2013 EDITON OF EN PRIMEUR - KELLY AND KEVIN’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE

2013 EDITON OF EN PRIMEUR - KELLY AND KEVIN’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE - Mostly in Bordeaux and a night in Paris (3/26/2014-4/1/2014)

Between enjoying hanging out with my two boys who are three and five and being extremely busy at work, I made a last minute decision to participate in the Grand Jury Europeen session of Grand Cercle des Vins de Bordeaux tasting. Until last year, the tasting was for the Cercle Rive Droite so only the right bank wines but this year the Cercle Rive Gauche were added, including the dry and sweet whites.

Despite the weather condition in DC, my flight was on time. Kelly and I were supposed to take the same flight to Bordeaux but his flight to Paris was delayed so we met up at Merignac airport. We rented a car and drove to Mercure Bordeaux city center as we had plans to dine at one of our favorite restaurants in Bordeaux, L’Univerre.

I reserved my room via Orbitz. My rate was $165 per night which was $25 more than the hotel rate. Turns out, around the corner is an ibis hotel, the same chain, but level lower, that offered 69 euro per night which we plan to use next time.

March 26 - We found a jewel of a restaurant in Bordeaux city - A lunch at Le Bistro du Sommelier
We dropped off our luggage and headed out to grab lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant in Bordeaux. As we started to walk, we noticed a restaurant with the name "Le Bistro du Sommelier” which we could not resist.

The exterior is quite out dated and we had some doubts. Kelly was in charge of reconnaissance but he immediately got into the restaurant without a moment’s hesitation. The place was completely packed with local businessmen. The interior is slightly outdated modern with a nice warm feeling. We sat down and absolutely no tourists were in sight and naturally the menu was only in French. I ordered a pig feet terrine dish that tasted awfully like jambon persille. I have never been impressed by sole meuniere and always wondered why this dish was so loved. I finally had my eureka moment. The whole fish that was lightly breaded and sautéed was perfectly cooked, the meat was sweet and firm, and the skin was crispy. It was more like a mild version of scallop than a fish. I really loved every bite. At 24 euros for an appetizer plus entrée, including a 5 euro surcharge for the sole, it was a true bargain. Kelly had a Shrimp kebab dish that was also exceptional.

The extensive wine list consists of mostly Bordeauxs and zero Burgundy. I didn’t notice any holy grail of wines but I was really happy as the prices were extremely fair. Our total bill was 86 euros all in. I highly recommend the restaurant for an exceptional bistro fare and a well priced wine list.

• 2011 Clos Floridene Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves (3/26/2014)
  Not as intensely fruity as the 07 and 12. It was still very pleasurable to drink and complemented our seafood dishes very well with bright acidity and mineral expression. Really quaffable wine. (91 pts.)
• 2008 Château Lafon-Rochet - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe (3/26/2014)
  Very modern in style. Red fruits, cedar, leather and a hint of oak. Excellent concentration, slightly dry sweet red fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity and nicely integrated tannins. Quite enjoyable as I don’t mind very modern style. (91 pts.)

Kelly, myself and three Italian friends who are fellow grand jury europeen members planned the dinner. We have been friends for quite awhile now and it is so much fun to share wines as they are just three easy going guys, passionate about wine.

The proprietor, Fabrice Moisan, created one of the best Burgundy-centric wine lists. There are four to five options for each course. The dishes are superb as he uses the best ingredients which are perfectly prepared. We started with a couple plates of Bellota. Although this seemed a bit young/too moist, it was so delicious that I could only have eaten this all night. The scallops in the shell appetizer were sweet and succulent, my main course, veal belly stew, was very homely and delicious and the dessert of apple tart was light and tasty. The perfect way to end the evening.

