Not the most expressive of bouquets at first, it took a while to open, then an interesting blend which I found similar to BAdeMA, with notes of tobacco, then fresh, floral notes of redcurrant, red cherry and wild strawberry, ending with a distinct impression of stone and earth. Fresh, clear notes of red cherry and redcurrant at first, with a slightly richer middle section of wild strawberry and finally a long, persistent finish focusing mainly on blackberry and cherry flavours.
On the second day it was even better, with more volume and more typical flavours of blackberry and blackcurrant in the middle section.
I really had the feeling of smelling and tasting the terroir itself.
“Nout” is I believe the second from top in the range of wines. It was the first time I had tried it and I was really impressed by the clarity and purity of the fruit. It tasted both modern and traditional, like a classic revisited, with only the slightest hint of oak. I know it has more Merlot than the top wine, of which I have a couple of 2010s and it’ll be interesting to try the two wines together. There is a very clear step up from the Haut-Médoc which I also really enjoyed.
What I like about these wines is the lack of the sugary richness found increasingly in other Bordeaux. I plan on visiting the domain this summer, to ask more about their approach and the influence of Loire winemakers (and vice versa), because the cross-pollination is so obvious between Michel Théron and Thierry Germain, for example, so I wonder if it’s deliberate or not.
Anyway, a delicious wine, certainly one of my WsOTY so far. It’ll be fun to compare it with certain CCs in the future.
Cheers Steen! It’s probably my getting older, but I’m sick of those syrupy flavours. Many are moving away from the consultant-induced fixation on overripe wines which inevitably produce high alcohol and high sugar levels. “Moving away” is not strictly true of Clos du Jaugueyron because they never went down that road, neither of course did Bel Air Marquis d’Aligre. Have you ever tried them?
Cool, Julian, I have not tried this particular bottling. I like the Margaux bottling very much but it ain’t cheap - to be candid, I’d rather have two bottles of BAMA!
Well obviously this is just your sort of wine! You’re right about the prices. I was lucky enough to get some vintages of the top wine at auction. Over here, Nout is a bit cheaper than BAMA at around 30 to 35€. In the US, I see that Chambers St. gets some occasionally. Anyway, I’d like to try the Nout with the top Margaux to see just how big the difference is.
Very interesting, Julian, thanks for the note! I like Clos du Jaugueyron, but for whatever reason, I have lost sight of this formidable château in recent times. Never had the “Nout”, but your note makes me want to grab some.
It appears that the name “Nout” comes from “Nut”, the Egyptian goddess of the sky, stars, and the cosmos. BTW, with a further rented vineyard being planted with mainly Merlot, the owners decided to market a second Margaux wine with a higher percentage of Merlot – equal to the Cabernet Sauvignon dominated Margaux blend.
Steen - you should start trying some Loire reds! Bordeaux goes through phases - I think the tide of the sugary one is on the turn, but in the meantime there’s a lot of that kind of wine around, including in my own cellar. Tasting wines like “Nout” is a double-edged sword because it shows up so many other wines I have. I’m sorry you can’t find BAMA or Jaugueyron in Denmark - but some French sites can ship them, like this one: Livraison et frais de port vins-etonnants
Rudi - cheers! Yes, I think you would like “Nout” - thanks for the info on the name!