We have spent the month of October immersed in Bordeaux, figuratively of course. We concluded our month-long series of tastings last Thursday night at Fine Wines of Stockton with a collection of Bordeaux from through out the appellation.
So, here is what we tasted in this last round-up of Bordeaux. As usual, all wines were opened an hour ahead of time and double-decanted.
2010 Château Malescasse – dark ruby in the glass with aromas of dark fruit and berries. Moderate, drying tannins combine with dark berry and plum flavors, adequate acidity and a medium length finish. This wine tastes pulled-together now, and is not overly complex, but tasty. Some in the group thought the acid was a bit lacking. ABV 14%.
The 2010 blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc from vines an average of 20 years old. Wood aging is for 16 months in 30% new oak.
Château Malescasse, in our experience, is good year-after-year. Since we began tasting Bordeaux with the 1999 vintage, it is represented almost every year in the selection of Bordeaux George and Gail bring into the wine shop. It is flavorful, priced right (low $20 range) and can be consumed within a short time of purchase. As nice as it is to be able to age Bordeaux, it is also nice to have something to drink in the meantime.
This Cru Bourgeois is located within the commune of Lamarque along the Gironde, just south of Saint-Julien and north of Margaux, within the Haut-Médoc AOC. The château and vineyards are located on the highest part of the commune, which is good in terms of drainage. The soil is of course, gravel. Portions of the area south of Lamarque, around Arcins, are very low-lying. In their book, The World Atlas of Wine, Johnson and Robinson have a very interesting, detailed map of the area showing a network of drainage ditches to remove water during heavy rainfall.
2010 Château Bernadotte – ruby red in the glass, with red fruit and licorice on the nose. Layers of bright red fruit flavors combine with significant, drying tannins and good acidity. The tannins are quite obvious in this wine and as a result, most tasters thought it would benefit from time in the bottle. There is plenty of fruit behind the tannins to hold out for a few years. Food will be required if you drink this wine now. ABV 14%.
Château Bernadotte has the same ownership as Château Pichon Longeville Comtesse de Lalande, which is classified as 2nd Growth in Pauillac. The Cru Bourgeois-classified Château Bernadotte is located near Château Pichon, on similar sandy/gravelly soil and with the same winemaking team. Château Bernadotte offers an affordable alternative to the 2nd Growth Château Pichon.
Beginning in 1998 the vineyards were replanted, increasing the amount of Merlot to nearly that of Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are also planted in small amounts. The vat room and cellar have been improved and enlarged as well. Aging in oak lasts from 12 to 16 months with 30% new oak.
The prior owner, May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, sold both properties to the Champagne house Louis Roederer in 2007. In 2003 Madame de Lencquesaing purchased Glenelly Estate in Stellenbosch South Africa.
2010 Château Carbonnieux – very dark ruby in the glass with aromas of tart fruit. Red fruit flavors with vanilla and spice in the background and zippy acidity produce riper and brighter fruit flavors with significant, drying tannins. The finish is moderate in length with the tannins out-lasting the fruit flavors. Food might knock the tannins back a bit. Our tasting group was divided as to whether this wine has enough fruit to age a bit, in anticipation that the tannins would soften. I tasted plenty of fruit in this wine. ABV 14%.
The history of Château Carbonnieux goes back to the 13th century when it was established by Benedictine monks from the Sainte-Croix Abbey. The Perrin family purchased the château in 1956 and the third generation is now managing the winery. Since the purchase, plantings have increased from 30 hectares to 92 (about 227 acres). Fermentation and barrel room facilities have been improved and current vinification processes are being used. The Perrin family has brought Château Carbonnieux into the 21st century in terms of winemaking.
The château is located on top of a gravel outcropping near Léognan. Terroir changes throughout the sloping terrain providing unique growing conditions within the vineyards of Château Carbonnieux.
The château was included in the 1959 Graves Classification for its red and white wines (Grand Cru Classé on the bottle). It is located within the Pessac-Léognan AOC, located south of the city of Bordeaux.
2010 Château La Tour Carnet – very dark ruby in the glass with aromas of dark ripe fruit and vanilla. Rich layers of ripe dark fruit flavors combine with spice and very significant, drying tannins. The finish is long with both flavor and tannins, but the tannins do outlast the fruit flavors. ABV 14%.
The blend is 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc et 3% Petit Verdot. 70% aged in new oak for 18 months.
Château La Tour Carnet is classified as 4th Growth and is located within Haut-Médoc AOC, just south of Saint-Julien. Château La Tour Carnet also has a very long history, reaching back to the 12th century when it was known as Château de Saint-Laurent. It looks like a fortress, complete with moat.
As with other châteaux in Bordeaux, phylloxera destroyed the vineyards in the 1870s. It was not until the 1960s that the château began to be restored and vineyards replanted. That improvement continues today with expansion of the vineyards and the use of modern winemaking techniques.
2010 Lacoste-Borie – dark ruby in the glass with aromas of dark fruit. Sweet dark fruit flavors and tobacco with significant, grippy tannins. The flavors and tannins are in balance, with good acidity. This wine tastes good now, lay it down if you want to wait for the tannins to smooth out. ABV 13.5%.
Lacoste-Borie is the second wine of Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste which is classified as a 5th Growth and located in the Pauillac AOC, home to three of the five classified 1st Growth Bordeaux.
The soil here is deep, coarse gravel mixed with sand and clay. The average age of the vines is 38 years and the blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc. The wine ages in 30% new French oak for 14 – 16 months.
So, this brings us to the end of the Bordeaux tastings. As you have probably read elsewhere, 2010 is the second outstanding vintage in a row for Bordeaux. The growing season was a winemaker’s delight, weather cooperated and ripe flavors developed in the grapes. It is also a wine drinker’s delight.
These wines have plenty of flavor and structure. Some are easier to drink now than others. Some will no doubt become outstanding over time. Some will reach their peak sooner than others. We have never held a Bordeaux and been disappointed with the flavors that developed over time. We usually just wish we had an additional bottle to two.
We followed our usual plan and bought multiple bottles of several wines. They are safely stored away. We will keep our hands off them for several years. Then we will begin tasting to see how they have changed. That is when the fun really begins.
Cheers!
Reference: The World Atlas of Wine, 7th edition, Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson
