20/10/2009 Annual Grand Crus de Bordeaux (2007), London Opera House

Chateau de Chantegrive white 2007 (Graves)
Straw yellow colour, pronounced nose, ripe fruit with a certain honey, pear, lemon grass, gooseberry note. Fairly rich and dense from the beginning. Dry, good acidity, medium weight but it does have a fine grip, stone fruit and very attractive.

Chateau Ferrande white 2007 (Graves)
Lemon green colour, the nose slightly mute, hint of herbaceous character coming through. Dry quite a good grip yet leaner in structure as the Chantegrive, youthful you can tell, lemon fruit with a soft herbal attack.

Chateau Rahoul 2007 white (Graves)
Slightly closed nose, some lemon zest in the background. Dry some oak notes, possibly new yet round and broad. Quite an oaky finish, pear, quince yet crisp all the way.

Chateau Bouscaut 2007 white (Pessac Leognan)
Shredded coconut and a hint of lees and a touch of oat character on the nose. Dry, lemon fruit and a silky herbaceous character, peppermint, crisp yet good density and a long finish. Nice one.

Chateau Carbonnieux 2007 white (Pessac Leognan)
Lemon green colour, lemon fruit on the nose gentle yet well pronounced at the same time. Dry, soft juicy fruit, lemon and lime with a ripe apple in the middle and a tickle of herbs too. Good finish, persistent.

Domaine De Chevalier 2007 white (Pessac Leognan)
Pale lemon green colour. The fist hit on the nose is a definitive ripe fruit attitude with mango, pineapple as a not so distant second. Lean structure yet a very good tropical impression on the nose. Dry, very good acidity, juicy stone fruit on the palate, lime with tropicalness, round and a very long finish. Good indeed.

Chateau de Fieuzal 2007 white (Pessac Leognan)
Bold start, fruit and fruit again. Ripe, the inner flesh of the fruit, peach, nectarine, dense. Dry, crisp, stone fruit – full side lemon and stone fruit combination with a warm breeze of tropical notes, round and balanced, good finish.

Chateau de France 2007 white (Pessac Leognan)
Lemon green colour, fresh nose, some tropical fruit, and lush picture. Elegant, dry crisp lemon fruit with a juicy stone fruit and finishing off herbal character.

Chateau Balestard la Tonnelle 2007 Saint – Emilion
Ruby colour, soft red fruit very youngish on the nose. Thierry was explaining me rather something interesting. They harvested the Merlot on the 26th October, later then Cabernet Sauvignon. Somehow strange I would say, as Cabernet is a later ripening variety and suppose to come way after the Merlot is already picked. Looking at the analysis and, phenolic ripeness, there was an exception made to the rule. Bold round young fruit, black fruit cassis, blueberry, 50% new oak, and 50% 1 year old. Smooth finish.

Chateau Cap de Morulin 2007 Saint – Emilion
Sister Chateau to the la Tonelle, both Grand Cru Classé. I tried to get a bit of information out of Thierry regarding the Saint Emilion classification in regard of the recent development and changes, court cases, etc. He was very diplomatic and said, it’s important to be classified, to have strict rules, make the good work happen. The 1996 classification is the one which they use now. 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc rest Cabernet Sauvignon. Different wine then the above one. Darker and denser fruit, with a crisp menthol and touch of strawberry on the palate, good drive, young.

Chateau Canon 2007 Saint – Emilion
Ruby colour, good density, full and bold black fruit, bramble and black cherry. Massive on the palate very good impact.

Chateau Canon-la-Gaffeliere 2007 Saint – Emilion
Estate in Bordeaux which belongs to Count von Neipperg, from Württemberg. Always a pleasure to taste his wines on both sides. Ruby colour, bold red fruit attack from the beginning, cranberry, and strawberry. Hardy on the palate, red and black fruit combination very dense, light smoky hint of menthol. Good finish, dense and a robust wine yet with finesse and elegance.

Chateau Figeac 2007 Saint – Emilion
Leafy, cedar notes with some meaty and cured aroma on the nose. Full of fruit beside this. Dense character, quite full, plenty of weight yet juicy as well, good splash of oak. Dense and balanced finish.

Chateau Franc Mayne 2007 Saint – Emilion
Deep colour lovely full nose, good concentration, meaty yet lovely oak notes, and full side. Dense, lovely fruit, 40% new oak, the rest 1 year old. Great balance and a very rich wine. Hervé Laviale from Chateau Franc Mayne was explaining me the different sites in the vineyard, bottom, slope and the plateau – later are harvested at the latest. It is very important further on he explained to maintain cleanness throughout the winery. Slower maturation (14-18 months on oak) and the MLF could encourage if not taken care brett. Cleaning of the oak barrels happens with hot water, against bacterial infection.

Chateau Grand Mayne 2007 Saint – Emilion
Ripe bold fruit, juicy full with plenty of vibrant fruit on the palate. Lush and dense, very ripe fruit, good finish.

Chateau La Gaffeliere 2007 Saint – Emilion
Bright red fruit with some cassis, hint of spice rather elegant. Vintage was good but it could have been better as I was told. New plantings will soon have fruit and in a few years might even make it into the new wines. 80% Merlot, the rest 10-10% Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc. Smooth and soft finish.

Chateau Larcis Ducasse 2007 Saint – Emilion
Ripe fruit fullish, juicy, red and black fruit, very expressive on the nose. Good tannins, soft and smooth, bold and full, soft finish and lingering long finish.

Chateau Larmande 2007 Saint – Emilion
Impressive full nose, very pronounced indeed, ripe fruit hint of meat and smokiness, underlined with spice. Full, juicy and ripe fruit. Consistent, bold, fine and elegant attack of fruit, good drive.

Chateau Pavie-Macquin 2007 Saint – Emilion
Juicy fruit, round with some meaty character. Hardy on the palate, black fruit, bramble, cassis character. Fairly powerful wine.

Chateau Trottevieille 2007 Saint – Emilion
Spicy and pencil shavings, plum and herbaceous character on the nose. Robust dense wine, full side on the tannins, great structure. 62% Cabernet Franc (as the nose promises it), 35% Merlot. Similar soil as to Ch. Ausone, 30cm clay on limestone.

Chateau Beauregard 2007 Pomerol
The Chateaux property on the satellite appellation Lalande is organic, this will probably soon becomes one as well. Spraying with Bordeaux mixture only, happens between May and June on a weekly basis, low amounts. Cool soft Franc (30%) nose, lovely spice with the coolness comes the soft fruit too. Gravel and clay soil, great freshness in the wine. 35 hl/ha. 3 days pre maceration around 12-13 °C, the temperature then is adjusted to 25°C to gain more fruit, if higher tannin will be more present and loose of fruit could happen.

Chateau Clinet 2007 Pomerol
The sister estate of Pajzos in Tokaj. Ronan Laborde the young dynamic CEO looks after both properties. Ripe fruit, bold and powerful, dense yet elegant. Gorgeous structure on the palate, high drive, fabulous. Ripe fruit, juicy and dense at the same time. Great oak use, long finish.

Chateau Gazin 2007 Pomerol
Meaty spicy, full expression, a tickle of herbaceousness too. Lovely perfume, soft fruit set, dense and good tannins, quite a bit to it on the finish.

Chateau La Cabanne 2007 Pomerol
Bold ripe fruit, combo of spice hint of herbs. Very good seasoning indeed. Chunky on the palate, good grip, full on all side and by all means, hint of tobacco and cedar notes on the finish.

Chateau La Pointe 2007 Pomerol
I had a good talk about brett with Eric the General Managing Director of the Chateaux.
It is important as he said, before fermentation no “bad” yeast is around, and after alcoholic fermentation when the MLF (acidity lowers, tartaric and hot bed for brett too) kicks off no sugar is left, later to keep the right SO2 levels up. Cleaning of the wood barrels happens with hot water, they do not use it more then 2 years. Not will have the barrel certain implication when it comes to add complexity to the wine, but also the aid of microoxygniation. After more then 2 years with the same barrels micro oxygenation would possibly be harder to happen.
Quite a jammy lovely comfiture a basket of marmalade on the nose, ripe fruit. Dense and good oak drive. 80% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Franc. 100% MLF, very elegant and silky finish, fantastic Pomerol.

Chateau Petit Village 2007 Pomerol
Bold fruit and good nose, dense fruit, lovely concentration with some herbs and red fruit – complex. Black fruit and tobacco notes on the palate with a touch of coffee, gets slightly lighter on the finish.

Chateau Fourcas Dupré 2007 Listrac-Médoc
Crisp cassis and black fruit on the nose, clean yet a tick of green herbs. We’re in Cabernet land. Chunky, good acidity, fullish notes with grip, young and lean fruit.

Chateau Fourcas Hosten 2007 Listrac-Médoc
Smoky, meaty black fruit rich on the nose smoked and cured notes. Ripe fruit, juicy good concentration with an herbal drive and black fruit yet elegant but rustic in a way too.

Chateau Chasse-Spleen 2007 Moulis-en-Médoc
Pencil shaving, herbal light green tune on the nose. Good ripe fruit on the palate, hint of smoky cedar, leafy notes, medium finish.

Chateau Maucaillou 2007 Moulis-en-Médoc
Chunky, crunchy red and black fruit. Slight herbaceous character. Good acidity, concentration and ripe black fruit, hard finish due to the tannins, full.

Chateau Cantermerle 2007 Haut-Médoc
Perfumed, bold black fruit on the nose. Herbal and menthol character at the same time, cassis-eucalyptus notes. Ripe and juicy fruit, quite full bodied with plenty of red fruit. Round indeed, good base, full.

Chateau Citran 2007 Haut-Médoc
Ripe fruit, fairly full on the nose but also firm. Dense fruit on the palate, lovely ripe character, balanced, great fruit composition, blackberry, plum, fine grained tannins, certainly long, good indeed.

Chateau Coufran 2007 Haut-Médoc
Fresh yet good density on the nose, chunky on the palate, quite full and bold. Cedar tune, tobacco, coffee, rich fruit and soft but heavy tannins. Full side. 85% Merlot, historical plantings, 32 hl/ha, 9000 vines/ha.

Chateau La Lagune 2007 Haut-Médoc
60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 15% Petit Verdot
Bright ripe nose, finesse and elegant. It does have a feminine character, floral perfume notes. Lovely drive on the palate quite a juicy black fruit, bramble plum hint of anise on the finish.

Chateau Greysac 2007 Médoc
Paprika, meaty, capsicum on the nose, soft vegetal touch to it. Perfume and floral notes on the nose, in combination with red fruit, raspberry, strawberry. Nice indeed, dense and ripe structure on the mid palate, lovely density. Full side, good tannins, fresh acidity on the finish.

Chateau Cantenac Brown 2007 Margaux
Cabernet Sauvignon very recognizable in action. Straight, peppery, capsicum on the nose. Dense fruit, chunky black fruit with an herbaceous tickle.

Chateau d´Angludet 2007 Margaux
Perfume, elegant Cabernet fruit. Full tannins, yet some fragrant notes come into play. Robust wine yet if finishes with a medium weight.

Chateau Dauzac 2007 Margaux
Fragrant, floral notes, very elegant on the nose. Bright, savoury notes with fruit, clean, good tannin and acidity, harmony in the wines. Balanced. Chunky and vibrant fruit finish.

Chateau Durfort-Vivens 2007 Margaux
Perfume on the nose, bright floral, red fruit, and elegant nose. Sweet ripe fruit, lush picture. Dense structure, fine tuned strawberry, plum, full tannins, yet elegant finish.

Chateau Giscours 2007 Margaux
Peppery and very expressive on the nose. Bell pepper, paprika, capsicum in combination of ripe fruit. Juicy, good weight, fairly powerful on the finish, classic wine.

Chateau Kirwan 2007 Margaux
Bright vegetal, perfume and red fruit on the nose. Quite complex from the start. Dense, good character, red fruit pop – acidity and tannins very finely tuned, balanced and elegant. Full of black fruit on the finish, great finish.

Chateau Monbrison 2007 Margaux
Crisp lovely and elegant red fruit on the nose. Dense and juicy, good drive full of black fruit and ripe indeed.

Chateau Prieuré-Lichine 2007 Margaux
Slightly closed nose, bright and juicy palate, and full of tobacco and fruit notes yet very refreshing too.

Chateau Rauzan Gassies 2007 Margaux
Spicy elegant nose, bold yet fragrant red fruit. Lovely crisp acidity on the palate, chunky fruit finish, smooth and elegant.

Chateau Rauzan Ségla 2007 Margaux
Ripe and pronounced fruit on the nose, firm from the start. High tunes overall, dense and deep fruit good attitude, soft tannins, very good wine.

Chateau Siran 2007 Margaux
Assemblage in December. Fermentation finished 15th, MLF. Soft and elegant nose, hint of peppery and red fruit. Bright strawberry, feminine. Good density on the palate, fragrant yet some kick.

Chateau Beychevelle 2007 Saint-Julien
Bright, sweet red fruit, ripe nose. Juicy, red fruit, bright and good drive with medium acidity yet a good deep finish.

Chateau Branaire Ducru 2007 Saint-Julien
Bright red fruit, with a chocolate, tobacco character. Good acidity, balanced, red fruit, plum, bramble, soft spice on the finish.

Chateau Lagrange 2007 Saint-Julien
Elegant and silky on the nose, menthol, cool nose. Soft, yet full on the fruit side. Good acidity, ripe fruit, silky and smooth with plenty of weight to it.

Chateau Langoa Barton 2007 Saint-Julien
Juicy, lovely ripe and expressive fruit. Pronounced indeed. Dense fruit, rich good concentration with a good bite of tannins to it. Fabulous weight, good structure and finish.

Chateau Talbot 2007 Saint-Julien
Soft bright red fruit with herbs on the nose. Hint of pepper and eucalyptus. Full black fruit, cassis and weight very gentle yet shows authority in the wine. Good indeed.

Chateau Cos Labory 2007 Saint-Estéphe
Hint of spicy, peppery picture on the nose, yet in combination with bright red fruit. Big tannin structure, juicy red fruit, good approach, clean long finish.

Chateau Ormes de Pez 2007 Saint-Estéphe
Capsicum, eucalyptus notes. Dense structure, lovely perfume with chunky red fruit. Soft and good approach. Nice indeed.

Chateau Phélan Ségur 2007 Saint-Estéphe
Bright, juicy red fruit on the nose. Plenty of eucalyptus notes and depth to it. Dense on the palate once again, fine structure.

Chateau Batailley 2007 Pauillac
Chunky peppery, cassis, deep dark fruit, capsicum, full Cabernet world. 70%, crunching its way through. Dense, lovely ripe fruit and massive grip, lush fruit character, plenty of weight.

Chateau Clerc Milon 2007 Pauillac
Dense fruit with a sparkle, sweet ripe fruit, great density. Lovely soft rush of black fruit. Young, but consistent, high volume on all sides. Great.

Chateau Croizet-Bages 2007 Pauillac
Deep and dense, lot of volume on the nose. Superb density, savoury, fullish fruit, good dense tannins, lush and yet plenty of grip.

Chateau d´Armailhac 2007 Pauillac
Peppery, full nose, crunchy eucalyptus notes. Dense and full on with power and finesse on the palate firm finish.

