Barolo: A Focus on Drinkability!

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A huge tasting of Barolo, Barbaresco, and Nebbiolo from the Langhe in New York represented almost 200 producers¾probably close to half the total number of producers in Barolo and Barbaresco. The focus was on recent vintages, most often 2020 (in many cases about to be released in the U.S.), with some 2019s and 2018s, and even a few 2021s. The great surprise was how approachable the wines are: there are not so many that are actually ready, but there are few that won’t be ready within the next year or so.

This could scarcely be more of a contrast with the traditional view of Barolo and Barbaresco, that the wines need at least a decade before you even begin to think about opening them. To be sure, earlier maturation is a world wide trend, but perhaps because Nebbiolo has never been focused on fruits that in principle could come to the fore to hide the tannic structure, the increase in approachability is an even greater contrast with tradition than it is, say, in Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Increased ripeness and management of tannins has narrowed the gap between Barolo and Barbaresco. Indeed, ‘fruity’ appears in my notes for wines from both appellations, something that I don’t believe has ever happened before for either Barolo or Barbaresco. Evidence of fruit may be a touch more common in Barbaresco, but the result of this lightening of style is that the difference between Barolo and Barbaresco has narrowed, to the point at which they would be difficult to distinguish in a blind tasting.

2018 is the classic lighter vintage from Barolo, very tempting for consumption in restaurants, as the result of rain during the season. There were not many examples of the vintage at this tasting, but those that were presented showed well even against 2019, which is considered a more classic year. Perhaps the 2018s are showing better than expected because few single-vineyard wines were made this year, and the grapes went into the communal wines. The 2020 vintage is perhaps a touch lighter than 2019 which (perhaps because of the extra year in bottle) seems to have a little more richness at this point. From limited samples, 2021, also referred to as a classic vintage, seems a little tighter than 2020.

There does not seem to be much correlation between the new lighter style and the aging regime, that is, whether the wine ages in large botti or in barriques. Some of the wines did show a very slight sense of spice, but it would probably be over-imaginative to put this down to new oak: in fact, I would have to say that I did not taste any wines at all where I could really detect oak directly as a flavor component. If there is a trend, it is backing away from barriques with more focus on large oak.

A few wines gave a more modern impression, by which I mean a softer, fruitier impression on the palate; a few wines went in the other direction and showed an obvious sense of structure in the form of tannic dryness. But the main impression is a consensus about style in the sense of a determined effort to make the wines more approachable sooner, if not quite immediately. Aside from the few wines at each extreme, it would be an extremely astute taster who could identify aging regimes.

At the other end of the scale, I am left wondering how many wines will really have extended longevity. My average tasting note said, start in 3 years, and drink for a decade. At a comparable tasting 20 years ago, my average note would probably have said, don’t start for 10 years and then drink for at least another 10 years. On the other hand, it is almost certainly true that the wines made in the recent vintages will be enjoyable to drink overall for just as a long a period as the wines of the past , even if that period starts much sooner. The swings and roundabouts of outrageous fortune (to misquote Hamlet and mix metaphors) is the unresolved question as to whether today’s wines, at their peak, will reach the same level of complexity as those of the past.

Bordeaux 2021: A Vintage of Restaurant Wines (If the Price is Right)

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The UGCB tasting of the recently released 2021 vintage showed a relatively homogeneous character for wines with fruits on the lighter side backed by fresh acidity. That sense of freshness was relatively tart in Pessac-Léognan, noticeable as fresher than usual in the Médoc, and showing as reduced opulence in St. Emilion and Pomerol. Châteaux that have moved to an international style showed it less obviously this vintage.

Pessac-Léognan is quite consistent with mid-weight wines. They should be lovely restaurant wines as most will be ready to start within a couple of years. The trio of Smith Haut Lafitte, Pape Clément, and Domaine de Chevalier showed as having greater weight and longevity than the other reds. Whites tended to show herbaceous, sometimes even sweaty, notes of Sauvignon Blanc, but with Pape Clément smoother and fatter, and Domains de Chevalier standing out for its precision. Larrivet Haut Brion retained typicity with a nice balance between Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.  Among the lesser châteaux, Olivier showed unusually well.

