2009 UGC Tasting Notes thread

WINE TALK
1

The UGC is kicking off its tasting of 2009 Bordeaux in Los Angeles today! 3 hours and change to go. I am looking forward to it. I’ll try and pop some notes in ASAP. The wines were great to taste in barrel. They are rich, fleshy, opulent, sensuous and they should be open for business.

It will be fun comparing all the different impressions with board members from around the country. Tastings are taking place in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Miami, Toronto and Montreal. There was a smaller event last night in Houston as well. Anyone else looking forward to it?

2

Jeff,

Can you please describe the event format? I was going to buy tickets for the event but with so many participants and such a large venue I was afraid it would be a zoo and a huge line to taste some of the more popular chateaux (eg Pichon).

Thanks,

3

If you like Bordeaux, it is the best wine tasting event in the country. It will be crowded, But with about 100 different wineries, it’s worth the effort. Deatils can be found here for today and all the UGC tastings in North America

4

Fred,

While it is really crowded, in the past there hasn’t really been much of a wait to get to the well known chateaux. I think it’s a fairly fun event and a good way to try a lot of different wines. Plus, I’m always entertained at watching the consequences as people realize that 30 1oz glasses of wine is 30 ozs of wine.

You should still be able to get tickets online or get them at the door.

Kevin

5

Anyone know if Pontet Canet is going to be present? In years past they have been absent. Not that I can afford them anymore brahaahahahah

6

Mike, in San Fran no Pontet-Canet.

K&L Wine Merchants will present the “vintage of the decade, the 2009” from the members of The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGC) in San Francisco for one day only. Guests will have the opportunity to taste with over 80 different chateaux owners/representatives. This event will be held at the Bently Reserve Building at 301 Battery Street in San Francisco from 3pm until 6pm.
The 95 confirmed chateaux include:
• Angludet
• Beaumont
• Beauregard
• Beau-Séjour Bécot
• Belgrave
• Berliquet
• Beychevelle
• Branaire-Ducru
• Camensac
• Canon
• Canon La Gaffelière
• Cantemerle
• Cantenac Brown
• Carbonnieux
• Chantegrive
• Chasse-Spleen
• Citran
• Clarke
• Clerc Milon
• Clinet
• Clos Fourtet
• Coufran
• Croizet-Bages
• d’Armailhac
• Dassault
• Desmirail
• Domaine de Chevalier
• du Terte
• Ferrière
• Fieuzal
• Figeac
• Gazin
• Giscours
• Gloria
• Grand Mayne
• Grand -Puy Ducasse
• Greysac
• Gruaud Larose
• Haut- Bergey
• Haut-Bages Libéral
• Haut-Baily
• Kirwan
• Léoville Barton
• La Cabanne
• La Conseillante
• La Couspaude
• La Dominique
• La Gaffelière
• La Lagune
• La Louvière
• La Pointe
• La Tour Carnet
• La Tour de By
• Labégorce
• Lagrange
• Langoa Barton
• Larcis Ducasse
• Larmande
• Larrivet Haut-Brion
• Lascombes
• Latour- Martillac
• Lynch-Bages
• Malartic-Lagravière
• Marquis de Terme
• Maucaillou
• Olivier
• Pape Clément
• Pavie Macquin
• Petit-Village
• Pichon-Longueville
• Poujeaux
• Prieuré-Lichine
• Rauzan-Gassies
• Rauzan-Ségla
• Saint-Pierre
• Smith Haut Lafitte
• Soutard
• Talbot
• Troplong Mondot and more!

7

Just got back - quite an event! I have some more detailed notes, but won’t get those in to cellar tracker for a few days.

Of the 6pm pours, I thought the 2000 Troplong Montdot drank quite well indeed. The '05 Smith Haut-Laffite was very interesting, with barnyard and great mouth feel and finish. The '06 Pape Clement was also suprisingly accessible, reaffirming the early value in this ‘forgotten’ vintage.

My impressions from the 7pm tasting confirmed what I had learned about '09 in the handful of barrel samples that I have had to date - this is a very good vintage across the board, accessible tannin and fruit with good balance.

The highlights for me were in Pauillac, the best examples being the amazing balance and mid-palate completeness of Pichon Lalande, the sweet and savory Lynch-Bages, and one of the better Grand-Puy-Lacoste I have had so far. Pessac-Leognan offers some great values - Chevalier, Carbonnieux, and Pape Clement (both rouge and blanc) were quite intriguing.

St. Emillion was consistent, but the wines didn’t really speak to me. Margaux I found to be a little more uneven than other sub-regions, with some overripe examples and some green examples alongside the delicate beauty of Lascombes. Other folks were raving about some of the value Margaux, though, so don’t take my word for it.

