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Bordeaux 2010 Part Three: The Verdict

May 5th 2011, by Gavin

I wrote this piece for Livex, “the insiders’ guide to the global fine wine market”, and was published on 3rd May.

Having previously reported on the wines and weather of Bordeaux 2010, my latest contribution covers this year’s en primeur tastings.

There was something different in the air this year, and it wasn’t just the constant tweeting of what the stuff tasted like.

En primeur attendances were higher than ever at the top estates, according to Paul Pontallier of Château Margaux (right).  Much in evidence there, and at all the Firsts, were the Chinese translations of the brochures, to add to the long-standing piles of English and French versions. Based on visits to the leading properties the week after the UGCs, these were still being snapped up by Bordeaux’s new best friends.

Perhaps that’s what’s changed. Opinions about many of the great wines no longer matter. For the top Châteaux, even huge Parker points or double asterisks won’t be required to sell the iconic brands and for most of us, some of the tastings were academic.

Remember the 2008 First Growths, two years ago? Alain Vauthier, owner of Ausone, insisted to me then that ‘le marché est mort’, while Hervé Berland, the Director at Mouton Rothschild, told me last month that the average price of Mouton 2008 en primeur, ex-château, was less than €115 (and that they sell 80% en primeur). The average for the 2009, just a year later, was €500. Were we expecting that and other such increases from the leading brands when we tasted the lovely ’09s last April? I don’t think so. Meanwhile, as we all tasted this time around, there was an air of inevitability as to what’s going to happen next.

A pity, because the First Growths made belters this year, with all four Médoc Firsts coming close to perfection. What is unusual is the varying levels of alcohol between these four Cabernet Sauvignon dominated wines: Lafite and Margaux at 13.5%, Mouton at 14% and Latour at 14.5%. Note that Cabernet Sauvignon comes in at lower potential alcohol than Merlot, so it’s no wonder that second and third wines for many estates, with higher percentages of Merlot, pack quite a punch. Chateau Margaux is typical in this respect (13.5%, 14% and 14.5%). Refreshing acidity – much touted by all the châteaux – provides the balance.

St-Julien and Pauillac: strong performances

Moving on, St-Julien and Pauillac were incredibly strong across the board. The Cabernet Sauvignons of the top appellations of the Médoc – for me, the best that Bordeaux has to offer in 2010 in any volume – are ‘über-classic’. The Bordelais prefer to use words like elegance, balance and freshness but I’m not sure that these words adequately convey the feeling of power that these wines have. And be prepared to be patient.

The two great spots of Pauillac and St-Julien have their fair share of ‘Parker hopefuls’ – those estates looking for an outstanding good score to maintain or improve their standing amongst their peers. Their current standing, that is, not the 1855 one.

If the prices are not pushed too far, these great 2010s will sell very easily. Pichon Longueville Baron (with arguably their best wine to date), Léoville Las Cases and Léoville Poyferré just edged it for me amongst the Super Seconds, with Pontet Canet once again right up there.

And who wouldn’t want a cellar full of St-Juliens like Gruaud Larose, St-Pierre and Langoa Barton, the latter with much less Merlot than usual. A lot of Merlot on both banks – especially on older vines – suffered from coulure and millerandage, or ‘shatter’ and poor fruit set. This reduced the crop, as did the small berry size of all the grapes. But what the Merlot lacked in quantity (and sometimes quality), the Cabernet Sauvignon made up for in quality. We can pray that it doesn’t come at too high a price.

Rest of the Left

St-Estephe has to be viewed on a case-by-case basis. I might have caught Cos on a slightly off day, while Calon Ségur showed a lovely wine, despite losing some of the crop to a localized hail storm in May: almost half the number of bottles from 2009 there. Nearby, Montrose, with 20 additional hectares bought from Phélan Segur, was untouched: 50% more bottles of the (brilliant) Grand Vin in 2010. Will it be cheaper than the 100 pointer in waiting, the 2009?

The appellation of Margaux, beyond the very top wines, is a source of values for drinking: 20 Châteaux produced 90+ point wines in my book. Issan is right back on form after hail struck in 2008 and 2009, and I’m looking for value from the likes of du Tertre, Ferriere and Labégorce – the latter two not being RP favourites.

Nearby, there are some values from Moulis, Listrac and the southern end of the Haut-Médoc. The Haut-Médoc and the Médoc to the north of St-Estephe produced some very good wines – Potensac springs to mind – in a different style. However, I don’t think it’s a case of fill yer boots with any old Cru Bourgeois. Amongst the winners, as Neal Martin, right, and I discovered, there are rather too many wines with a lack of ripeness and fairly coarse tannins.