Margaux is generally quite consistent, and overall seems less successful than St. Julien or Pauillac. The typical elegance of the appellation does show in most wines, although light fruits tend to allow the tannic backbone to show through. Most wines are quite fresh, you might almost say showing a sense of tartness on the finish. The impression of a cooler (and wetter) year is clearest in Pessac-Léognan, but Margaux is close behind. Among the best results, Lascombes shows more weight than most Margaux this vintage, with the usual sense of the international style subdued, Malescot St Exupéry is relatively juicy for Margaux, Marquis de Terme is round, Prieuré-Lichine shows floral impressions, Rauzan-Gassies and Rauzan-Ségla both show the typical elegance of Margaux

The best wines in St. Julien have retained a typical sense of finesse, perhaps with less precision than usual. They are fresh, but the sense of a tart finish is less evident than in Margaux. The best wines are Beychevelle, which is elegant if a little tight, Gruaud Larose, which is firm but elegant, Léoville Poyferré, showing a textured palate with the international style a little attenuated, Langoa all smooth and elegant while Léoville Barton retains its usual precision, and St. Pierre is a little deeper than Gloria.

I can’t really say why Pauillac doesn’t seem to come to life in this vintage. The wines are firm rather than plush, they have more body than St. Julien or Margaux, and less obvious acidity pressing on the finish, they will need longer to come around and have greater longevity, but somehow they don’t capture the typicity of Pauillac. Armailhac gives a nice round wine, distinctly more refined than its stablemate Clerc Milon, Lynch Bages is one of the best results, a but of a throwback in needing significant time to come around, Lynch Moussas is unusually elegant for the chateau and appellation.

St. Estèphe was barely represented this year, and as neither of the second growths, Montrose and Cos d’Estournel are ever represented at the tasting, this is always one of the more difficult appellations to get a bead on, but at the level of Cos Labory and Phélan Ségur, the wines show more the limitations of the vintage than success in overcoming it. Ormes de Pez is punching above its weight, with fine, elegant fruits (outperforming its stablemate Haut Batailley in Pauillac),

The Haut-Médoc was not able to rise above the vintage. Most of the wines are rather tight now, and it’s hard to say whether there will be enough fruit to carry the palate when the structure resolves, although the more successful wines may move in the direction of a fine elegance over four years or so. La Lagune stands out. Listrac and Moulis have produced wines that seem a touch superficial, not as concentrated as one would like. Fourcas-Dupré stands out; Château Clarke is more structured and less approachable.

Acidity is less pressing on the finish in the Right Bank wines. Pomerol generally offers a somewhat soft impression (although it is difficult to form a representative view as Moueix do not present their wines at the UGCB tasting, so most of the top cuvées are missing). The general impression in 2021 is that Pomerol is soft rather than opulent.

Lighter fruits give St. Emilion a relatively restrained impression this year, even showing real elegance. The standout for me was Valandraud, with its fine, elegant, perfumed palate–the very antithesis of a garage wine! La Dominique is punching above its weight this year.

Difficult to form a clear impression of Sauternes from this tasting, because the tasters must have had a sweet tooth, as most of the Sauternes had run out before I got to them at the end. Doisy Daëne is a success that lives up to the reputation of the vintage; Sigalas Rabaud and Rayne Vigneau seemed disappointing by comparison.

TASTING NOTES FOR 2021 VINTAGE

Pessac-Léognan Red

Château Bouscaut: A little tart: pleasant fruits: but not much weight. 88 Drink 2026-2032

Château de Fieuzal: Smoother than usual although a little tart with a hint of piquancy but showing juicy fruits and a smoky granular texture: 89 Drink 2026-2032

Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion: Smooth and elegant with smoky tannins: quite flavorful. Good result for vintage. 90 Drink 2029-2039

Château Latour-Martillac: The tart note of the vintage shows here as a little sour. Seems a bit shallow. 88 Drink 2027-2035

Château Les Carmes Haut Brion: Quite elegant fruits: a little sharp: not heavy weight. 88 Drink 2026-2032

Château Malartic Lagravière: Mid weight palate is just a little tart: with a touch of smoky tannins: nice restaurant wine. 89 Drink 2027-2034

Château Pape Clément: Smooth and elegant with smoky tannins in the background. The tartness of the year just shows but the wine should become elegant when the tannins resolve. The palate should become chocolaty with time. 91 Drink 2028-2038

Château Smith Haut Lafitte: Just a fraction lighter and more fruit forward than Domaine de Chevalier or Pape Clement. Smooth and elegant and not especially international this year. 89 Drink 2027-2037

Domaine de Chevalier: Smooth and elegant with just a touch of the tart character if the year. 90 Drink 2026-2036

Margaux

Château Angludet: Elegant with the lightness of Margaux showing: a little restrained with a touch of tannin at end. 89 Drink 2027-2035

Château Brane Cantenac: Smooth and elegant for the year. A touch smoky on light granular background. A fraction tart on the finish. 89 Drink 2027-2035

