Our exploration of the 2010 Bordeaux vintage continues with a tasting from the Margaux AOC at a recent Thursday night wine tasting at Fine Wines of Stockton. We will continue to taste our way through the 2010 Bordeaux vintage all during the month of October.
The Margaux AOC is located around the village of Margaux, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary where the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge. Margaux is the area labeled #8 on this map. It is about 15 miles north of the city of Bordeaux.
The soil in this appellation is generally considered to be poor in quality, lots of gravel and not much clay and sand, but that is considered a good thing. Grape vines that must struggle to put down roots and extract nutrients from poor soil are thought to produce more flavorful fruit.
This large appellation includes the communes of Margaux, Cantenac, Labarde, Soussans and Arsac. Appellation requirements determine which plots of land within these communes are allowed to be planted, even dictating planting density and vineyard management practices. 21 classified growths call this appellation home, including 1st Growth Château Margaux.
Left bank wines are generally mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with varying amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc (Petit Verdot, Carménère and Malbec may be used as well), but this does vary depending upon the producer. Wines produced in Margaux are often described as perfumed, a characteristic that is presumed to be drawn from the soil.
All wines were opened nearly an hour before the tasting and double-decanted. The double-decanting helps open up the flavors in these young wines. Here’s what we tasted.
2010 Baron de Brane — just a bit of dark fruit and a hint of vanilla on the nose. Dark fruit and tobacco flavors combine with significant, grippy tannins and leave a bit of a bitter tasting finish. Not a juicy, luscious wine, it tastes a bit tight now, and I think it needs time in the bottle. I would hold this wine for several years to see how the tannins settle down and if the fruit flavors express themselves. ABV 13.5%
This wine is a second wine of Château Brane-Cantenac, which is classified as a 2nd Growth. The blend for the 2010 was 55% Cabernet Sauvignon 40% Merlot 4.5% Cabernet Franc .5% Carménère. The 35 year old vines are planted in deep gravel soil and the wine was aged in 20% new oak for 12 months.
2010 Château de la Cour d’Argent — complex ripe plum and berry scents follow with flavors of dark fruit and a bit of coffee. Hints of licorice and minerals are also present in the background flavors with moderate grippy, but in-balance tannins. Most tasters thought this wine tasted good now and would continue to please over the next several years. ABV 13.5%
This wine is bottled under the more general Bordeaux AOC, not Margaux. The 2010 blend is 95% Merlot 5% Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The average age of the vines is 35 years and the vineyards are planted in chalky clay (in Génissac) and sandy gravel soils (in St. Sulpice de Faleyrens and Ste. Terre). These areas are close to St. Émilion. Fermentation in stainless steel was followed by aging in year-old oak for 14 months.
Flavors of Merlot come through on this Bordeaux Supérieur which is produced by St. Émilion producer Denis Barraud.
Château Marquis d’Alesme — very dark ruby in the glass, scents of blackberries and ripe plums are evident. Flavors of ripe blackberries and plums with cedar in the background and significant, chewy tannins create a complex mouthfull of flavor. There is a lot going on with this wine, big flavors and big tannins. Most tasters agreed this wine needs time in the bottle for the tannins to settle down and the fruit flavors to evolve. It would be a shame to drink this wine now, it could become something very spectacular. ABV 14.5%
The average age of the vines in this 65% Cabernet Sauvignon 30% Merlot 5% Petit Verdot blend is 40 years. Vineyards are planted in a variety of soils including sandy gravel, sandy/silt and clay/limestone. Fermentation in concrete vats was followed by aging in 60% new oak for 18 months. Château Marquis d’Alesme is classified as a 3rd Growth and located within the commune of Margaux.
2010 Chevalier de Lascombes — very dark ruby in the glass with an obvious, nose of ripe dark plums. Rich ripe plum flavors with great acidity and drying well-integrated tannins. This wine tastes pulled-together and tastes good now. It will no doubt improve with time in the bottle. It’s a win-win.
Chevalier de Lascombes is the second wine of 2nd Growth Château Lascombes, produced from batches not chosen for the Château Lascombes. Same great vineyards and vineyard practices produce a wine intended for consumption a bit earlier, within the first 10 years of bottling. The 2010 blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon 45% Merlot. Aging is for 16 months in year-old oak.
Château Prieuré-Lichine — inky-dark ruby in the glass with scents of spice and dark fruit. Dark fruit flavors are chewy and rich with significant, fine tannins. A bit of vanilla lingers in the background, flavors finish with tannins. Juicy acidity. Lots going on in this wine. ABV 14%.
This 4th Growth has a significant following according to George, which is reflected in the price ($40 more than the highest-priced wine in this group). The Château is located within Cantenac and vineyards are planted in gravel soil. The 2010 vintage is a blend of 50% Cabernet 45% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Vintage notes detail the trial in 2010 of pigeage (punch down of the cap during fermentation) on a vat of Cabernet Sauvignon and one of Merlot to extract maximum flavor. Aging is 50% new oak and 50% year-old oak.
Once again an impressive group of wines. Plenty of flavor and well made. Some are a bit more complex and tannic than others. They will benefit from time in the bottle and should evolve into really interesting wines. As always, though, it is nice to have some wines to drink now and in the next year or two while you are waiting for those wines you choose to age.
Some don’t bother with the exercise of aging wines, but we love to hang on to wine to see how it develops over time. There is nothing more enjoyable than tasting a wine at this young stage, putting it away and coming back to it in a minimum of 5 to 10 years. There is just nothing like the flavors of an aged Bordeaux.
Cheers!
