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The Bordeaux 2008 Grands Crus Classés from bottle

May 2nd 2011, by

The top Chateaux in Bordeaux bottled their 2008 reds last summer, from May onwards. Since the autumn I’ve popped into all the Grands Crus Classés of the Left Bank (i.e. those in the 1855 classification) to taste them.

img_4608Given that you can only taste the First Growths and others in situ, it seems the fairest way to assess all the wines on a level playing field, even if it’s time consuming. It also gave me a chance to taste the increasingly relevant second wines, and a few other wines that are owned by the Crus Classés (such as Pibran being in the same ownership as Pichon Baron).

I also tasted the St-Emilion Premiers Grands Crus Classés  (excluding Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Belair Monange and Magdelaine) in a single sitting. Although I’ve tasted plenty of Pomerols, these tastings are incomplete so I’ve left them out (Le Pin and Clinet are very good, though…). Likewise Pessac-Léognan and other wines from St-Emilion.

Robert Parker is about to release his scores on 2008 from the bottle, in tandem with his initial 2010 scores from barrel. Here are my scores for the 2008 in bottle, alongside Parker’s original scores from barrel. Many of these wines are substantially less expensive than their 2009 and 2010 counterparts, so there are some deals to be had outside the First Growths. Further reports to follow.

Chateau Appellation Vintage GQ score in bottle RP score from barrel
Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 2008 97 98-100
Mouton Rothschild Pauillac 2008 97 94-96
Pontet-Canet Pauillac 2008 97 96-98
Ducru Beaucaillou St-Julien 2008 96 96-98
Latour Pauillac 2008 96 96-98
Leoville Las Cases St-Julien 2008 95 95-97
Haut Brion Pessac-Leognan 2008 95 95-97
Leoville Poyferre St-Julien 2008 95 92-94
Margaux Margaux 2008 95 95-97
Palmer Margaux 2008 95 95-97
Pavie-Macquin St-Emilion 2008 95 93-95
Pavie St-Emilion 2008 95 96-98
Montrose St-Estephe 2008 95 94-96
Cos d’Estournel St-Estephe 2008 94 95-97
Pichon-Longueville Baron Pauillac 2008 94 92-94
Angelus St-Emilion 2008 93 92-94
Duhart Milon Pauillac 2008 93 93-95
Forts de Latour, Les Pauillac 2008 93 91-93
Lagune, La Haut-Médoc 2008 93 92-94
Leoville Barton St-Julien 2008 93 92-94
Lynch Bages Pauillac 2008 93 91-93
Malescot St-Exupery Margaux 2008 93 91-93
Mission Haut-Brion, La Pessac-Leognan 2008 93 94-96
Pichon Lalande Pauillac 2008 93 94-96
Saint Pierre St-Julien 2008 93 92-94
Troplong Mondot St-Emilion 2008 93 95-97
Beau-Sejour Becot St-Emilion 2008 92 91-93
Beychevelle St-Julien 2008 92 88-90
Branaire-Ducru St-Julien 2008 92 91-93
Clos Fourtet St-Emilion 2008 92 92-94
Figeac St-Emilion 2008 92 not tasted
Grand-Puy-Lacoste Pauillac 2008 92 89-91
Beausejour Duffau St-Emilion 2008 91 87-89
Cantenac Brown Margaux 2008 91 90-92
Clarence de Haut-Brion Pessac-Leognan 2008 91 89-91
Clerc Milon Pauillac 2008 91 89-91
Clos du Marquis St-Julien 2008 91 90-93
Croix de Beaucaillou St-Julien 2008 91 89-91
Dauzac Margaux 2008 91 88-91
Ferriere Margaux 2008 91 not tasted
Gaffeliere, La St-Emilion 2008 91 91-93
Lagrange St-Julien 2008 91 90-92
Lascombes Margaux 2008 91 91-94
Pavillon Rouge Margaux 2008 91 not tasted
Tour Carnet, La Haut-Médoc 2008 91 90-93
Trottevielle St-Emilion 2008 91 90-93
Alter Ego de Palmer Margaux 2008 90 89-90
Armailhac Pauillac 2008 90 88-90
Belgrave Haut-Médoc 2008 90 88-90
Canon St-Emilion 2008 90 90-93
Carruades de Lafite Pauillac 2008 90 91-93
Chapelle de la Mission, La Pessac-Leognan 2008 90 87-88
Dame de Malescot Margaux 2008 90 not tasted
Giscours Margaux 2008 90 88-90
Gruaud Larose St-Julien 2008 90 89-91
Haut Bages Liberal Pauillac 2008 90 not tasted
Hauts de Pontet Canet Pauillac 2008 90 not tasted
Langoa Barton St-Julien 2008 90 88-90
Marquis de Terme Margaux 2008 90 85-87
Moulin Riche St-Julien 2008 90 not tasted
Pibran Pauillac 2008 90 NA
Pouget Margaux 2008 90 not tasted
Rauzan-Segla Margaux 2008 90 91-93
Talbot St-Julien 2008 90 89-91
Reserve de la Comtesse Pauillac 2008 90 not tasted
Batailley Pauillac 2008 89 90-92
Boyd Cantenac Margaux 2008 89 not tasted
Brane-Cantenac Margaux 2008 89 90-93
Cantemerle Haut-Médoc 2008 89 89-91
Cos Labory St-Estephe 2008 89 84-86
Dame de Montrose, La St-Estephe 2008 89 89-90
Gloria St-Julien 2008 89 not tasted
Grand Puy Ducasse Pauillac 2008 89 88-90
Haut Batailley Pauillac 2008 89 88-90
Issan Margaux 2008 89 91-93
Kirwan Margaux 2008 89 88-90
Petit Lion St-Julien 2008 89 not tasted
Potensac Medoc 2008 89 90-92
Tourelles de Longueville Pauillac 2008 89 not tasted
Potensac Medoc 2008 89 90-92
Echo de Lynch Bages Pauillac 2008 88 not tasted
Lafon-Rochet St-Estephe 2008 88 87-89
Lalande Borie St-Julien 2008 88 88-90
Rauzan Gassies Margaux 2008 88 88-90
Labegorce Zede Margaux 2008 88 not tasted
Fiefs de Lagrange St-Julien 2008 88 not tasted
Baron de Brane Margaux 2008 87 not tasted
Chasse-Spleen Moulis 2008 87 85-87
Desmirail Margaux 2008 87 NA
Durfort-Vivens Margaux 2008 87 not tasted
Lacoste Borie Pauillac 2008 87 not tasted
Lynch Moussas Pauillac 2008 87 88-89
Marquis d’Alesme Becker Margaux 2008 87 not tasted
Pedesclaux Pauillac 2008 87 not tasted
Prieure Lichine Margaux 2008 87 not tasted
Segla Margaux 2008 87 not tasted
Brio de Cantenac Brown Margaux 2008 87 not tasted
Moulin de la Lagune Margaux 2008 87 not tasted
Charmes de Kirwan Margaux 2008 87 not tasted
Pavillon de Poyferre St-Julien 2008 87 not tasted
Amiral de Beychevelle St-Julien 2008 87 not tasted
Meyney St-Estephe 2008 87 not tasted
Gurgue, La Margaux 2008 87 not tasted
Sirene de Giscours Margaux 2008 86 not tasted
Chevalier de Lascombes Margaux 2008 86 not tasted
Camensac Haut-Médoc 2008 85 79-81
Tertre, du Margaux 2008 85 83-85
Croizet Bages Pauillac 2008 85 84-87
Connetable de Talbot St-Julien 2008 84 not tasted

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