Château Cantenac Brown: Light weight palate with some tannins drying the finish: a touch fresh: but nice texture. 88 Drink 2027-2035

Château Dauzac: Nice representation of Margaux. Tannins are light but dry finish with smoky impression. A little shallow without much follow through. 88 Drink 2027-2035

Château Desmirail: Light and elegant: true to Margaux: although a little tart and slightly herbal on finish with light tannins. 88 Drink 2027-2034

Château du Tertre: Smooth: elegant: round: acidity tames better than most in Margaux this year. Elegant and dry on finish in medium weight style. Tannins just show at end. 90 Drink 2028-2038

Château Giscours: A little fuller than most Margaux: cut by that touch of tartness from the vintage. Seems a little on the rustic side for Margaux. 88 Drink 2927-2935

Château Kirwan: Light weight: showing that tart character. Tannins just show on finish. Seems a bit shallow. 88 Drink 2027-2035

Château Lascombes: This has a little more weight than most Margaux(the remnant of the international style in this vintage): with a touch of tartness. Tannins just show on finish. Needs a little time to resolve. 90 Drink 2028-2038

Château Malescot St. Exupéry: Light and fresh: but fruits behind are juicy for Margaux. Tannins show some smokiness. Has firm structure and needs a little time. 89 Drink 2028-2038

Château Prieuré Lichine: Some floral impressions to nose. Smooth and round on palate with tannic structure showing on finish. Nice weight: a good result for vintage: 90 Drink 2028-2038

Château Rauzan-Gassies: Smooth and elegant: very much a representative of Margaux in this year. Some dryness on finish shows structure. Nice and fresh with some juicy fruits. Very good result for the year. 90 Drink 2028-2038

Château Rauzan-Ségla: Sweet and elegant: feels softer than most in Margaux this vintage: sweet rather than juicy. Elegant representation of Margaux but with that tartness at the end. 90 Drink 2026-2036

Château Siran: Light: elegant Margaux: structure shows a touch of dryness: not a heavyweight: decent typicity. 88 Drink 2027-2035

St. Julien

Château Beychevelle: Here is the elegance of St. Julien with Beychevelle’s tightness in the background. Elegant: seems more driven by Cabernet Sauvignon: some dryness on the finish. 90 Drink 2028-2040

Château Branaire Ducru: A light style for St Julien (much lighter than Beychevelle): not much stuffing: some light tannic support. 88 Drink 2027-2035

Château Gloria: Quite fine but a little tight with the tartness of the year just showing. In another 2-3 years should be a lovely restaurant wine. 89 Drink 2027-2037

Château Gruaud Larose: Shows the finesse of St Julien with mid weight of the vintage. Good representation of St. Julien this year. Firm enough but does not loose finesse. 90 Drink 2029-2039

Château Lagrange: On the light side for Lagrange: tannins show more distinctly against lightness of fruits. Tartness of year shows through. 88 Drink 2027-2034

Château Langoa Barton: Smooth: round: elegant: a little more weight than I expected in this vintage for St. Julien. 90 Drink 2028-2038

Château Léoville Barton: Smooth and more elegant than Langoa. Very fine with the usual impression of precision. Moving in chocolaty direction. 90 Drink 2028-2040

Château Léoville Poyferré: Already shows some chocolaty impressions. Texture gives away the international style: although it’s attenuated in this vintage by the acidity. Dryness on finish attests to structure. 91 Drink 2027-2037

Château Saint Pierre: A hair’s breadth more finesse than Gloria and just a little deeper on the palate. Very true to St. Julien. 90 Drink 2028-2040

Château Talbot: Fine but a little tight: with fine tannic structure at the end. 89 Drink 2028-2038

Pauillac

Château Batailley: A sort of middle of the road Pauillac for the vintage. Tartness shows on the finish. It does not quite seem to come to life. 88 Drink 2029-2037

Château Clerc Milon: A fuller impression compared to the wines of St Julien but firm rather than plush. Some tannins dry finish. A tendency to rusticity shows. 88 Drink 2029-2037

Château Croizet Bages: Rounder: weightier: and fuller than its stablemate Rauzan Gassies: moving more in the direction of rusticity. Doesn’t really show the plushness of Pauillac. 88 Drink 2029-2039

Château d’Armailhac: Noticeably smoother and more refined than Clerc Milon: full flavored and moving in a savory direction. Tannins are smooth on finish. 90 Drink 2028-2038

Château Duhart Milon: A little tight but inclining towards elegance although with some tart character at end. May move in a classic savory direction. 90 Drink 2029-2039

Château Grand-Puy Ducasse: There are hints of the plushness of Pauillac but the tart fruit is taking over. Decent result for the vintage. 89 Drink 2029-2037

Château Haut Batailley: Tart and herbal notes show on palate with tannic bitterness just showing on finish: where tannins are quite drying. Seems quite old style. 89 Drink 2029-2038

Château Lynch Bages: Smooth: just short of plushness on the finish: which is quite dry but the tannins are fine. Seems a bit of a throwback in showing potential but really needing time. 92 Drink 2030-2040

Château Lynch Moussas: Quite elegant for Pauillac and the vintage: fresh rather than tart: with medium weight fruits. This will make a nice restaurant wine in a few years. 89 Drink 2028-2036

St. Estèphe

Château Cos Labory: The hardness of St Estèphe shows against the freshness of the vintage: but it is really quite tart on the finish. It’s a good demonstration of the limitations of the vintage. 88 Drink 2028-2036

Château les Ormes de Pez: Punching above its weight: in fact I prefer it to Haut Batailley because its fine and elegant with mid weight fruits: supported by tannins in the background. 90 Drink 2027-2035

Château Phélan Ségur: For St. Estèphe this is a relatively light style: a little hard on the palate at present: but with nice fruits behind: if a little too tart. 88 Drink 2028-2036

Château Poujeaux: Smooth and elegant but seems a little shallow. There are some savory intimations in the background. 89 Drink 2029-2037

Château Clarke: Smooth with more impression of a full palate than most. A touch smoky in the background. Good structure showing as dryness on finish. More structured but less approachable than Fourcas-Dupré. 89 Drink 2029-2039

Château Fourcas Dupré: Just a touch finer and smoother than Fourcas-Hosten. A little tight on the finish but shows elegance and better concentration than most Listrac this year. With a smoky finish: this is the wine I like best from Listrac and Moulis. 89 Drink 2028-2036

Château Fourcas Hosten: Fine and elegant: not as tight as some: just shows a fraction tart on finish. A sense of lack of concentration in background. Some tannic dryness to finish. 88 Drink 2028-2036

Château Maucaillou: Faint almonds on the nose. Smooth and elegant on the palate but shows that sense of lack of concentration of Listrac this year. A little herbal at the end. 88 Drink 2028-2036

Haut-Médoc

Château Beaumont: (This is Beychevelle’s Haut Médoc). Much lighter style than Beychevelle: not much stuffing: but very pleasant. 87 Drink 2026-2032

Château Cantemerle: Smooth but a little tight: with black fruit impressions on the palate supported by fine tannins. Should move in the direction of elegance as it ages. 89 Drink 2029-2037

Château Citran: Fine structure but tight: tannins obscuring fruits on finish. 88 Drink 2029-2037

Château Coufran: A little tight: black fruits behind the slightly acidic finish: perhaps it will move in a savory direction as it ages. 88 Drink 2029-2037

Château La Lagune: A fine impression of La Lagune: smooth albeit with a tart finish: a little tight with potential for aging to smooth elegance. 89 Drink 2029-2039

Château La Tour Carnet: A somewhat tight impression. Fine fruits behind the rather reserved palate. Difficult to say whether and when the fruits will emerge: but needs at least four years. 88 Drink 2028-2036

Château La Tour de By: Quite a fine: elegant impression for the Haut-Médoc: although a little herbal at the end. Mid weight palate. Well made. 88 Drink 2028-2036

St. Emilion

Château Berliquet: Lighter and less concentrated than Canon: so the acidity shows through more clearly. In fact: seems a bit too much on the tart side. 87 Drink 2027-2034

Château Canon: Shows its usual finesse and precision but with less sense of concentration than usual. It is rather tight at the present. 89 Drink 2028-2036

Château La Dominique: Quite a firm impression. Fruits are relatively tight: between the red and black spectrum: supported by good structure. Punching above its weight this year. 89 Drink 2028-2036

Château Larcis Ducasse: Quite a restrained impression with some savory notes. Fine on the palate and a touch nutty on the finish. 88 Drink 2028-2035

Château Pavie Macquin: The acidity of the vintage shows more clearly here than with most St. Emilions: with a faintly sour impression making this feel a bit of a throwback. There are some intimations of savory character to come. Tannic structure is light. 89 Drink 2028-2035

Château Valandraud: Unusual nose is quite floral. Quite full on the palate with some savory intimations. Tannins are so smooth you hardly see them: but the structure is there. This is a very fine and elegant result: not at all like a garage wine. 91 Drink 2027-2037

Château Villemaurine: Quite elegant balance: not too soft or fruit-forward: nicely restrained: a touch of savory acidity at the end. 88 Drink 2028-2036