• 1995 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires - France, Champagne (3/26/2014)
  Very linear and precise, almost steely. Citrus driven nose with a hint of granny smith, honey and brioche. Medium concentration, fine but not very fine mousse, sweet yellow fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity and so darn completely dry finish. It is not terribly complex but the precision via bright acidity and completely dry finish makes it very interesting and pleasurable. (94 pts.)
• 2006 Coche-Dury Bourgogne-Aligoté - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne-Aligoté (3/26/2014)
  I am a big fan of Coche and this Alogote shows why. Fully mature but still very fresh, wet stone, oyster liquid, oyster shell, rain water, flint, white fruits, caramel and banana bubble gum. Medium concentration, relatively simple fresh white fruit driven palate impression, strong expression of mineral that gives the wine lovely complexity, good acidity and lovely seamless clean finish. I really liked this Aligote. (93 pts.)
• 2008 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru (3/26/2014)
  This bottle is so darn concentrated and oily, it is almost Raveneau like except even more precise. Yellow fruit driven nose, lemon curd, lemon oil, white flowers, incredible amount of mineral presence, steel, honey and a hint of mint as the end note. Exceptional concentration, very mineral, steely, unctuous, piercing acidity that is in-line with the overall expression and seamless finish that resonates. The precision and balance must be tasted to be believed. The wine got better with air, gaining intensity without losing the precision and balance. For me, this is the best Chablis and perhaps one of the greatest white wines. (99 pts.)
• 2009 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru (3/26/2014)
  Very primary yet the fruit expression has become riper than the previous bottle drank here. Ripe yellow fruits, a hint of pineapple which I didn’t get last time, also pear and apple, mineral, saline and mountain stream. Oily palate, opulent yellow fruit driven palate impression, beautiful mineral expression, good balancing acidity and seamless finish. Despite the opulent ripe fruit expression, it displays beautiful balance. The Dauvissat showed better precision and this showed more opulent fruit but I enjoyed them both. IMO, this will gain precision as it sheds primary fruit. (96 pts.)
• 2007 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Chambolle-Musigny - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny (3/26/2014)
  My Italian friends like the idea of reaching crescendo, starting from village to 1er cru to GC, which actually makes sense to me yet I don’t practice.

I really wanted to order the Bonne Mares as the last bottle was incredibly delicious. Unfortunately it was sold out. Clean and pure nose displaying crushed red cherries, raspberries and blackberries, sweet spices, caramel and flowers. Medium concentration, sweet red fruit driven palate impression, good acidity, mineral and nicely integrated tannins. Still quite youthful without any tertiary notes. Nevertheless it is very enjoyable as the wine is very expressive and open for business. Roumier seems to done really well in 2007. (91 pts.)

• 2010 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Chaumes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru (3/26/2014)
  Fabrice mentioned that the 10s are closing down so he was offering only a couple of the 10s. Nice ripe black fruit driven nose, blackberries, blackberry jam, lovely Vosne spices, tree bark and mushroom. Medium concentration, sweet dark fruit driven palate impression, mineral and nicely integrated tannins. Quite complex overall expression but will improve nicely for at least a decade. Nice showing. (93 pts.)
• 2000 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie (3/26/2014)
  Quite expressive fully mature nose displaying sweet jammy black fruits, licorice, smoke, garrigue and bacon fat. Excellent concentration, sweet dark fruit driven palate impression, fully integrated tannins and lovely long finish. Not as intense as the 99 but really singing at the moment. (96 pts.)
• 1989 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut - France, Champagne (3/26/2014)
  When it comes to a mature vintage Krug and how wonderful it will show, the freshness becomes one of the biggest factors. This was a stunningly fresh example. Ripe yellow fruits, golden delicious, apple pie, fresh orange rind, brioche, baked spices and smoke. Very complete palate impression showing just the right amount of fruit, mineral and acidity. Perfectly harmonious and balanced. So seamless no need to analyze but just enjoy. (97 pts.)

The first two sessions included mostly wines of the lesser appellations. Nevertheless, I was very happy to taste them as we were tasting the 10s. Francois instructed us to guess the right or left bank. I was able to guess 26 out of 35 and 25 out of 35. At least half of the wrong guesses, I second guessed myself. Always stick to your gut instinct.

I was really impressed with the 10s as most of the wines displayed exceptional concentration, freshness, intensity, opulent fruit, bright acidity and sweet tannins. Despite tasting the lesser appellation wines, they were quite enjoyable to taste as the concentration sweet fruits nicely masked the incredible amount of tannins. The tannins are quite sweet in at least three quarters of them. I don’t plan to post all my notes but if you are looking for a great QPR wine that closely resembles a cult cab, you ought to try the 10 Château Faugeres.

As usual in Bordeaux, the food was catered. The duck breast cooked on open fire was delicious. Jean Guyon, the proprietor of Rollan de By and Haut Condissas brought a double magnum of the 00 Rollan de By. It demonstrated that the wine can age quite nicely in a large format.

