2010 Chateau Lanessan, Haut Medoc

2010 Chateau Lanessan, Haut Medoc

I know, you guys are probably bored with my Lanessan love-fest. Yea, I have the palate of a yak, like rusticity in my wine (heck, toss in some brett, too), and lean heavily toward old world Bordeaux. Very few estates, year after year, deliver that rustic, old world quality in spades for a mere $20 per bottle. And that includes any wine region. Lanessan does that.

I was surprised to see that there were only 2 notes on this site on the 2010, one from Joe B who leans toward modern wines and did not like the Lanessan at all, and one from Josh D who gave a nice note on the wine shortly after release. I like this wine considerably more than both of these colleagues! Granted, I’m drinking it with a bit more bottle time.

On pop and pour, and more notably within 45 minutes with air, I like what I see. Lovely nose of cedar, dry earth, cassis, slight hint of vanilla. Perfumed. Medium-bodied, warm dark fruits, some crisp reds, with a chewy, grainy finish. Good acid, low alcohol (at least the perception).

I would say that the 2010 is qualitatively on par with the 2009. I would give the '09 a nod for being a bit more approachable and linear with its crisp, well-delineated red fruits, and give the 2010 a nod for showing a bit more in the stable, especially with the warm, plummy, dark fruits.

These wines are ridiculous values.

(89 pts.)

I love this wine every vintage. It is an absolute steal and gives full Bordeaux pleasure.

Robert,

I purchased 9 bottles of the 2010 after reading one of your post on how much you liked the 2009 & 2010 Lanessan. I will open a bottle in the next couple of weeks. How long do you recommend decanting it?

I also bought some of the 10 based on Roberts previous posts on this producer. I guess I’ll have to pop a cork soon to see what’s happening.

Lol, you guys are gonna give me performance anxiety! Remember, this is old world, rustic goodness. Just classic, unabashed claret. Like a good, dependable piece of pot roast.

What’s killing me is that Neal found this for $10/bottle. That’s just criminal.

By the way, I hope you guys are buying the 09 and 10 Cantemerle. They are built along the same lines, but the Cantemerle is in the outstanding class while Lanessan falls in the good to very good class, once in a while peaking a little higher.

I’ve bought the 2009 Lanessan and the 2010 Cantemerle on (sorry to pile on) your recommendation. Is it worth opening either now? I think I have four of the 09 Lanessan and three of the 10 Cantemerle.

I don’t mind just waiting – I do it all the time – but I might want to try a Lanessan to see if I like the style before considering future vintages. I’m guessing being a 2009, it’s probably not going to have shut down.

Pop the Lanessan, Chris. Don’t bother touching the 2010 Cantemerle for quite some time. The 2009 Lanessan is quite approachable but don’t expect it to be a rich, opulent wine like many from this warm vintage. It actually has more of a cool climate profile, with red crunchy fruits and good acid. If you like Chinon, you will like the 09 Lanessan. Still primary but fun. I just finished my last 01 Lanessan, which is more similar to the '10. Fully mature, just a simple beauty.

Robert, Les Allees de Cantermerle? Not much on it on CT and twice as expensive. I’ll see how you do on the Lanessan first! (I would insert a funny little emoticon but they aren’t showing up on my IPad)

I haven’t yet had the 2010, but the 2009 may be the ‘best ever’ from Lanessan. It was also available for $16/17 for a while.

No, the Les Allees is the second label of Chateau Cantemerle. Chateau Cantemerle is a classified growth from the 1855 Classification. The current releases should be around $45-$50 and in 2009/2010, worth every penny. A true world class wine in these two vintages. Both need time, the 2010 lots of it.

Thanks. I may do that tonight – I see that the 09 and 10 are available locally, so I should find out whether I want more while it’s around. I’ll post here if I do.

Ahh. I had spelled it wrong, too. $49.99 at total wine. Thanks. I will check it out.

Robert,

I also bought a case of the 2010 Cantemerle. I will plan to also buy the 2009.

Gotta try this again…'09 bored the living hell outta me and I usually like all of Roberts recommendations

Finished off a bottle of '04 Lanessan tonight, which was opened on Sat. night. Not a mind-blower, but one could find many worse ways to spend twenty bucks.

Thanks for the update. I’ve really enjoyed it, my last bottle was 6mos ago. How much air did you give it? I got in a little trouble on another thread for recommending it when it was “closed”, but it never seemed closed to me.
My local total wine is blowing these out at $20 per, wish I had more space.

I would agree with Robert of the “rustic” descriptor, and I can see where some will call it boring, but it comes across as unmanipulated and probably the best medoc Bdx I can think of at $20. I don’t think anyone will champion this against the classified medoc wines.

Well, it may never hit the heights of your glorious, $9.99 Chateau Macard a/k/a Canard 2010, red capsule, but perhaps the 2010 Lanessan will suit your fancy.

Btw, I thought you were in Australia? Please don’t post any notes . . .

And yet I have resisted the temptation to rub it in.

Just wondering how the 05 Lanessan is doing? I have one but am wondering if I should buy a case and put away for a couple more years. I see it for $30 btl.