Pomerol

Château Beauregard: Round and chocolaty on the palate: quite granular texture is a touch soft: perhaps not quite enough follow-through. 89 Drink 2028-2036

Château Bon Pasteur: Very fine and elegant for Pomerol: a touch chocolaty: just enough acidity to take the edge off. A very good result for the vintage: certainly not overblown. 89 Drink 2028-2036

Château Clinet: Just enough sense of acidity to cut the general softness of Pomerol this year. It is on the lighter side for Clinet. 88 Drink 2027-2035

Château La Cabanne: Soft and approachable with a slight touch of acidity: a granular texture moving in direction of chocolate: overall a restrained style for Pomerol. 89 Drink 2028-2036

Château Le Gay: The softness of Pomerol segues into a nutty palate that feels very Merlot-driven. Soft and attractive but do not expect great longevity. 88 Drink 2027-2034

Château Petit Village: Nicely rounded but not overtly fruity. A certain softness to the palate gives the impression that this vintage is Merlot-driven. Just a touch less structured than usual.. 88 Drink 2027-2034

Sauternes

Château de Rayne Vigneau: Viscous and lightly honeyed. Faint bitterness on finish. A little rustic. 88 Drink -2035

Château Sigalas Rabaud: Lightly honeyed but not obviously very botrytized or overwhelmingly sweet. Pleasant but not very powerful. 88 Drink -2036

Château Doisy-Daëne: Botrytized nose is quite honeyed. Viscous palate with lots of flavor. This is a success for the year. 90 Drink –2040

Pessac-Léognan White

Château Carbonnieux: A little lacking in character. Slightly herbaceous with refreshing acidity but not a lot of follow-through. 88 Drink -2028

Château de Fieuzal: Slightly sweaty nose from Sauvignon Blanc. Palate more acidic than herbaceous. Acidity is a bit pressing on the finish. 88 Drink -2029

Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion: Nice balance: a slight tang from Sauvignon Blanc: fat and nutty from Semillon. Acidity is fresh but not aggressive. 89 Drink -2029

Château Latour-Martillac: Nose shows some sweaty notes of Sauvignon Blanc. Palate is more acidic than herbaceous although there is a slightly herbaceous tang to the finish. 88 Drink -2029

Château Malartic Lagravière: Nose shows some sweaty Sauvignon Blanc. Quite typical Pessac. 88 Drink -2029

Château Olivier: Very nice balance just showing Sauvignon Blanc but not too aggressive. Faintly nutty impressions in background. 89 Drink -2029

Château Pape Clément: Smooth and round: more fat than Smith Haut Lafitte (more Semillon?) but Sauvignon Blanc coming out with those sweaty notes on the finish. 90 Drink -2029

Château Smith Haut Lafitte: Strong impression of Sauvignon Blanc with sweaty aromas: but fine and elegant on palate with a zing at the end from Sauvignon Blanc. 90 Drink -2028

Domaine de Chevalier: Smoothest and most precise of the whites this year. Less obviously dominated by Sauvignon Blanc than others. Very fine. 90 Drink -2029

Is Aligoté the Future of White Burgundy

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Aligoté is not quite the grape variety that dare not speak its name, but it is certainly quite subservient to Chardonnay in Burgundy. It is found only in a relatively small production of Bourgogne Aligoté and in Bouzeron on the Côte Chalonnaise where it is the authorized white grape variety. The problem with Aligoté has always been its piercing acidity, but could that now become an advantage in the era of global warming, when Chardonnay can lose acidity and become over-ripe and overblown?

“Of course, thanks to global warming it is more and more important. Because Chardonnay is less and less vibrant. The skin of Chardonnay is becoming thicker and this brings bitterness, which may replace acidity,” says Pierre de Benoist at Domaine de Villaine, the top domain in Bouzeron. (Pierre is the nephew of Aubert de Villaine, of Domaine de la Romanée Conti, who established the domain in Bouzeron in 1971.)

Part of the problem with Aligoté is that the dominant cultivar—from which the available clones are derived—is Aligoté Vert. Domaine de Villaine grows the Aligoté Doré subvariety, which achieves greater ripeness. It’s been propagated by selection massale from some very old plants, some 115 years old representing the first planting after phylloxera.

Burgundy’s top Aligoté vineyard is Domaine Ponsot’s premier cru Monts Luisants in Morey St. Denis, one of the rare plantings of a white variety on the Côte de Nuits. (It is curious that although white plantings dominate the southern part of the Côte de Beaune and are rare on the Côte de Nuits, it is the latter that has all the variety ,with the Gouges strain of Pinot Blanc growing in premier crus in Nuits St. Georges, as well as the Aligoté in Morey St. Denis.)

