines well under $100. In fact if you focus on the $25-55 you will find many, many fantastic wines available. But please try to remember that vintages are a decent indicator of quality but not the ultimate indicator. Going to tastings like these allow you to be the judge.

CHEERS,

Tom

Obsidian Ridge 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

Obsidian Ridge Vineyard

Red Hills Lake County
North Coast, California
$25

 

     I am taking this break and one more until I get back to our Bordeaux trip, it was supposed to only be one but I have to write about this fabulous value Cabernet Sauvignon.

        I can’t say I have had a wine of this quality for such a great price and value from Northern California in several years. The last time was 2001 and nothing close under $25 has come close to this quality. Back up the truck and make this your house Cabernet or red wine if you like new world wines.  I bought this for $20, but most of you will probably see it in the $25 range.  However, this tastes more like a wine twice the price or more.

       Turns out besides the glowing Robert Parker review that nudged me into picking up a bottle of this to try, Wine and Food Magazine named this as one of their “100 Bottles To Drink Right Now” at #27.

       Lake County is just north of the famed Napa Valley and just east of the Alexander valley in northern Sonoma County. In other words, this land looks kind of like Napa did 30-40 years ago and has attracted many new and pioneering winemakers looking to find great terroir to produce world class Cabernet Sauvignon. Obsidian Ridge is one of the first successful vineyards in this region and the proof is in this bottle. The vineyard is set high in the peaks of the Mayacamas mountain range at 2,640 feet, with steep hillsides and poor soil to stress the vines into producing great fruit to make wine from. These same mountains are the ones the line the west side of the Napa Valley. Obsidian Ridge got its name for its high elevation on a ridge, but more so because the soil is composed of volcanic red dirt and namesake black glass-like shards and chunks of obsidian rocks.

Color:  Deep and vibrant garnet edges frame a dark core

Nose:  Aromas of black cherry, currants, mochas, secondary notes of bell pepper, licorice, hot rocks and charcoal.

Palate:  Rich, but not weighty the flavors fan out to coat the whole palate in black cherry, currants, and a savory mocha. The licorice, spice and oak complement this wine and the finish is a long and pleasing 30-40 seconds. The tannins are well tamed for such big mountain fruit, giving this good structure.

Back up the truck and BUY, BUY, BUY!

Cheers!

-Tom

The 2008 Wines of Lucien Le Moine

White & Red Burgundy

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Lucien Le Moine is a small, actually very tiny, négociant in Burgundy that purchases and produces in excess of 50 distinct wines from Cru level vineyard parcels spread out across Burgundy.  If tiny does not get the idea across of how small they are, they produce a total of 30,000 bottles of wine (or ONLY 2,500 cases of rare beauty).  LLM creates some of the most sought after Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the world as they meticulously respect the vines, the grapes and the wines to allow themselves to naturally express their true terroir.  At the most they are able to create 3 barrels of production from one vineyard, but many are also just one barrel, creating scarcity and therefore high prices.  Love and passion run deep in these wines and one could tasted and hear it first hand from proprietor Mounir Saouma.  Mounir is apparently somewhat of a road warrior, traveling a lot to speak about the wines he cares and tends to so well.  Mounir spoke about enjoying a wine over a period of hours, something we do at home as well, allowing to see how the wine changes over the few hours it is opened - basically respecting the wine and allowing it to show its true self.  "WOW" was a word he said to not use in describing his wines, as these wines were to slowly raise their volume as opposed to a huge California Chardonnay that starts out with an immediately loud and fast WOW impact on the palate that gives little complexity and intrigue to the taster.  Though by the looks on many of the faces in the room they had the word "WOW" written all over them as they tasted through the reds and then the whites.  I could not tell if he was joking by saying this, maybe only half so as these were wow wines, but also very complex and thought provoking wines that seemed almost cerebral.  The order of tasting red wines before whites is tradition in Burgundy and other areas of France.  My guess is that the higher acidity in the whites is not as shocking to the palate after first tasting through the rounder and richer red wines.   To me this was one of the better tasting I had been to recently and was a great testament to the care and quality of product that Lucien Le Moine is and will be known for so long as Mounir is at the helm.  The 2008 vintage is a mixed bag requiring expertise and a lot of hard work to achieve a high quality level of wine.  Many days of rain brought rot to the vineyard and the grapes, requiring a strict selection regimen and experienced vinification methods.  