Of the sweet ones, I found Climens to have the most potential, though it is shrouded in baby fat at the moment and was served a bit too cold. La Tour Blanche offered the best current drinking experience, with very good balance of sweetness and acidity. Chateau de Fargues was tasty and offered some hints of complexity to come. Guiraud and Suduiraut I found to be more or less closed for business at this stage, the latter especially so. Overall, this being my first impression of the '09 Sauternes/Barsac, I don’t see a tremendous vintage.

8

I’ll work on writing up all my notes and posting them in a day or so. For now, my general impressions of the wines remain extremely positive. They are incredibly sensuous, rich, plush, opulent wines built to offer pleasure. At their best, the wines are pure, velvet with silky tannins. Due to the style of the tannins, it was a pleasure tasting so many wines in one day.

The most consistent appellation at the tasting was Pauillac. There was not one wine I would not want to own.

Leoville Poyferre stole the show in St. Julien.

Clinet is a stellar wine. It is a decadent, stylish Pomerol.

Pessac Leognan was not as consistent as I had hoped. Smith Haut Lafitte has become a much better wine. It’s worth taking a look at.

In Margaux, Rauzan Segla is the real deal. It’s everything you want in a Margaux. OK, the label is off putting, but you cannot drink the label and it’s impossible to put down your glass as the wine invites drinking. The most improved wine from Margaux is Cantenac Brown.

St. Emilion offered some nice wines. But 2010 is a much stronger vintage for the appellation.

La Lagune was the star of the Haut Medocs.

Sauternes lacked consistency. Some wines lacked acidity and others seemed cloying. Coutet is stunning!

9

Didn’t try everything, but my standouts were:

Pessac-Leognan -
Smith Haut Lafite
De Fieuzal
Pape Clement
Latour Martillac

St. Emilion -
Figeac
Troplong Mondot
Pavie Macquin
Clos Fortet
Canon
La Gaffeliere

Pomerol -
Clinet
Petit Village
Conseillante

Margaux - a ‘green’ letdown in general, but I really liked…
Lascombes
Du Tertre
(I may have been the only one not impressed with the Rauzan Segla, with I found too ripe and pandering)

St. Julien - some thin tart wines, but…
Leoville Poyferre
Gruaud Larose
Talbot
(very surprised at the seemingly weak Leoville Barton)

Pauillac - more elegant than I usually find them
Baron Pichon Longueville
Pichon Longueville Comtesse
Lynch Bages
Grand Puy Lacoste
Clerc Milon

St. Estephe -
Lafon Rochet

Sauternes - very wide expression of styles/flavors
Coutet
Climens
Doisy Daene
Lafaurie Peyraguey

(Though a bit too caramely on the finish, I also liked the Suduiraut. OTOH, the Guiraud was way over the top with its nutmeg and cinnamon.)

10

Thanks for the comments. I am looking forward to going next week (will be my 10th year going).

One of the ones I always look forward to the most every year has been Angelus, but with no mentions above, does that mean that they aren’t attending this year?

11

Are you describing the same event? https://wineimport.discoursehosting.net/t/ugc-la-how-not-to-run-a-large-public-tasting-long/55731/1

It sounds like an unmitigated disaster and the exact reason I NEVER, EVER go to cattle style standup tastings.

Jeff, do you have special insider/press status?

12

Eric… I do not agree with the poster and responded to him. I do not get any speical treatment at the UGC tastings. There were two UGC events in LA. I attended both tastings. The press tasting was much smaller. But the format was the same.

Dan… That is the $64,000 question. Jean-Bernard was there. I saw and spoke with him prior to the tasting. I was surprised he was not showing the wines. I have no idea why. I asked members of the UGC and they were equally surprised. Perhaps the wines did not arrive? Who knows?

13

Plus, I’m always entertained at watching the consequences as people realize that 30 1oz glasses of wine is 30 ozs of wine

[rofl.gif]

Idiots - did they not have enough spitoons? Mind you I’ve never trusted amateurs with any sort of spitting ability after a tasting glass or two let alone 25+ [wow.gif]

14

Attending the 6pm tasting gave me the opportunity to stake out the room. As such, I was able to taste nearly everything by 8pm when the crowd was most massive.

I also thought it was impolite when people started pouring for themselves. On the other hand, given the limited time and high demand for certain wines, I question why it took 15-20 minutes for staff to arrive and pour. The lack of spittoons and the over-sizing of the pours were… unfortunate.

Overall, this event was just a bit more poorly organized and executed than the average of all the mega tastings I have attend at Fort Mason in SF. I can’t imagine there is any ‘good’ way to pull these events off, but I appreciate the opportunity to taste great wines. The Peterson Automotive Museum is very cool in its own right and worth a visit.

15

Dan… That is the $64,000 question. Jean-Bernard was there. I saw and spoke with him prior to the tasting. I was surprised he was not showing the wines. I have no idea why. I asked members of the UGC and they were equally surprised. Perhaps the wines did not arrive? Who knows?[/quote]

Thanks for the info. That would be too bad as tasting and talking with him is always a highlight, even more so in the lesser years. Surprised he would show up just to hang around so maybe the wine didn’t show in time on the west coast…

16

I have little experience in the UGC tastings but when K&L started to sell tickets for the SF tasting months ago, Angelus was not listed as a participant (while it was for last year). So I’m not sure if it was just because the wines didn’t show in time. Or maybe they knew months ago that it would not be ready?