The Luisants vineyard consists of 80% old vines planted in 1911 and 20% replanted in 2006. It cannot have been easy to maintain, because for a while planting Aligoté was not allowed in premier crus, although the restriction now has been lifted. Actually, Aligoté may be more common than is always realized: some years ago a producer on the Côte de Nuits said to me darkly, “you would be amazed how much Aligoté there is in Corton Charlemagne if you take a look at the vines.” Indeed, as Alexandre Abel at Domaine Ponsot points out, “The reputation of Corton Charlemagne was established in the 19th century when there was a huge proportion of Aligoté.”

Monts Luisants has become more consistent and precise since Alexandre took over winemaking in 2017. It used to be fermented in stainless steel and moved to barrique only after fermentation. Now it is moved to barrique around halfway through fermentation. “In 2017 we started to press it more gently and we don’t use sulfur,” Alexandre says.

One of the most interesting Aligoté cuvées I tasted comes from Meursault (of course, the vines may be in Meursault but the wine is Bourgogne Aligoté). Patrick Essa of Domaine Buisson-Charles is a person of strong opinions. When I had to change the time of our appointment because another producer had a problem with timing as he had to pick up his wife and children at the railway station, Patrick said, “Keep in mind that a vigneron whose principal concern is to collect his wife from the train is not as passionate as he should be about what he does.”

Patrick harvests the Bourgogne Aligoté as late as possible. “Aligoté goes from green to doré to rosé and I like it to be rosé.” Will Aligoté become more prominent because of global warming causing loss of acidity in Chardonnay. “I don’t have any problem with Chardonnay, lack of acidity is a problem caused by high yields.”

Global warming is forcing producers to reconsider what grape varieties may be appropriate everywhere wine is made. In the Rhône, they are bringing back varieties such as Counoise and Cinsault, that had been more or less phased out, because they produce less alcohol than Grenache. With Burgundy whites, the problem is more lack of acidity than gain in alcohol, but the question is the same: could a different variety produce better results if global warming continues?

Tastings

Domaine De Villaine, Bouzeron, 2021 
This is a blend from 17 plots of Aligoté in Bouzeron. They come from 9 lieu-dits and each lieu-dit is vinified separately in a foudre. Average age is 65 years and the oldest vines are 115 years. This vintage shows good acidity, but not oppressive, with inclinations towards salinity. Quite savory and fresh. Considering this is a cooler year, shows very good roundness. 89 Drink –2027

Domaine Ponsot,  Monts Luisants, 2020 
The acidity is really very well controlled and is more in the background than upfront. Fruits are quite lemony but the palate is silky, round, viscous, but without the fullness of Chardonnay. This is a leaner style, pointing in a more saline direction.   90 Drink –2030

Domaine Buisson-Charles, Bourgogne Aligoté, 2022 
(barrel sample) Almost stern impression to nose. Round, ripe, and flavorful, mingling fruity and savory impressions. A good example of the potential complexity of Aligoté.    88 Drink -2027

Burgundy Diary 2023: Vintage Extremes

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My week in Burgundy was an exercise in vintage variations. Barrel rooms are quite full from a good crop in 2022. Although as one producer said, it’s actually only an average crop, but it feels large because of the tiny crops in 2021 and 2020. Some producers have none to show because they have sold out. Directly or indirectly these lurches in quantity and quality are the result of climate change.

“Climate change is a good thing for Pinot Noir. It’s not bad for Chardonnay, but may be in the future,” says Jérôme Flous at Faiveley. “Pinot used to be not ripe but now we have good ripeness in every vintage. Twenty years ago we had 2 good vintages in 10, now we have 8 good vintages in 10. 2020 was hot, but we had the experience from 2003. 2021 is an old school vintage. 2022 is a very balanced vintage, very good if not great and not too concentrated.”

The key to understanding the wildly contrasting 2021 and 2020 vintages are the very different effects of different means of reducing yields. “We lost 75% of the crop in 2021 and 50% in 2020,” says Alexandre Abel at Domaine Ponsot. The main problem in 2021 was frost and hail. The word producers most often use to describe the vintage is ‘disastrous.’ “But even if the growing season was wet in 2021, the quantity was so low that the vines could ripen the fruit if you took the risk of delaying the harvest. In 2020 there were 5 months without rain, and here the concentration comes from the small berries.” In Beaune, the situation was reversed. “We made more wine in 2021 than 2020 because we escaped the frost in 2021, and Beaune really suffered from the drought in 2020,” says David Croix at Domaine des Croix.

