Alex Rychlewski
Bordeaux
Consumed this weekend:
2009 Ch. Simone, Palette (red): I bought a case of this wine and have one bottle left. It has always been enjoyable, but was really very good this time around with a lovely bouquet of garrigue and balsamic nuances. On the palate, it was like a good Châteauneuf-du-Pape with some age, but less heavy and with more finesse than most.
2005 Fourcas Hostens, Listrac: I have had good bottles from this estate, but the magnum we had on Friday night was green and tough. I was very disappointed.
2006 Pédesclaux, Pauillac: English speakers stood up and took notice of this wine when it did extremely well at a tasting organized by Decanter magazine. My previous experience with Pédescalux led me to consider it a wine not to age for very long. So, I opened the 2005 at lunch today (decanted 2 hours before the meal). I was very impressed. My guests were served it blind and immediately targeted it as a classified growth from Pauillac. It had all the hallmarks of great Cabernet from that commune. A lovely nose of graphite and black fruit, in fact reminiscent of Mouton. The wine showed tremendous class on the palate, with medium body and a very fine balance between smoothness and good tannic structure. An elegant Pauillac rather than a broad-shouldered one. The aftertaste was perhaps not tremendously long and powerful, but that is largely quibbling. I wish I had another bottle because, in the event, the wine needs another few years to reach its peak. A very pleasant surprise.
For information, the château changed hands in 2009, when Franco-Swiss Jacky Lorenzetti acquired it. He has since introduced major improvements to the infrastructure. Recent vintages I’ve tasted have been good, but not as stellar as this 2005. Lorenzetti also owns Liliane Ladouys in Saint-Estèphe and half of Château d’Issan in Cantenac (AOC Margaux).
Best regards,
Alex R.