• 2000 Château Rollan de By - France, Bordeaux, Médoc (3/27/2014)
  Even in double magnum, the nose is fully mature, displaying plum, dry cherry, tobacco, light caramel, lead pencil and earth. Medium concentration, good light red fruit driven mouthfeel and fully resolved tannins. The evolution of the wine is equivalent to 1982 classified growth. It is quite expressive and enjoyable. Although fully matured, quite fresh and vibrant. Very good showing. (91 pts.)

Dinner was held at Chateau Siaurac, a beautiful property located in Lalande de Pomerol. The domaine of Baronne Guichard consist of this, Château Le Prieuré in st Emilion and Château Vray Croix de Gay in pomerol. As some of you may know, the minority interest, 49%, was sold to Chateau Latour. As you can imagine, the property is going through major renovation. I have become a friend to the proprietor, Paul Goldschmidt. He seems to be quite happy with the arrangement and looking forward to the future. There is a new wine maker, who by the way is quite attractive, who was the second in charge at Chateau Latour and as the wine maker at Chateau Grillet. It seems the future is bright for Paul and Baronne Guichard. Paul opened a few old magnums of the property’s wines. Although they slightly lack concentration, matched well with the dishes. My good Italian friend, Robert S, brought the three magnums.

• 1975 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (3/27/2014)
  En magnum. VA juice. Really a shame. NR (flawed)
• 1978 Château Carbonnieux - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/27/2014)
  En magnum, fully mature with slightly fading red fruits, also cedar, cassis and sweet spices. Fully integrated palate, even in magnum format, starting to slowly decline. Nevertheless still quite enjoyable in very food friendly way. Need to be drunk up. (90 pts.)
• 1991 Château d’Yquem - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (3/27/2014)
  En magnum. medium amber. Medium nose displaying tarte tatin, dry apricot, dry yellow peach, burn sugar, crème brulee, noticeable botrytis, tarte tatin and ice tea. Good concentration, burnt sugar driven palate impression and medium finish. This doesn’t have the precision and airiness of the great vintage D’Yquems but still quite enjoyable. (93 pts.)

As stated above, the tasting was hosted at Chateau La Dauphine, a beautiful property located in Fronsac. I stayed here a few years back and I got lucky to be hosted here once again. From my tastefully updated room, I had a beautiful view of the impeccably tended ground and gently slopped vineyard, and at the end, river Dordogne. The young proprietor, Guillaume Halley who is always soft spoken and wears a constant smile, joined us for a couple sessions and ensured that the tastings were conducted in ideal condition.

The wines in these sessions were even better than the day before. I have rated a lot of wines in the low to middle 90s. The best showed great concentration, freshness and structure. These would represent very good value for money. I feel that Bordeaux really has a bad image in the States which I mostly attribute to the exorbitant prices as well as the very corporation like feeling of the top properties. However most of the wines tasted in the sessions including Grand crus St Emilion, Pomerol, Fronsac and etc. are priced competitively against other wines regions of the similar quality. It was actually a fun to taste almost 80 wines, which is rare.

For the lunches and dinners, the producers offered the wines. This time, I got to drink the 03 La Duaphine again. For me, young La Dauphines are nicely balanced though not terribly impressive. However, with ten years of cellaring, the wines gain nice complexity and work well with most simple meat based dishes.

• 2003 Château de la Dauphine - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Fronsac (3/28/2014)
  This is fully mature. Not showing overripe character. Dark fruits, truffle, mushroom, dark spices and earth. Medium concentration, silky palate and good finish although there is a hint of bitterness.

Kevin, great thread as usual, really interesting. Like you, I love the 2008 Dauvissat Les Clos, interesting that you rate it clearly ahead of the 2009 Raveneau Valmur. Hopefully more to come …

Cheers, Howard

We have a tradition of hanging out at Chai Pascal, a quaint small pub/restaurant in the center of St. Emilion where Alain Vauthier, the owner of Chateau Ausone, stops by to have a beer every evening. Last night, we were there and as expected, he showed up. Christian Roger greeted him and offered a glass of white wine to sample. He in turn invited us to taste his 13s.

After quick lunch at La Dauphine, we drove to Chateau Ausone. Alain and Pauline greeted us. He gave a quick synopsis of the vintage and we proceeded to taste his 11s.

This was the first 13s that I tasted and I was pleasantly surprised. The yields were very low, often only 50% of average for the grand vins. This may helped as the wines showed very good concentration and balance without any green notes. The Ausone while not showing incredible concentration and vibrant energy of the 09, it was an excellent age worthy wine.

