Pessac-Léognan (and Graves) pizzaz #Bdx15

Posted on May 4, 2016

And why dry extract matters

By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com

4 May 2016

Perhaps my overall favorite region in Bordeaux is the Graves region, which includes the since 1987 created Pessac-Léognan appellation that gathers such famous estates of the northern Graves, from Haut Brion and Pape Clement to Haut Bailly and Domaine de Chevalier.

It is here where #winelovers can enjoy both excellent reds and whites from Bordeaux. More often than not, a great vintage for reds is not such a great vintage for whites – and vice-versa. 2010, where both reds and whites were successful, is not the norm. 2014 is good to very good for both, perhaps better for whites, because the high acidity of that vintage lent extra vivacity, especially from producers who picked optimally ripe fruit. But is 2015 far behind for whites? In some cases, yes, but I found that several producers made wines with more dry extract than in 2014, even if the acidities were lower. Read More

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Ramonet in Alsace

Posted on May 3, 2016

Perfect tastings and lunch – with Montrachet from Jeroboam – and other treats

By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com 

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Saint Julien #bdx15: subtle, suave, successful

Posted on May 1, 2016

By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com

 1 May 2016

2015 was a successful vintage for Saint Julien, with expected elegance combined with Cabernet driven structure. While some tasters seemed a touch under-whelmed, I was happy with most of the wines from this affable appellation. And boy-oh-boy Léoville Las Cases and Ducru Beaucaillou were both amazing – clearly better than in 2014.

Then again, some of the other wines seemed to be not all that much better than in 2014, a vintage that was also excellent for this appellation. For some estates, 2015 is getting more hype than the qualitative difference suggests, so savvy #winelovers should be wary of some of the 2015 pricing… Anyway, I enjoyed these barrel samples. As usual, in bold I liked in particular, when bold and red, even more. And when underlined, too, a kind of nirvana. Read More

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Pomerol panache!

Posted on May 1, 2016

Seduction or power from Pomerol #bdx15 barrel samples: you pays your money, you takes your choice

By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com

1 May 2016

Readers take note: Revised note for La Cabanne based on new sample

The appellation as a whole is successful in 2015. Indeed, many writers have propelled Pomerol to the top of the vintage pedestal. It’s in that vicinity at least, with plenty of superb samples, from moderately-priced estates (for Pomerol, that is) to the most famous. And that’s saying a lot for the smallest of Bordeaux’s major fine wine regions, spanning only three kilometers wide by 4 kilometers long.

But I found something rather interesting about this vintage. First off, alcohol levels were quite high for many Pomerols, as were the tannins. The best estates balanced everything very well. But readers who prefer freshness and elegance should know that Pomerol is not as homogenous as some say, at least in terms of style. Indeed, I found generally speaking two distinct styles. On the one hand, I found barrel samples that indeed harkened back to a combination of the 1985 and 2005 “5” vintages, as mentioned in my introduction to the 2015 barrel samples. On the other hand, very high tannins and alcohol levels encountered especially in many estates of Jean Pierre Moueix reminded me, too, of a modern version of 1975. Christian Moueix said that IPT levels reached 90 for some and alcohol up to about 14.5%. Many came across as “serious” samples, stressing power over sensuality. My most enthusiastic reactions in Pomerol are thus elicited by barrel samples stressing both seductive and bright tones, and underlying structure. Read More

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Mad about Margaux #Bdx15

Posted on April 30, 2016

The best Médoc appellation in 2015

By Panos Kakaviatos for wine-chronicles.com

30 April 2016

With 21 cru classés châteaux – more than any other commune in Bordeaux, and ranging from first to fifth growth – Margaux is the most sprawling of the famous Médoc appellations, and is usually the most heterogeneous in quality because it is so big, some 3,677 acres, about 8.5% of all the Médoc, and variable.

Smaller Saint Julien typically gets the award for consistency in most barrel tasting seasons, but in 2015 Margaux wins the consistency prize in the Médoc, in spite of its large size. A general increase in quality over the past few years among many Margaux producers combined with the particularly favorable vintage conditions here are two reasons for this success.

As explained in my introduction to the barrel tastings, with only about 30mm of rainfall in September, it was the driest part of the Médoc, which helped make the tannins particularly smooth, from fine cru bourgeois level wines to the very top: Château Margaux is easily a top five 2015 barrel sample.

2015 is also generally – and clearly – better than 2014, which was merely solid last year for Margaux. With expected price hikes, smart buyers should seek mid-range priced estates, as almost all Margaux was wonderful. Although not all cru bourgeois samples I tried were successful, I found gems from the Alliance of Cru Bourgeois tasting, which will be excellent off-the-shelf buys in a couple of years. Read More

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