All wines are vintage 2008

Bourgogne Blanc: Lithe and supple aromas of sea air and minerality, fine but good length, crisp pear and granny smith apple, minimally tart acidity

REDS

Morey St. Denis "Clos des Ormes" 1er
Only 2 barrels made
Deep maroon color
Spice, savory red fruits, good perfume
Metallic (iron) taste, orange zest, sour cherry and cranberry, tangy acidity and minerality, silky tannins

Chambolle-Musigny "Charmes" 1er
The vineyard is located in very dry soil on a hillside
Red/burg with purple tones
Deep nose plush with red to more black fruits

Cherry, Plum and savory Black Olives, baking spices
Bright acidity and a tighter structure with more noticeable tannins, shows much elegance

Chambolle-Musigny "Haut Doix" 1er
Fomr a vineyard with more moist soil and lower on the hillside where more moisture collects
Red/burg with medium red
Sweet and fruity perfume
A softer attack that cleans up with good acidity, plusher fruit, strawberry, plums, a hint of sweet herbs, sappy fruit, long and elegant finish

Bonnes Mares Nord Grand Cru (GC) (North)
Concentrated and balanced, with good depth and plushness
Classic color, grading from deep to lite burgundy
Aromas of tomatoe leaves, red fruits, somewhat savory and meaty aromas and flavors, great length on finish, long tall tannins.

Bonnes Mares Sud GC (South)
A touch lighter burg color
Muted and subtle nose, shy fruit and finishes deeper, olives, it smells like its compacted and not showing much yet, very young.
It gained weight in the glass and was the wine that stayed in it the longest since it was literally going through a mild evolution in the glass.
Bigger tannins but a deeper palate finish, still the palate tasted compact and comlex, showing great promise for ageing.

Meursault "Genevrieres" 1er
Golden straw hue
Popcorn nose initially blew off with sliced green apple, citrus, and a mineral streak in the nose
Great acidity and balance.

The 2007 label, we tasted the 2008 vintage.

Meursault "Perrieres" 1er
Golden color with green flecks
More taught and bright, salinity, lemons with minerality, flowers. Complex texture, nose and palate, all around  very impressionable and complex wine requiring some thought, Almost Chablis like in texture with rounder Beaune attributes.  Possibly the best wine of the night.

Corton Blnac GC
Golden yellow in color
Rich color, nose, and body
A nose of citrus, stone fruit peachy/nectarine, minerality, white flowers
Bigger palate presence, super complex with bolder fuits blending with mineral and acid structure, acidity keeps the largesse in place like a belt.

This was a small break from the Bordeaux notes I am still posting from our trip their in 2010. The next posting will resume with day 2 in Bordeaux in the Pessac-Leognan region of Bordeaux. 

Cheers!

-Tom

Bordeaux Day 1 Part 3

Chateau Pontet-Canet

Pauillac

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Pontet-Canet is located in the northern part of Pauillac on the west side of the D2 neighboring first growth Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. Pontet-Canet was our last Chateau visit on this first full day in Bordeaux on the left bank in the Medoc. We were greeted that day warmly by Nathalie who was to show us around the Chateau. Nathalie had an American flag raised and was flying high that day in our honor. We were quite impressed and silently thought that their neighbors were going to get out the pitchforks (joking)! All kidding aside, it was actually a very nice gesture and surprising as I found left bank Bordelais warmer to those in the wine trade such as importers of their wines. Nathalie was working on her English and was doing a great job explaining the Chateau’s history and philosophy on wine making. Pontet-Canet stepped it up and made us feel right at home!

After brief introductions we made our way to the golf buggy and were shown the vineyards, the grounds, and more of the outside of the impressive Chateau architecture. The original Chateau was just the right side of the picture on their label (here). After years of success the grounds were built upon to include most of what you see today, the multiple facilities for vinification and the offices.