After the tasting, Alain was quite candied about the difficult situation that some of the chateau owners face. After having three lackluster vintages, the owners are cash strapped. There are at least a few dozen Chateaus for sale at the moment. Although Alain seems to be doing fine, he expressed serious concerns for his neighbors.

• 2013 Château Simard - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion (3/28/2014)
  Fresh blue fruits, beautiful floral note, mineral and sweet spices. Good concentration, sweet jammy blue fruit driven palate impression and noticeable but not obtrusive tannins. Very good showing. (91 pts.)
• 2013 Château de Fonbel - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/28/2014)
  Sweet red and blue fruits, raspberry jam, flowers, licorice and earth. Good concentration, generous ripe fruit driven palate impression, nicely integrated tannins. (91 pts.)
• 2013 Château Moulin Saint-Georges - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/28/2014)
  Showing more mineral and earth than the previous two wines, sweet red fruits, plum, bitter chocolate licorice, mineral and earth. Very good concentration, mineral, good balancing acidity and sweet tannins. (92 pts.)
• 2013 Chapelle d’Ausone - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/28/2014)
  More refine nose and palate. Fresh blue fruits, blueberry jam, cassis, licorice, sweet spices and earth. Good concentration, silky palate and nicely integrated sweet tannins. Very refine wine showing a lot of finesse and class. (93 pts.)
• 2013 Château Ausone - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/28/2014)
  Beautiful polished nose, crushed blackberries, blackberry jam, flowers, graphite, mineral, lactic, coffee and earth. Excellent concentration, incredibly silky palate, mineral, sweet tannins and seamless long finish. Not the most concentrated and vibrant but showing wonderful balance and finesse. (96 pts.)

After the afternoon session, we were heading to St Emilion once again. Jean Pierre Giraud, the commercial director at the barrel maker Taransaud told us that we can taste at Tertre Roteboeuf. Although some of the guys have visited the property in the past, it is easy to get loss in St Emilion and we drove around for over thirty minutes before we got there. It was my first visit and when we entered the cellar, it was more like a Burgundy cellar than a Bordeaux one. Kelly commented Henri Bonneau cellar of Bordeaux.

François Mitjavile greeted us. He was a soft spoken intellectual, sort of an oddball that you seldom find in Bordeaux. He spent a lot of time explaining the wines, wine making and the vintage.

Moritz left his ipad at Chateau Ausone and Mr. Vauthier offered to bring it to the Chateau. At the end of the tasting, Alain came in and it was a special moment to observe two grand men of Bordeaux having a conversation.

• 2013 Domaine de Cambes - France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Contrôlée (3/28/2014)
  Sweet red fruit driven, sweet spices and earth. Surprisingly good concentration, warm and round palate and nicely integrated tannins. Very nice honest wine for mid-term drinking. (90 pts.)
• 2013 Roc de Cambes - France, Bordeaux, Côtes de Bourg (3/28/2014)
  Cheery liquor, sweet jammy red fruits, caramel, milk chocolate and mushroom. Very good concentration and balance, round and generous palate. Very pure. (92 pts.)
• 2013 Tertre Rôteboeuf - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/28/2014)
  Cherry liquor, crushed raspberries and blackberries, truffle, sweet spices, mineral and black pepper. Exceptional concentration, intense sweet red fruit driven palate impression, exceptionally density and silkiness, sweet tannins and lovely seamless long finish. Definitely top three wines from the 13 that I have tasted. (96 pts.)
• 2012 Tertre Rôteboeuf - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/28/2014)
  This is truly like a Burgundy cellar as Francois offered the 12 to taste. There always seem to be a wine that makes me to be extra happy about the trip and this was the wine for me. Can this really come from the 12? Incredibly perfumed nose, intensely floral, rose, lavender, smoke, coffee, incense, mineral and mushroom. Incredibly silky and sensual palate, no noticeable tannins, perfect balance and lovely seamless long finish. Wow. (98 pts.)
• 2000 Tertre Rôteboeuf - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/28/2014)
  Now, Francois offered an half bottle of the 00. Beautiful complex nose displaying crushed blackberries, blackberry liquor, sweet dark spices and truffle. Silky and sensual palate, intense sweet black fruit driven palate impression, fully integrated tannins and seamless long finish. The overall impression is quite Burgundian. This is drinking incredibly well showing a lot of secondary notes. I really need to source this wine. I highly highly recommend. (96 pts.)

During the 09 EP, I rated the wine 98 pts. I also loved the 10. I bought a lot of the 09s and have drank a few. IMO, the wine is solid warranting 93-95 pts. In blind tastings, I rated the 09 and the 10 in 93-95 pts range in the bottle.