2021 may be a throwback to lighter colored wine with more of a cool climate impression, certainly it is more elegant and a great contrast with the massive 2020, but if it is a throwback it is a modernized version, because the structure is so fine and balanced by the fruits. Unlike other throwback vintages where there has usually been a deficiency such as dilution or herbaceousness, this offers a complete impression. It is really unusual in giving full force expression to Pinot Noir, but being ready to drink more or less on release. It may not age as long as a classic great vintage, but you can get the full experience with immediate gratification.

Erratic yields are crucial to understanding 2021. The Morey St Denis Alouettes premier cru at Domaine Ponsot seems denser and richer than the grand cru Chapelle Chambertin, because Chapelle was the least hit, with only (!) 40% loss, while Alouettes was the most hit. So yields around 8 hl/ha in Alouettes give it greater concentration and ripeness than the Grand Cru. I might well have reversed the two wines in a blind tasting.

When 2020 is good, it is very very good, but when it is bad it is horrid. I’ve commented before on the existence of some massive wines that give an impression more of Châteauneuf du Pape than Burgundy (winespecific.com/2023/06/15/sea-change-in-burgundy-send-the-lifeboats/). Most wines do not go anywhere near this extreme, but it was certainly necessary to be cautious. At Domaine Ponsot, to avoid excessive extraction, reds were pressed before fermentation completed, at around 90%, and then fermentation for the last 10% was completed in stainless steel. To be a great producer in Burgundy these days you have to be prepared to cope with climatic extremes: drought and heat at one extreme, frost, hail, and rain at the other. What other plagues might come next?

“With global warming we have new diseases, the vines suffer more from heat, in 2021 there were crazy temperature variations. We may need to change the cultivars and the root stock. We used to grow low to capture heat from the soil, now we may want to get away from the soil,” says Frédéric Drouhin. So with vineyards performing differently in these new conditions, could it be necessary to change the classification? Oh no! “Global warming will not change the classification, the geology is more important than the climate,” Frédéric says.

Some top results for red 2021

Joseph Drouhin, Chambolle Musigny, Les Amoureuses

Increased density to the nose compared to the Chambolle Musigny premier cru blend. Follows to the palate, wonderfully elegant, round, touch of extra ripeness showing as a viscous sheen. Lovely balance, this has it all, with the finesse of a grand cru. Can start already because the tannins are so supple. 93. Drink –2023.

Henri Gouges, Nuits St. Georges, Les Chaignots

More weight than the village wine, rounder and more aromatic, tending to black cherries, the aromatics carrying through to the finish. Tannins are supple with structure evident more by inference than directly. It is distinctly softer than Les Porrets. 91. Drink –2036

Joliet Père et Fils, Fixin, Clos des Perrières

Fresher impression than 2020 or 2022, with livelier acidity. Tannins moving towards chocolaty although overall lighter than the flanking vintages. Although the impression is relatively fresh, that sense of richness is still there in background. This vintage used 30% whole bunches and had 18 months élevage. 90 Drink –2030

Domaine des Croix, Beaune, Les Bressandes

A slightly sterner more structured impression to the nose compared to the clay-based premier crus. The structure is evident on the palate even though it is basically behind the savory red fruits. The savory character turns quite saline on the finish. Tannins are silky and well in the background. 90 Drink -2033

Domaine Ponsot, Morey St. Denis, Les Alouettes    

With yields of 8 hl/ha and only 4 barrels produced, this wine has achieved a concentration greater than the Chapelle Chambertin of the vintage. Surprising concentration and richness, rounder and deeper. The tannins are taut but the palate stays fresh and approachable.   92. Drink -2032

A Visit to the Second-Smallest Appellation in France

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Visiting Chateau Grillet is not for the fainthearted. It is discrete in the extreme. First you have to find the steep road rising up from the river behind the hamlet of Vérin. Then you have to spot the narrow entrance to the property, unmarked by any sign, with a small road between old stone walls, barely wide enough for small car. It’s a feat to get equipment in and wine out.

An enclave entirely surrounded by Condrieu, Château Grillet is the second-smallest AOP in France. (The smallest is La Romanée in Vosne Romanée.) Owned by the Neyret-Gachet family from 1827 to 2011, it was a benchmark for Viognier (the only grape grown), although after the planted area was expanded from 1.7 ha to 3.5 ha in 1979, the style was felt to be a little tired. In 2004, Denis Dubourdieu, who was largely responsible for resurrecting white wine production in Bordeaux, was brought in as a consultant, and the style became fresher.

