Archive Releases
1 June 2010
This morning sees a charge from the Right-Bank with a host of Châteaux releasing their wine. However, and before I announce the releases, I thought it a good time to offer some cautionary advice regarding a number of Right-Banks (and some of the Left-Bank) wines and their respective scores from the leading American critics.
How I can put this without causing offence or a lawsuit? Let's just say that one man's love of "enormous power" and "concentration" is another man's description of "over-extraction". My advice is not to rely too heavily on just Parker or Suckling scores. Instead, please take a look at some British critics scores (Neal Martin & Jancis Robinson for example) therefore, ensuring some balance to each wine and minimising any chance of a disappointed British palate!
Château La Couspaude @ £400.00 IB per case. Robert Parker awards 90-92, James Suckling 91-94 who describes the 09 as "Blackberry and blueberry, with Indian spices. Full-bodied, with vanilla and berry fruit. Long and beautiful. Juicy and gorgeous" However, Jancis awards 16.0 and describes the same wine as "Very dark crimson. Floral, intense ripe black fruits but just a little dead. The finish is pretty drying. Tarry. As though the juice had been sucked out. Lacks a bit of life. A rather uncomfortable drink" Moreover, the price is a shocker and quite honestly an insult to us all...
Château Berliquet (The same team as Larcis-Ducasse) is available @ £220.00 IB per case and receives a whopping score of 93-96 from Suckling "Offers precision and beauty, with floral, blackberry and violet aromas. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and a long, balanced finish. Caressing and loving. Then hits you". Parker awards a mere 87-89!
Château L'Arrosée which nestles on the slope below Chateau Ausone is available @ £330.00 IB per case or £315.00 if 2 or more cases are purchased. Parker awards 92-94 and describes L'Arrosée as "This outstanding l'Arrosee is consistent with the Burgundian style that this terroir routinely produces. Never massive, at its best it offers intense flavors of kirsch, raspberry, crushed rock, and spice box. The full-bodied flavors are ethereal in their delicacy. Full, but stylish, precise, intense, and never heavy, this beauty can be drunk early or cellared for two decades or more"
Château Faugeres is available @ £260.00 IB per case and their Cuvee Speciale, Châteaux Faugeres Cuvee Peby is offered @ £710.00 IB per case. Parker awards 93-96 "Pushed to the limit of extraction and richness, the fruit for the 2009 Faugeres Cuvee Speciale Peby (100% Merlot cropped at 18 hectoliters per hectare) was harvested especially late, with the last grapes coming in during the third week of October. Half of the wine is fermented traditionally in tank, and the other half is fermented in small barrels. Exceptionally full-bodied with a black/blue color, it offers up a big, sweet kiss of vanillin intermixed with blackberry liqueur, graphite, earth, and charcoal. There is massive richness, and the elevated tannins are sweet and well-integrated. Along with the wine s freshness and moderate pH, that results in a wine that clearly defines all the special and distinctive characteristics of the 2009 vintage". Suckling awards a whopping 96-99 against Jancis score of 16.5+ and Neal Martins score of 84-86 who entertainingly says "Are we in the Douro? Did I miss something? The palate is full-bodied with dense, unyielding tannins, toasty black fruit, fruitcake, apricot, a touch of vanilla extract, leading to a very alcoholic finish. Simply not the kind of wine I like to pour down my throat"
Over on the Left-Bank we are delighted to offer the very popular Haut-Médoc, Château Cantemerle @ £230.00 IB per case
Parker awards 92-94 & Neal Martin 91-93 "The Cantemerle '09 has a well defined, quite pure nose that shows more precision and essence of terroir than the Camensac sampled alongside. A very nice marriage between exuberant ripe, rounded fruit and Bordeaux austerity. The palate is medium-bodied, quite smoky and meaty on the entry, just a hint of leafiness that here lends the wine freshness and vitality. Unashamedly classic in style, but I think they pulled off a lovely, traditional Haut-Médoc here. Excellent"