17

I’ll leave the issues surrounding disorganization to my other thread (which is why I started it as a separate thread).

In general, I agree with Eric Anderson’s comments above regarding individual chateaux. I think there is going to be some question about ripeness, balance, and alcohol levels with the 2009’s, especially as a matter of personal stylistic preferences. Also in regard to pricing–there were several wines that I enjoyed, but whose prices I would not find acceptable. But I’m an old fogey and remember when these wines a step or two below First Growths were much more affordable.

Anyway, I was very impressed with the Sauterns/Barsacs as a group. While I doubt they will come close to approaching the overall excellence of 2001, the Climens and Doisy-Daene in particular were very promising for the future. The La Tour Blanche seemed to be all about syrupy sugar without counterbalancing acidity. I liked the Suduiraut and Guiraud more than Eric did, and I think that they will need some time to show their stuff.

I also really was impressed by the Smith Haut Lafite blanc–a lovely, citrusy ray of sunshine that stood out in the crowd. Again, the pricing is more than I would prefer, but I thought the quality and balance were excellent.

Bruce

18

Who knows - could also be that since they are by far the most expensive wine participating, they have decided to cut out the non-trade tastings.

Was Pape Clement there?

19

No Domaine de Chevalier Blanc? I tasted that at the chateau and thought it was magnificent…

20

My group and I had a great time. But we taste a lot, so we know to expect a large crowd and deal. I found it odd to see someone walking around with a bottle pouring for friends, but I don’t know the whole story behind that. Hearing people pour for themselves is a bummer, as I didn’t get to try a few I wanted, but that’s probably my fault for chatting it up more than usual.

I think we liked the Left Bank much better, but when I got to retaste a few Saint Emilions again, I upped my impressions.

Top Wines for me (95+):
Leoville Poyferre (better than '05 & '03)
Clos Fourtet (not far from '05, but better texture; tasted 3x)
Pape Clement Blanc (Great leesy, white burgundy quality. Amazing texture. Didn’t get to retaste, but may prefer over Chevalier)
Domaine de Chevalier Blanc (splits hairs with '07; tasted 4x)
Figeac * (Splits hairs with '05, but a better wine… Not helping my wallet)
Clinet (Huge; sample had a lot of chewy tannins, but sadly not retasted)

Second Tier (92-94):
Leoville Barton (Solid. Better than '05)
La Lagune * (I think this will age majestically and shoot up several spots)
Gruaud Larose * (Gorgeous)
Saint Pierre (showy wine with all the bells and whistles added, will be good)
Pavie Macquin (not '05, but well done. Tasted 3x, last samples showing better)
Branaire Ducru * (Very energetic sample)
Lynch Bages (They do well what they do well)
Prieure Lichine * (Supple, gorgeous)
Domaine de Chevalier (rouge)* (Quietly making some of the classiest wines in Bordeaux)
SHL (blanc) (Usually showy for me, but everything is in the right place, good sign)
Carbonnieux (blanc) (The weather in '09 gave it a little more oomph than usual)
Haut Bailly (impressive, but my sample was ungiving)
Troplong Mondot (massive, but wasn’t there for me)

Third Tier: (89-91)
Poujeaux * (~$30. That’s what Bordeaux does right)
Marquis de Terme * (I love old '60s-'80s cabernet. This tasted like what I imagine those wines did in youth)
Phelan Segur (love what they’re doing here recently)
Grand Puy Ducasse (ultra-clean cabernet)
Chantegrive (nice Franc component 25%?)
Fieuzal (blanc) (Crisp, nice)

  • on my buying list.

Also tasted/judgement withheld:
Clerc Milon
Chasse Spleen
Berliquet
Rauzan Gassies
Kirwan
Du Tertre
Haut Bages Liberal
Talbot
Lascombes (A bit overdone. Maybe needed a bit more restraint given the vintage)
La Tour Carnet
Gloria
La Dominique (Rustic in profile, but well made. Very good, if looking for that style).
Langoa Barton (Preferred 2008. A much more serious wine, however)
Canon La Gaffeliere
Fieuzal (rouge)
Giscours (Amazing texture. Voluptuous, but fell a little flat on the finish).

Out of the stickies, I only got to taste Coutet, which was very good.

Last year’s tasting of 2008 was of a very good vintage, but it was a nice treat to be able to taste an excellent one again. We had a great time, even those in our group who were first timers. But, when you get a mixture of ultrageeks & newcomers who may not know etiquette, so I can see how there can be some tension. I tend to be a little more understanding (and when the wine is good, no worries!). Sorry people didn’t have a great time, but maybe those people would enjoy a more relaxed tasting. UGC isn’t exactly that.