Chateau Lynch-Bages 2007 Pauillac
Bold black fruit and full, dense structure very ripe indeed. Quite rich and full on the palate. Stunning concentration, good structure, and balanced, full, ripe finish.

Chateau Pichon-Longueville 2007 Pauillac
Full dense and volume on the nose. Deep, dense structure, tobacco, black fruit. Concentration, plenty. Bright, sunny and dense wine. Fabulous tannins, superb volume till the finish.

Chateau Pontet-Canet 2007 Pauillac
Dense and full rich with an herbal and fruit character. Good weight on the palate, juicy, plenty of depth to the wine, black fruit ripe and great concentration of tannins too.

Chateau Broustet 2007 Sauternes

Slightly closed nose, good sweetness soft and mellow on the palate. Combination of lemon peel, citrus, maracuya, guava, fairly full bodied.

Chateau Bastor-Lamontagne 2007 Sauternes

Pale straw yellow colour, lift soft nose yet with a dense attitude. Rose and citrus blossom hint of ripe tropical fruit. Sweet, good structure, light and elegant on the finish.

Chateau Climens 2007 Barsac

Rich from the beginning, orange peel, fabulous structure, rich botrytis notes, pear, tropical and passion fruit. Elegant yet firm on the palate with plenty of citrus fruit and rich tropical fruit character.

Chateau Coutet 2007 Barsac

Power full wine, dense with a good grip, lemon fruit, orange peel quince and ripe pear. Good botrytis, full and rich finish.

Chateau de Fargues 2007 Sauternes

Golden colour, rich, rich and rich right from the beginning. Tropical fruit, lychee, mango, passion fruit. Great sweetness and silky at the same time, good concentration, 135 g/l RS and 4 g/l TA, firm on the finish.

Chateau de Rayne Vigneau 2007 Sauternes

Orange peel and ripe stone fruit on the nose. Slightly oily character on the palate with a soft sweetness. Pineapple and mango on the finish.

Chateau Doisy Daene 2007 Barsac

Golden colour, fresh on the nose. Quite a ripe combination of pear, good botrytis notes. Fine balance, it does seems to be fresh and with good weight at the same time. The fermentation finished in November, adjusted yeast culture to maintain high sugar levels and have no volatile acidity (VA). 120 g/l residual sugar (RS), and acidity: 4,5g/l. “Ultra Barsac”.

Chateau Doisy-Vedrines 2007 Barsac

Golden colour, lovely bright nose, full of botrytis notes, mango, passion fruit. Elegant sweetness with a full on lush tropical, lemon character. Good finish.

Chateau Guiraud 2007 Sauternes

Golden colour, ripe, bright nose stone and tropical fruit. Medium acidity, soft juicy tropical fruit, quince, mango and ripe melon. Full bodied wine finishes with a rich and dense structure.

Chateau La Tour Blanche 2007 Sauternes

Golden colour, slightly mute on the nose. Juicy lemon fruit with a zip to it. Fullish, however. Bold fruit, sweet, quite high in alcohol and medium in acidity, the initial sweetness kicks off hard, good mid palate but is shortens towards the end.

Chateau Nairac 2007 Sauternes

Botrytis full on notes on the nose. Hint of perfume and rich tropical fruit. Slightly oily start to it with a medium acidity, but very clean botrytis, bright and vibrant fruit. Touch of honey and ripe apple on the finish. 147 g/l Residual sugar, 3,5pH, TA: 4,4 g/l.

Chateau Siglas Rabaud 2007 Sauternes

Ripe, pronounced nose, toffee, caramel tropical fruit, clean yet a lighter style on the botrytis. Medium acidity, rich and full on the sweet side, quite a bit to it on the finish, after leaving the mid palate. Ends with a lemon zip towards the end.

Chateau Suduiraut 2007 Sauternes

Bright, tropical and lush botrytis. Medium acidity, good sweetness yet soft as well. Good drive on the palate, rather nice slightly smoky finish.

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