The most impressive sight on the buggy however, was the soil as it had a lasting impression on me as this was true terroir you could see and feel. The composition of sand and gravel in mounds on top of deep limestone beds could be seen as the vineyard rolled in mild peaks and troughs south from the chateau. These gravel mounds are a major part of what makes the best vineyards in the Medoc so special. I stepped out of the buggy to grab a heap of it in my hands and feel its texture in my hands. This was true terroir and the essence of what makes this such a special place in the world to make wine.

While in the vineyard we discussed how Pontet-Canet was trying to go biodynamic and was close to becoming fully certified (which they just achieved in a recent article I read). We spoke of how the cycle of nature is important to respecting the soil and the vines to ensure longevity and health of all organisms in the vineyard, not just the vines. This is a hotly debated topic these days, but take notice biodynamic is so much more than organic. Many say that a lot of it is hocus-pocus, and maybe to a degree it is, but many of the foundations of biodynamic are very healthy to the soil and anything that grows in it. I am all for it if a grower can practice bio-dynamically without making the wine significantly more expensive or more important than the main objective – absolute perfection of the vineyard fruit.

As our stay progressed, we moved inside to the fermentation room. The fermentation room was old, but in a classically beautiful way, as the room was designed by Gustave Eiffel, who of course designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The wrought iron and lattice work inside the room was quite impressive and did remind you of the Eiffel Tower. 

Next, we made our way to the second floor to taste the wines overlooking the vineyards. There we met Monsieur Alfred Tesseron who reminded me of how my father in how he walked up and down the stairs, very heavily and pronounced. We shook hands and immediately you could tell this is a man who loves this property and is proud of his wines. Monsieur Tesseron also runs a very successful, almost cult like, operation in Cognac making large and several smaller production high end Cognac. We spoke about the current state of affairs with the 2009 vintage just being heralded in the press and were expecting prices to be higher than ever. We tried the 2002 from bottle and the 2009 barrel sample. As we tasted through the wines, we shared our opinions of past vintages and current ones to drink. These days Tesseron prefers to drink the 2001 vintage and feels that 2009 is the best wine he has made to date. After tasting it we were quite impressed and feel the hype of 2009 lives up to what was in the bottle.

After tasting through we moved to the station where the grapes come in during harvest and are put through a strict sorting regimen to only allow the best bunches and then after de-stemming the best berries into the crusher. From there Nathalie showed us where the crushed grapes and juice are put into the fermentation tanks for the first fermentation from juice into wine. There are concrete and wood fermentation tanks for this process.

We then headed underground where the wines are put in new French oak barrels for the secondary, or malolactic, fermentation. The barrel room was deep and wide, filled with many barrels of the 2008 and 2009 vintages resting in the cool and damp air.

Lastly we saw the chamber at the back of the cellar that houses the library collection of Pontet-Canet. Unfortunately the oldest vintage that was remaining if my memory serves me right is the 1945 as the Nazis looted the cellar when they were occupying these lands during World War II.

If you are mulling a purchase of great Bordeaux wine, especially in Pauillac, you should look into Pontet-Canet.

2002 Chateau Pontet-Canet

Black fruits, earth, pencil lead, crushed leaves, black olives, something like I expected and typical for 2002, medium bodied with ripe and mellow tannins. Supple and clean on the palate, yet good fruit presentation, black cherry, it is showing some early signs of maturing, but in a nice way, drink now or hold for an optimal window of 5-10 years.

2009 Chateau Pontet-Canet

Pure cassis and black currants, cedar, smoky oak, some milk chocolate, even violets, 13-13.5 abv. Nice weight on the palate, not a heavy impression on palate, yet concentrated and full. Well balanced, with well integrated tannins, fruit, and acidity all working in harmony. This finished long, with velvety and silky tannins. It was amazing how young and impressive this wine already was. The wine gave you a big, sizable impression but it was not overwhelming due to the great balancing act.

Cheers!

-Tom