• 2008 Château Rol Valentin - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/28/2014)
  En double magnum, bright red fruits, crushed cherries, plum, blackberry liquor, mushroom, mineral and earth. Medium concentration, sweet red fruit driven palate impression, bright acidity, mineral and medium finish. Still quite young, it is drinking well especially with food. It will improve for the next two decades. (92 pts.)

More to come…

Great notes Kevin - keep them coming .

The fifth session was the last session for red. Once again, the wines were impressive. The six session included the 12 dry whites and the 10 sweet Bordeaux wines. I thought they were decent but not up to the level of the reds.

Every year Abi Duhr, the proprietor of clos du paradis, brings his wines to drink/taste. His wines once again showed beautifully, so intense, bright and mineral. The 09 La Dauphine was quite enjoyable.

Our original plan was to stay at Chateau La Dauphine for one more night. However, since we were having a dinner in St Emilion, we decide to stay at a hotel. We had no reservations but we were able to stay at Au Logis des Remparts only a block away from the plaza. Although there are a lot of visitors for the EP, most folks are hosted at chateaus and the hotel seemed not too busy. The rate room was decent and the rate of 89 euro per night was quite attractive.

• 2009 Château de la Dauphine - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Fronsac (3/29/2014)
  Nicely concentrated nose of sweet dark fruits, cassis, milk chocolate, mushroom, sweet dark spices and mushroom. Good concentration, silky palate, good acidity and nicely integrated tannins. It will develop nicely at least for the next ten years. A very good wine showing beauty of the 09 vintage. (92 pts.)

There was a big dinner to commemorate the completion of construction at Angelus. After a few days of catered/structured dining, we really wanted to relax and shy away from Bordeaux. This led us to my favorite restaurant in St Emilion, L’Envers du Décor. Although tete de cochon was delicious, our mains were not quite up to their excellent standard. Over the last couple of years, the wine prices have gone up a bit, although still relatively reasonable for a restaurant. The real issue was that at least three wines we ordered were sold out, including the 06 DRC duvault blochet.

• NV Jacques Selosse Champagne Brut Initiale - France, Champagne (3/29/2014)
  More mature example of the wine. A hint of oxidative note which is not bothersome, yellow fruits, lemon curd, coriander seeds, apple pie, honey and mineral. Small and subtle mousse, bright and sweet fruit driven palate impression, extremely bright acidity and long finish. For me, the maturity seems to vary from bottle to bottle but all are quite enjoyable. (93 pts.)
• 2008 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Brézé - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur (3/29/2014)
  Ripe yellow tropical fruit driven nose, pineapple, lemon curd, lanoline, honey and mineral. Excellent concentration, really bright acidity, incredible amount of mineral and lovely long finish. If I were to tasted blind, I may called it a twenty year old meursault charmes or perrières, really enjoyable. (94 pts.)
• 2007 Domaine Geantet-Pansiot Gevrey-Chambertin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin (3/29/2014)
  or the record, this is a VV bottling. Expressive nose displaying lovely black fruits, blackberries, dark cherries, dark spices, stem and earth. Excellent concentration, intense sweet dark fruit palate and nicely integrated tannins. As usual from the 07 village, I find the finish a bit clipping. Nevertheless drinking beautifully. (92 pts.)

As I get older, I seem to lose my butt flesh which makes it difficult to sit in a wooden chair for long. I suggest to the fellows that we should headed to Hostellerie de Plaisance, hoping the wine list it decent. As we expected, most of the Bordeauxs were 2.5 times the retail. However, we were happy to see the reasonably priced Burgundy section. Since I really like the wines of Comte Liger Belair and always look for an opportunity to drink, I ordered the 10 Clos du Chateau. This was drinking really well but the others wanted to order the 06 duvault blochet, which was sold out at L’Envers du Décor, to compare with the 10 Clos du Chateau. Both wine showed really well. We really enjoyed the wines. When everyone left, Kelly and I sat out and enjoyed some fresh air, in Kelly case a nice stogy. It can’t get any better than this, a beautiful night at the heart of St Emilion.