South of Bordeaux, the evenly mixed Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blends of Pessac-Léognan will provide sumptuous drinking. While the top Châteaux – Haut-Brion, La Mission, Haut Bailly and Smith Haut Lafitte made glorious wines, prices haven’t caught up yet for estates on the up like de Fieuzal and Haut-Bergey.

It’s a super vintage for the dry whites of Pessac-Léognan and the Graves, and I’m probably alone in preferring 2010 Sauternes and Barsac to 2009, with the possible exception of Yquem. But that’s another story.

On the Right Bank

It may be small but all eyes are usually on Pomerol. That little bit of rain at key moments in September really helped these precocious vineyards, which once again turned in some wonderful wines. Jacques Thienpont prefers 2010 Le Pin to his 2009 (like his brilliant 2001 to 2000) but I wouldn’t say that this was true across the board here.

Mixed flowering in the Merlot, hydric stress and small berries certainly had an impact on the character of the wines, as well as the yields (just 31hl/ha at L’Evangile, compared to 38hl/ha average). Pétrus (pictured in the glass, left), L’Evangile, L’Eglise Clinet, VCC, Clinet, Hosanna – no surprises, just not enough wine.

I tasted scores of St-Emilions and scored many of them very highly. But it was tough going, with many having rigorous tannic frames and a sense that the drought conditions contributed to the dryness of the wines. In some cases, I don’t think it was down to over-extraction in the winery, as is so often mentioned, as much as unintentional over-extraction in the vineyard. Did some of the green harvesting turn out to be the right call? Still, plenty of super values to be had for those who choose well, with numerous 90+ pointers.

Choose carefully: St-Emilion’s a big appellation but not one for the faint hearted, with many super-concentrated wines topping 15.5% alc. At the top level, Clos Fourtet, Pavie Macquin and Beauséjour Duffau impressed again (at the St-Emilion Premiers Grands Crus tasting, with Stephen Brook, left). The Cabernet Franc excelled, not least at Cheval Blanc and Ausone, of course.

Look out for many delicious wines from Fronsac and the Côtes, and the so-called lesser appellations. Those properties with clay over limestone, which provided just enough moisture, performed admirably, with balanced, attractive wines. More so if they weren’t overly ambitious.

Bring on the campaign. And if you want to pick up a relative bargain sooner, take a look at some 2008s, right now.

Here are my top 150 Bordeaux 2010s, which I rated a minimum 90 points (outstanding), with the prices for each chateau’s 2009 when offered En Primeur last summer, as a guide.

3 comments

• Stuart Tarrant replied:

  “Mixed flowering” and “Hydric stress’” – what a wonderful lexicon you have to play with! Thanks for insight Gavin, there may be just a few almost affordable gems in there.

  May 28th, 2011 at 10:50 am. Permalink.

• Ninad Shah replied:

  Hello,

  I am from India.

  Firstly I am novice in terms of wine vintage understanding

  However very interested and intregiued by the 2010 discussion going on.

  I have an oppurtunity here from the Wine society of India to purchase 12 bottles of Bordeaux 2010.It would cost me 1100 euros for 12 bottles.

  It still a little fortune for me to invest this money but wanted your expert opinion on the same if you could spare a bit of time.

  The 12 bottles offered are below, if you could guide if it is a good investment.

  1)Chateau Haut bages Liberal Pauillac
  2) Caronne Sainte Gemme Haut Mrdoc
  3) Chateau La Pointe Pomerol
  4) Labegorec Margaux
  5)Loudenne Medoc
  6)Siaurac lalande de Pomerol
  7)Lilian Ladousy Saint Estephe
  Olivier Pessao Leognan
  9)Fonroque saint EmilionChateau Gloria Saint Julien
  10)Chateau De La Dauphine Canon Fronsac
  11)Doisy Vedrines Barsac

  Look forward to your guidance.

  Regards,

  Ninad.

  August 25th, 2011 at 10:52 am. Permalink.

• Gavin replied:

  Hi Ninad

  If you’re saying that these 12 bottles have been offered to you at 1100 euros, this is a terrible investment. They are nice wines from ‘lesser’ estates mostly but the value of the case is no more than 300 euros before tax. Wines in mixed cases have less value as an investment, unless it’s a special selection from a top Chateau. I imagine that the high taxes in your country have been included – but fine wine as an investment should be bought ‘in bond’ – probably overseas? You’d be better off buying from a UK merchant and keeping the wine in Bond. See my post on UK Wine Merchants under Bordeaux 2009. http://blog.bauduc.com/2010/05/27/bordeaux-2009-en-primeur-uk-merchants-premier-league/ Good luck and let me know if I can help more.

  August 26th, 2011 at 5:46 am. Permalink.

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