Every year a group of experts assemble to taste through the Bordeaux vintage that celebrates its tenth birthday. This “Ten Years On” blind tasting has been a fixture in our calendar for over 30 years. Our chairman, Stephen Browett, attended his first one in 1992 when the great 1982 vintage was assessed in its youth.
This year it was the turn of 2014 to step forward and our panel – which included nine Masters of Wine and three internationally respected wine critics - blind tasted their way through 120 of the greatest names of Bordeaux. You can read Thomas Parker MW’s report on the vintage HERE. This comprehensive tasting included wines that sell at over £2,000 per bottle and just one that sells at under £200 per dozen.
These blind tastings invariably throw up some surprises and the major shock of the 2014 tasting was in Saint Estèphe, where the top three wines weren’t quite those that you might have expected. Normally one would expect Montrose, Calon Ségur Cos d’Estournel to walk this but this year the the lowest-priced wine in the entire tasting made it to the podium. So impressed were the tasters by this wine that it even received scores above some of the first growths from several of them.
The undoubted winner of the “value for money” award this year was Chateau Tronquoy-Lalande 2014. At £190 per dozen in bond this offers fantastic value for money and, as a further incentive, we can today offer a special price of £180 per dozen if you buy 2 cases or more. From just £15 per bottle, this is a simply unbeatable deal for quality and price from a classic ten-year-old red Bordeaux that is now approaching its perfect drinking window. Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW has now released her report and names it in her 5 value picks of the vintage, scoring it 95 points and saying "this wine is punching well above its weight and is an absolute bargain".
Tronquoy-Lalande has, since 2006, been under the same ownership as its illustrious neighbour Montrose. After major renovation works, quality here has been on the rise since the excellent 2010 vintage and the result of this blind tasting re-affirms some of the great reviews that this wine has already received.
Our stock is packed in 12 bottle wooden cases and will be arriving from Bordeaux in the next fortnight.
The 2014 Tronquoy-Lalande is medium to deep garnet in color. Intense notes of Morello cherries, creme de cassis, and plum preserves spill from the glass, plus touches of mint tea, iron ore, and dried roses. The medium-bodied palate is taut with muscular black fruits and fantastic tension, framed by firm, grainy tannins, finishing long and fragrant. Simply beautiful!
Tasted blind at the Ten Years On tasting. The aromatics here are focused and loaded with northern Médoc typicity - layers of cedar, blackcurrant leaf, graphite and cool dark fruit come through. The palate is chalky and deep, retaining the crunch of tannins yet with an integration and balance to make the wine approachable. Black fruit drives the flavour profile, accented with more tones of cedar, pipe tobacco and blackcurrant leaf. A well-defined wine with clear pedigree. This is another pleasant surprise on revealing - Tronquoy Lalande continues to greatly impress under the stewardship of the team from Montrose. Drink now with a light decant, or over the coming 15 years.
Another big, dark St.-Estèphe, but in spite of the rich body and some perceptible alcohol, there is also a cool, minty note. Slightly sweet finish in spite of all the tannins. Spice comes through at the end. Drink in 2020.
Deep ruby in colour, very much holding its intensity at 8 years old. This is classic St Estèphe, there is punch and depth to the black fruits, acidities are fresher than you would find in neighbour appellations such as Pauillac, with everything well held together, cassis, blackberry, lashings of black pepper and cocoa bean spice, open and ready to drink but still with structure and life ahead. Enjoyable, classic, a little old school but thoroughly charming with appellation character. Harvest September 18 to October 11.
Tasted blind. Deep garnet core. Masses of pure vibrant cassis, youthful if not primary. A touch minty/leafy. Finely textured, almost chalky tannins. Fresh and refined in texture with equally refined fruit for harmony. GV (JH) 14.5%. Drink 2027 – 2035
A rich, chocolaty wine, with the structure right up front. Under the same ownership as Château Montrose, this is a wine that reveals all its attractions early with sweet blackberry fruit and powerful tannins. There is some freshness as well, giving fruitiness and acidity at the end.
