Robert, you really are the king of the geeks…first Bel Air Marquis, then this…is there an obscure, niche market Bordeaux you haven’t tried?! Good for you anyway, for thinking outside of the box. Thanks for the thumbs-up - more excuses for wine-buying…I’ve just acquired a 2010 which I will report back on in coming weeks.
Last night, we had another bottle of the 2015 Le Puy Cuvée Emilien side-by-side with a nice 1999 Chateau D’Aiguilhe, Côtes de Castillon.
While drinking the Cuvée Emilien I felt transported to the vineyard during harvest, fresh purple grapes, pickers and tractors and the cellar filled with wooden vats, old barrels and the smell of grape juice and yeast. A feeling as if, in a mysterious way, you were directly involved in the winemaking process. This Le Puy is a wine with excellent precision and character, but also a demanding wine for taste adventures… that, hopefully, gives you more than it takes. 
While drinking the D’Aiguilhe I felt satisfaction and disappointment at the same time. Satisfaction with the fullness, roundness and balance, which together deliver an immediate and uncomplicated gratification. Disappointment because this wine from the von Neipperg’s stable shows too little precision, inspiration and character to be outstanding and as interesting as the Cuvée Emilien.
BTW I forgot to mention - La Révue des Vins de France did a vertical of Le Puy recently, if you’re interested. They were invited to a tasting of 37 wines organised by the owner in Paris, going back to the 1917 vintage and including a really weird one, la Cuvée Retour des Iles, which spends a year at sea in a brig, sailing on the Atlantic.
I think Eric Asimov did an article on Le Puy not terribly long ago. It’s a (or at least it was) a Neal Rosenthal import here, and while not inexpensive, a really good value.
Ha! Geeks unite!
It’s the eternal Holy Grail quest for the elusive unspoofilated right bank Bordeaux!
Speaking of geeky, you need to try Clos du Jaugueyron, Margaux. Not cheap, but exceptional. The 2000 vintage is stunning, 2005 right behind it. I think they just released the 2011, and then the 2014 vintage for the Medoc bottling.
My favorite Côtes de Francs has always been La Prade, made by Nicholas Thienpont. But that might change.
What is wrong with the Le Puy Label, Alex?
No…Stop…not another bloody rec…actually you’re right, it’s a wine I’ve never got round to buying but always felt I should, so yet another scouting party hits the road.
Indeed, both the Margaux and the Haut-Médoc bottling are great. I have cellared their 1999 and 2005 from both appellations.
No, Leve has heard about it. But from your description, I think the wine and I are both happier I have not tasted it. 
I do follow a few Cotes de Francs however, just not that wine. Learn about Cotes de Francs Bordeaux, Best Wines/Vineyards/Chateaux
Who knows?
For me, it is not important whether a wine is biodynamically farmed, organically or conventionally. There are good reasons for each of these approaches. What bothers me, however, are prejudices and stereotypical thinking…
The only thing that really matters is what is in the bottle. And in the case of the Cuvée Barthélemy 2014, it is fascinating what is in the bottle. It is a great pleasure to meet this wine, which is lovely nuanced, sophisticated structured and unbelievable well-balanced. Complex cherry notes characterise the fruit, highlighted by aromas of dried herbs, spices, forest floor and a hint of barnyard. Like a walk through a cherry orchard, planted with different varieties and surrounded by blackberry and wild raspberry bushes. All components, fruit, spices, oak, acidity, alcohol and minerality are in great balance. 13,5 % alcohol. This is a distinctly elegant wine, from the nose to the lingering licorice-infused finish, and clearly a step above the fine 2015 Cuvée Emilien… or even two steps. I’ve never had a better Côtes de Francs.
The Cuvée Barthélemy is produced from a plot of vines known as ‘Les Rocs’, planted with 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Thanks Robert for this thread!
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Awesome note, Rudi, and thanks for popping and posting on the premier cuvee from this unique producer! I need to grab some for sure.
These are different cuvées of the same Château? I see notes here both Emilien and Barthelemy. I wonder if the elevage or vindication differs?
Yes indeed, from the Rosenthal website:
CHATEAU-LE-PUY-EMILIEN “Emilien” > : the most important cuvée of the domaine in terms of volume is composed of 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Carmenère. It spends a year in 50hl foudres before a year in 228L barrel. Its approach is silky from the fine tannins and it bears a color of garnet red with a hint of ruby, a seductive wine of great elegance. Certified organic.
CHATEAU-LE-PUY-BARTHELEMY “Barthélemy”> : a wine of more limited production (approximately 15,000 bottles per annum), this cuvée, 85% Merlot plus 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, is sourced from a single vineyard site known as “Les Rocs” on a plateau with a deep limestone bedrock. The wine spends 24 months in 228L barrels (less than 10% new) with no addition of SO2 at any stage of the elevage. A more dense and mysterious wine than its companion with a deeper robe and more firm structure, we see resemblance here to the finest old wines of its neighbors to the west in the best districts of Saint Emilion and Pomerol. Certified organic.
I bought several of the 2010 from Lyle Fass in 2014. My note (gave it a 90):
The lighter side of Bordeaux. Gathering weight in the glass with air, this light ruby wine is highly and pleasantly acidic, of medium-minus weight and quite racy for Bordeaux. Tart cherry, plum and an overall red fruited profile combine with subtle Brett notes and restrained oak. Some elegant floral notes and a touch of spice box. The finish is of moderate length with a mix of supple and drying tannins. Good balance. Certainly a good near-term upside but not a lot of extract for the long haul. Would hold a few years or decant. Maybe 2016-2020.
Maybe time to revisit these. I tend to like them old though
How is ‘feral’ a positive comment on a Bordeaux?
At our house that’s when we send the beasts to the groomers!
With some Rhones, at least its a known, expected attribute.
I just don’t expect that in wines from the Gironde though.
You haven’t followed Alfert’s tasting notes closely enough, then. ![[wink.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/04707e6a7bbb03e0153e349d8a9270d30e1e9525.gif "wink"){kind=small}
FYI, it turns out this wine had no sulfur added, which might explain some variation, and some feral qualities, and perhaps the sourness we experienced.
I had a 2014 Puygueraud ($20) last night. I don’t see Alfert liking it. There is a very slight herbaceous note that I like, but overall the wine is a bit soft, almost sweet and polished.
We should have a separate Master Thread: WWAD: What Would Alfert Drink?
Arv, read my signature! I’m a lover, I’m a fighter. My idea of fun is a 4-hour bike ride where there is total carnage, people exploding off the back. Embrace the pain and suffering. Smell the sweat and fear. Hear the wails and lamentation of the demoralized. If it wanted spit polish, I would do a Soul Cycle spin class in NYC, drink some crisp Sauvignon Blanc after. Nay, I want wild, I want gamey, I want feral. Think Cordier from the 1980s, when Bordeaux was prime. When men were men and women were, too! I cannot recall where that last line came from. - SNL perhaps - but always found it amusing.
A few of my wines of significance:
Sociando Mallet
Levet Cotie Rotie
Raffault Les Picasses
Domaine Barral Valiniere
Clos du Jaugueyron
Chateau Lanessan
Joguet Chinon
Metras