• 2010 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Vosne-Romanée Clos du Château - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée (3/29/2014)
  We first ordered this. Ripe opulent black fruits, blackberries, blackberry liquor, sweet dark spices, mushroom and earth. Very good concentration, intense ripe dark fruit driven palate impression, nice silky palate, noticeable but nicely integrated tannins and long finish. Although obviously primary, this opulent and expressive wine is a joy to drink. (93 pts.)
• 2006 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cuvée Duvault-Blochet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru (3/29/2014)
  Boy, this is drinking nicely. Beguiling nose displaying ripe raspberries and blackberries, a hint of stem that adds lovely complexity, sap, licorice, vosne spice and strong presence of mineral. Perfectly balanced palate impression, incredibly harmonious, elegant and subtle, perfect amount of acidity, nicely integrated tannins and long seamless finish. Although clearly showing vosne spice, it is pure and precise. Drinking incredibly well. (96 pts.)

This year, the tasting was held at Chateau Bellefont-Belcier, a very imposing old looking property very close to Chateau Pavie. The property is owned by Chinese and Christian Roger who was hosted there told us that there were three or four Chinese flags in his room, kinda weird.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the whites. Most of them are quite fresh, clean and pure. These would complement the food quite nicely.

• 2013 Château Mont-Pérat - France, Bordeaux, Entre-Deux-Mers, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux (3/30/2014)
  Quite fresh, start with pear then pineapple dominates, mineral and wet stone. Clean palate, cool, mineral, bright acidity and a slightly bitter note that clips the finish. Quite refreshing. (89 pts.)
• 2013 Château Fombrauge Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Contrôlée (3/30/2014)
  Not showing much fruit, mouth puckering acidity, mineral and sour. Perhaps not a good time to show the wine. As is, not so appealing. (79 pts.)
• 2013 Reignac Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Contrôlée (3/30/2014)
  Really alive nose, peach, pear, banana, coconut and mineral. Good concentration, bright acidity, mineral and long finish. Nice showing. (91 pts.)
• 2013 Château de Lussac - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lussac-St. Émilion (3/30/2014)
  Lemon, citrus, white flowers, mineral and, butter via malo/oak. Good concentration, rich, mineral and bright acidity. Really nice showing. (91 pts.)
• 2013 Château La Garde Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/30/2014)
  Pear, granny smith, white flower, mineral and flint. Good concentration, feels a bit flat. Prefer the nose to palate. (89 pts.)
• 2013 Château de Cruzeau - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/30/2014)
  Very pure and refreshing nose displaying granny smith, also tropical fruits, pineapple, vanilla and mineral. Very good concentration, good acidity and lovely finish. Very clean and pure. Really like this wine. (92 pts.)
• 2013 Château Brondelle Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves (3/30/2014)
  Cool, rain water, mineral, apple and coconut. Good concentration, fresh fruit driven palate impression, mineral and nice long clean finish. Another very good wine. (91 pts.)
• 2013 Château Crabitey Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves (3/30/2014)
  Clean and refreshing nose, granny smith, white peach and limestone. Good concentration, very clean, good acidity and nice finish. Very clean and refreshing. (91 pts.)
• 2013 Château Roquetaillade La Grange Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves (3/30/2014)
  White fruit driven, peach, white peach, also lime juice, flint and mineral. Nice overall balance. Very refreshing. (90 pts.)
• 2013 Clos Floridene Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves (3/30/2014)
  Expressive nose displaying perfectly ripe pear, white peach, coconut and mineral. Good concentration and lovely mouthfeel. (92 pts.)
• 2013 Grand Enclos du Château de Cérons Graves Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves (3/30/2014)
  Flint, mineral but not much fruits. Refreshing but nothing more. (83 pts.)
• 2013 Château Haut Lagrange Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/30/2014)
  Ripe, flat, muted nose. (77 pts.)

Candidate for the most unsavoury start to a tasting note of the year.

This year, the tasting was held at Chateau Bellefont-Belcier, a very imposing old looking property very close to Chateau Pavie. The property is owned by Chinese and Christian Roger who was hosted there told us that there were three or four Chinese flags in his room, kinda weird.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the whites. Most of them are quite fresh, clean and pure. These would complement the food quite nicely.

