Today we move to the Graves – or Pessac-Léognan to be precise. This is one of my favourite regions of Bordeaux and one which I see as a half-way point between the left bank and the right bank. If you can’t decide if a wine in a blind tasting is a Pomerol or a Pauillac then this is always a good shout. The wines here are mainly made from an approximate 50:50 blend of Cabernet and Merlot so they tend to be a little less firm than the wines of the Médoc and little less opulent than those of Saint Emilion and Pomerol. Not only are they generally well-balanced wines but the best of them have a unique character of tar, flint, wood-smoke and cigar box.
Neal Martin (left), Jancis Robinson (right), Steven Spurrier (standing)
|
There is, of course, no dispute that Haut Brion is the leader of the pack here and that sister-Château La Mission Haut Brion is, in many vintages, at least an equal. As these two wines are sold at far higher prices than anything else in the appellation I will discuss them later with the other First Growths.
The wines were tasted in two flights and the overall winners from the votes of the group were:
The Domaine de Chevalier won by a very comfortable margin indeed. This is another remarkable achievement by this property which seems to win on a regular basis at Southwold. If consumers are looking for a wine of undoubted “super-second” quality in Bordeaux in 2009 at a reasonable price then this has got to be the bargain of the vintage. Already scored 95 by Parker and 97 by Suckling, this is another feather in Olivier Bernard’s cap. At £550 a case it’s about a third of the price of some wines of similar quality.
Another flight ready to be served
|
My own favourite wines, with brief tasting notes, were:
Chapelle de la Mission – Already some fade at the rim. Quite evolved and not far away from being ready to drink. A silky sweetness runs through it. Very polished, refined and supple. Charming and quite easy but with tarry Graves character. Seductive and attractive. 16 points
Fieuzal – A deep colour. A big, rich nose. An impressively concentrated wine. Plump with dark black fruits. Opulent and well-stacked, almost decadent. Chewy. 16 points.
Carmes Haut Brion – Roasted meat on the nose. A lovely, plush, seductive texture. Lots of cream here. Smooth and round with a ripe character but not forced. 16.5 points.
Smith Haut Lafitte – Deep colour. A fabulous smoky, classic Graves nose. This has a lovely texture – cream and spice combine with a smoky, exotic character. Sexy but then good grip at the finish. Classy, individual and complete. Very fine indeed. 17 points.
Domaine de Chevalier – Deep colour. A soaring, complex and classic Graves nose that reminds me of La Mission Haut Brion. There is so much going on here! Roasted meat, Asian spices, herbs, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Loads of fruit on the mid palate and a long finish. There is structure to balance the richness. Really complex and multi-dimensional. Excellent. 17.5 points.
There were 2 outstanding wines here (the Chevalier and the Smith). I’m afraid that I failed to get excited about the Pape Clément (too hot and heady for me) or the Haut Bailly (which was rather harsh and severe on the day – 2 bottles tasted).
The Swan Hotel, Southwold
|
