October has been declared Bordeaux month at Fine Wines of Stockton. Every Thursday night during the month, we will be tasting a group of six Bordeaux from the 2010 vintage. This is my favorite series of tastings every year.
George and Gail attend the En Primeur tasting in Bordeaux every year. There they critically taste through hundreds of wines to decide which they want to bring into the wine shop. They tasted these wines in the spring of 2011, essentially as barrel samples. Of course, they have years of experience tasting wine at this early stage and are able to accurately predict how the wines will develop over time.
The 2010 Bordeaux arrived in the shop a month or so ago. They have been resting in their beautiful wooden boxes, recovering from any bottle shock due to their travels. And we have been watching the boxes, wondering when the tastings would begin. Finally, the time has arrived. Before we begin the tasting, a bit about the 2010 growing season.
2010 started out cold. Bud-break was a bit delayed and fruit-set was poor. Rain was sufficient during spring, then the summer was dry. Berry size was generally very small giving the fruit concentrated flavor with a high ratio of skin-to-fruit. September and October were warm and sunny providing enough time for fruit to fully ripen.
The combination of fully-ripened fruit in the form of small berries should produce wines with lots of flavor and lots of tannins. This combination in Bordeaux usually makes for wines that age nicely. Over time, the nuanced flavors contributed by terroir should show themselves. For wine lovers who enjoy the flavors that develop in well-made wines as they age, the 2010 Bordeaux vintage should provide a collecting opportunity.
Let’s see what this group of wines has to offer:
2010 Château Puygueraud Cuvée George — dark fruit (plums), celery and tobacco scents and flavors combine with good acidity and big, grippy tannins. There is a salinity and mineral quality to these flavors as well. The finish is fairly long and slightly bitter due to the tannins. The tannins linger in the finish. This wine has lots of flavor and tannins. It needs some time to mellow. If you want to drink it now, add food. ABV 14.5%.
Château Puygueraud is located in the Côtes des Francs AOC appellation, east of St. Emilion, and its soil is clay and limestone with chalky subsoils. The Château was purchased by George Thienpont in 1946 and the Cuvée George is produced in his honor. It is not produced every vintage, but represents a unique blend dominated by Malbec. The 2010 blend, 45% Malbec, 35% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot, the highest percentage of Malbec in Bordeaux.
2010 Château Andron Blanquet — a bit lighter ruby in the glass, with a floral nose. Slightly sweet cherry flavors with a hint of vanilla in the background combine with significant, grippy tannins and excellent acidity. The body of this wine is light, though the bright fruit flavors are not. The finish is very long with both flavor and tannins. Good aging potential. ABV 14%.
Château Andron Blanquet has the same ownership as Château Cos Labory which is included in the Fifth Growth classification. Both are located in St. Estèphe. 2010 blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc. Wood aging is in one-third new oak.
2010 Château Poujeaux Moulis — dark ruby in the glass with blackberry and floral scents. Flavors of blackberries and plums combine with a touch of sweetness and once again, significant tannins. There is great depth of flavor to balance out the significant tannins. Some want to drink this wine now, but it should be outstanding in a few years. ABV 14%.
The 2010 vintage is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot. The average age of the vines is 35 years. Château Poujeaux is owned by the Cuvelier family, who also own Clos Fourtet, classified in St. Emilion as Premiers Grands Crus Classés B. Winemaking consultant Stéphane Darenoncourt has a hand in the production of this wine.
2010 Château St. Georges-Côte Pavie — dark ruby in the glass, just a whiff of “barnyard” followed by barrel toast and ripe dark fruit. Dark fruit, plum and blackberry, flavors combine with salinity and minerality. There is juicy acidity and significant, grippy tannins. This wine tastes great now, and should be amazing with time in the bottle. ABV 14.5%.
This St. Emilion château is classified Grands Crus Classés, and has some very prestigious neighbors. The vineyards of Château Ausone, classified as Premiers Grands Crus Classés A, have a common boundary with those of Ch. St. Georges.
2010 Lacoste Borie — a bit of “barnyard” that blows-off quickly, dark fruit and vanilla on the nose. Flavors of ripe plums and spice with hints of licorice and vegetal flavors combine with significant, grippy tannins. This wine has a bit more weight in the mouth and has good acidity. It is not the most complex wine in the group, but is very flavorful.
Lacoste Borie is the second wine of Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste which is classified as a Fifth Growth and located in the Pauillac AOC, home to three of the five First 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.
2010 Réserve De La Comtesse — dark ruby in the glass with scents of ripe plums and cedar. The flavors are a complex mixture of dark fruits and berries with a hint of cedar. The tannins are significant and the wine has lots of acidity. This wine is juicy, flavorful and complex. ABV 14%
The Réserva De La Comtesse is the second wine of Château Pichon Longeville Comtesse de Lalande, which is classified as a Second Growth and is located in the gravelly Pauillac AOC. The 2010 blend is 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot.
A second wine has been produced by Château Pichon Longeville Comtesse de Lalande since the 19th century, as a means initially to select only the very best fruit for the classified bottling. The second wine benefits from the same terroir and vineyard practices as the classified bottling and is always made with the goal of producing the best possible wine. The Réserva De La Comtesse was sold for the first time in 1978.
An exciting group of wines. The Château Poujeaux Moulis was the favorite wine of the evening, including Pete’s favorite. My favorite was the Château St. Georges-Côte Pavie. I think we are in for an enjoyable series of tastings this month!
Cheers!