• 2013 Château Mont-Pérat - France, Bordeaux, Entre-Deux-Mers, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux (3/30/2014)
  Quite fresh, start with pear then pineapple dominates, mineral and wet stone. Clean palate, cool, mineral, bright acidity and a slightly bitter note that clips the finish. Quite refreshing. (89 pts.)
• 2013 Château Fombrauge Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Contrôlée (3/30/2014)
  Not showing much fruit, mouth puckering acidity, mineral and sour. Perhaps not a good time to show the wine. As is, not so appealing. (79 pts.)
• 2013 Reignac Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Contrôlée (3/30/2014)
  Really alive nose, peach, pear, banana, coconut and mineral. Good concentration, bright acidity, mineral and long finish. Nice showing. (91 pts.)
• 2013 Château de Lussac - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lussac-St. Émilion (3/30/2014)
  Lemon, citrus, white flowers, mineral and, butter via malo/oak. Good concentration, rich, mineral and bright acidity. Really nice showing. (91 pts.)
• 2013 Château La Garde Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/30/2014)
  Pear, granny smith, white flower, mineral and flint. Good concentration, feels a bit flat. Prefer the nose to palate. (89 pts.)
• 2013 Château de Cruzeau - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/30/2014)
  Very pure and refreshing nose displaying granny smith, also tropical fruits, pineapple, vanilla and mineral. Very good concentration, good acidity and lovely finish. Very clean and pure. Really like this wine. (92 pts.)
• 2013 Château Brondelle Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves (3/30/2014)
  Cool, rain water, mineral, apple and coconut. Good concentration, fresh fruit driven palate impression, mineral and nice long clean finish. Another very good wine. (91 pts.)
• 2013 Château Crabitey Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves (3/30/2014)
  Clean and refreshing nose, granny smith, white peach and limestone. Good concentration, very clean, good acidity and nice finish. Very clean and refreshing. (91 pts.)
• 2013 Château Roquetaillade La Grange Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves (3/30/2014)
  White fruit driven, peach, white peach, also lime juice, flint and mineral. Nice overall balance. Very refreshing. (90 pts.)
• 2013 Clos Floridene Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves (3/30/2014)
  Expressive nose displaying perfectly ripe pear, white peach, coconut and mineral. Good concentration and lovely mouthfeel. (92 pts.)
• 2013 Grand Enclos du Château de Cérons Graves Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves (3/30/2014)
  Flint, mineral but not much fruits. Refreshing but nothing more. (83 pts.)
• 2013 Château Haut Lagrange Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan (3/30/2014)
  Ripe, flat, muted nose. (77 pts.)

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the mid-upper level right bank wines. They showed good concentration, bright acidity and good length without any noticeable green/dry tannins. Although only three were sampled, 2013 appears to be a very challenging year for the left bank properties.

• 2013 Balthus - France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur (3/30/2014)
  Blue fruit, licorice, silky, lead pencil and earth. Good concentration, silky and soft palate, good acidity and noticeable but none obtrusive tannins. (91 pts.)
• 2013 Château Penin - France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Contrôlée (3/30/2014)
  Ripe, licorice, blue fruit and smoke. Good concentration, chewy palate and dry tannins. Perhaps too extracted. (87 pts.)
• 2013 Reignac - France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur (3/30/2014)
  I actually preferred this to Balthus. Blue fruit, crushed blueberries, blueberry jam and licorice. Very good concentration and remains cool. (92 pts.)
• 2013 Château Mont-Pérat - France, Bordeaux, Entre-Deux-Mers, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux (3/30/2014)
  Very fresh nose displaying flowers, black fruits, bell pepper and earth. Soft and round palate, medium concentration and soft tannins. Good overall balance. (89 pts.)
• 2013 Château Le Doyenné - France, Bordeaux, Entre-Deux-Mers, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux (3/30/2014)
  Very ripe fruit, blueberry liquor, big and extracted but no noticeable dry tannins. (88 pts.)
• 2013 Château Cap de Faugères - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux (3/30/2014)
  As usual big and ripe, still some freshness. Blueberry jam and liquor, sweet spices and smoke. Excellent concentration, silky palate and nicely integrated tannins. Very modern but correct. (92 pts.)
• 2013 Château de la Dauphine - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Fronsac (3/30/2014)
  Licorice, black fruits and mineral. Nice concentration and nicely integrated tannins. A hint of heat on the finish. (89 pts.)
• 2013 Haut-Carles - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Fronsac (3/30/2014)
  As I recall, I like the wines of the property. Ripe cool blue fruits, blueberry jam, chocolate, mineral and earth. Very good concentration , silky and suave palate, mineral and fine tannins. Lovely overall balance. (92 pts.)
• 2013 Château Fontenil - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Fronsac (3/30/2014)
  Ripe cool blue fruits, mineral, sweet spices and earth. Good concentration, silky palate and nicely integrated tannins. (90 pts.)
• 2013 Château La Vieille Cure - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Fronsac (3/30/2014)
  Fresh blueberries, licorice and mineral. Excellent concentration, fresh blue fruit driven palate impression, sweet tannins and good length. Nice overall balance. (91 pts.)
• 2013 Château La Clémence - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (3/30/2014)
  Blue fruit, baking spices and lavender. Very refine palate impression, silky, nicely integrated tannins and nice seamless finish. Lovely wine. (92 pts.)
• 2013 Château Bourgneuf - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (3/30/2014)
  Subtle and refine nose displaying black fruits, blueberry liquor and truffle. Very polished palate, good concentration and lovely balance. (92 pts.)
• 2013 Clos l’Église (Pomerol) - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (3/30/2014)
  Black fruit, baking spices and dark milk chocolate. Excellent concentration, silky palate, ripe and largely framed palate impression and lovely length. (93 pts.)
• 2013 Château La Fleur de Gay - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (3/30/2014)
  Very floral nose, lavender, ripe blackberries and mineral. Excellent concentration, silky palate and lovely long finish. (93 pts.)
• 2013 Château Bonalgue - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (3/30/2014)
  Big and concentrated but a bit one dimensional. (88 pts.)
• 2013 Château Feytit Clinet - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (3/30/2014)
  A lot going on here, blue fruits, lavender, bitter chocolate and mineral. Excellent concentration, dense and chewy, nicely integrated tannins and good finish. (92 pts.)
• 2013 Château Vray Croix de Gay - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol (3/30/2014)
  Ripe blue fruits, blueberry jelly, dark flowers and mineral. Good concentration, silky, nicely integrated tannins. Really nice stuff. (92 pts.)
• 2013 Château Siaurac - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lalande de Pomerol (3/30/2014)
  Ripe blue fruits. Medium concentration, soft tannins. A bit straightforward. (87 pts.)
• 2013 Château Rol Valentin - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/30/2014)
  Fresh blue fruits, also blueberry liquor, quite floral and dark milky chocoalate. Excellent concentration, silky tannins and good length. Really nice. (92 pts.)
• 2013 Château Magrez Fombrauge - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion (3/30/2014)
  Blue fruit, baking spices and earth. Refine initial palate impression, much softer and less concentrated than the recent vintages. Also less use of oak. A bit bitter finish. (92 pts.)
• 2013 Château Bellefont-Belcier - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/30/2014)
  Smoke, ripe blue fruits and lead pencil. Good concentration and nicely integrated tannins. (91 pts.)
• 2013 Château Fleur Cardinale - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/30/2014)
  Big ripe black fruits, a hint of licorice and earth. Excellent concentration and balance. (92 pts.)
• 2013 Château Faugères - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/30/2014)
  Sweet ripe black fruit driven, blackberry jam, a hint of sour note. Excellent concentration , ripe fruit palate impression, a bit disjointed acidity. (88 pts.)
• 2013 Château Fombrauge - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/30/2014)
  Ripe black fruit, licorice and mineral. Good concentration, a hint of dry tannins. (91 pts.)
• 2013 Château Le Prieure - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/30/2014)
  Refine nose displaying red and blue fruits, red flowers and earth. Excellent concentration and nicely integrated tannins. Lovely overall balance. (91 pts.)
• 2013 Château La Marzelle - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/30/2014)
  Black fruit, cardboard box, monolithic and disjointed. (84 pts.)
• 2013 Château Faugères Cuvée Spéciale Péby - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/30/2014)
  Expressive modern nose, fresh blueberries, cassis, milk chocolate and coconut. Big scale wine, excellent concentration, intense yet soft and round palate impression and long seamless finish. Showing nice overall balance. (93 pts.)
• 2013 Clos des Jacobins - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (3/30/2014)
  Expressive modern nose, fresh blueberries, cassis, milk chocolate and coconut. Big scale wine, excellent concentration, intense yet soft and round palate impression and long seamless finish. Showing nice overall balance. (90 pts.)
• 2013 Château Greysac - France, Bordeaux, Médoc (3/30/2014)
  Not much of nose, a bit simple, graphite. Medium concentration, soft. (82 pts.)
• 2013 Château Rollan de By - France, Bordeaux, Médoc (3/30/2014)
  Ripe black fruits, cedar and lead pencil. Good concentration but noticeable dry tannings. (86 pts.)
• 2013 Château Haut Condissas - France, Bordeaux, Médoc (3/30/2014)
  Smoke, black fruit, soft, good concentration, less dry tannins than the Rollan de By. (89 pts.)