Things changed entirely when Château Grillet was sold to François Pinault’s winery-holding company, Artemis Domaines (owner of Château Latour). Changes in the vineyard led to a dramatic drop in yields. A new cellar was installed in 2012, with many small stainless steel tanks, so each plot can be fermented separately. Winemaker Jae Cramette came from Burgundy in 2019.

Standing in the vineyard you can see how it forms a protected amphitheater trapping the sun,  with steeply terraced vineyards running from 150m up to 200m overlooking the Rhône. The best vineyards are above the château; the vineyards below (planted in the extension of 1979) are more exposed. In spite of its small size, there’s significant variation in terroir, and the final blend balances richer lots with fresher lots. Maturity varies quite a bit across the vineyard and harvest lasts 5-6 days.

Why is it a separate AOP as opposed, perhaps, to a Cru within Condrieu (which is also restricted to Viognier)? The appellation was created in 1936, one of the first in France, before Condrieu was created. “We had a château and some vines so it was posssible then, it would not be so easy now,”  Jae says. The difference from Condrieu is not just the soils, which are mostly based on biotite (a form of granite), found also on the Coteaux de Vernon in Condrieu, but because of the south-facing exposure.

Vine are separated by 102 terraces of old stone walls, and are divided into 15 groups for vinification. In any other situation, the stainless steel fermenters in the cellar would be described as micro-vinification, as each tank is only 6.5 hl (the quivalent of just over two barriques). The aging aging cellar contains the whole production in 25 barrels (ranging from barriques to 350-liter), 2 demi-muids, and an amphora. “I buy one or two new barrels each year, so new oak is 5-10%,”  Jae says. 

How does making wine here compare with Burgundy, I asked. “It’s really different here. Viognier is not an easy variety. Pinot Noir is not particularly easy but Viognier is really not easy. I thought I might harvest earlier to keep acidity, but it would be a mistake because then you get vegetal aromas and you don’t get complexity. You really have to wait. It’s easier to fix the date for harvest in Burgundy, but here it’s more difficult, you have a very narrow window to harvest.”

With the intention of restoring Grillet to its former glory, a second wine was introduced under the Côtes du Rhône appellation; called Pontcin, it is declassified from Château Grillet and sells for about a quarter of the price of the grand vin. It includes the grapes from younger vines, some of the terraces at the bottom, and other lots that may vary each year. There are about 2,000 bottles of Château Grillet and 1,000 bottles of Pontcin.

If you had the Côtes du Rhône without paying attention to the name of the producer, you would be surprised. It is not at all like the typical Cotes du Rhone whites, which come mostly from the south, and tend to be rather aromatic. “I don’t get apricots or honey as you get in some Condrieu.” One reason is that Jae uses only the first pressing, the last  pressing tends to heavier aromatics, and is used just to make a wine for internal purposes.

The Château Grillet cuvée follows the same general style, but is more subtle. If I were to use a single descriptor, it would be ‘delicate.’ It’s very much the mineral, saline side of Viognier, with the palate showing a silky texture with a mineral finish. The wine is quite reticent on release, with more floral notes emerging slowly in the glass. When will it peak? “Wait a minimum of 7-10 years,” Jae says.

Sea Change in Burgundy – Send the Lifeboats?

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Two wines tasted at a bistro in Vienne made me wonder if everything is changing in Burgundy. The first was the Chablis Sereine from La Chablisienne. This is a well-made wine in the tradition of cheap and cheerful. It is a pleasant enough white wine, but it’s hard to see the typicity of Chablis. No question about authenticity of source here, and I admire the skill in winemaking, but if this is what they have to do these days to sell generic Chablis, I rather regret the change.

The second wine was a communal Burgundy from the 2020 vintage in Chorey-les-Beaune. If I had this in a blind tasting, I would have placed it well south of Burgundy, and I doubt if I would have identified it as Pinot Noir.  It has an inky purple color, massive extraction, black fruit aromatics, 14.5% alcohol, and southern flavors  If this is the effect of global warming, it’s the end for Burgundy.

I’ve had this wine (and several others, including premier crus, from the same producer) in several earlier vintages, including tastings at the producer. My earlier tasting notes on the communal wine show consistency: a light, pleasant wine, with red fruit character and good acidity, usually just a little on the thin side. For obvious reasons, I do not want to identify the producer, but tastings notes follow.

The latest vintage shows no connection with the earlier tastings. Either this wine has changed beyond all recognition, or it’s really something else. Rather belatedly, it occurred to me to wonder if the wine might in fact be a fake. I would prefer it to be a fake, because that would mean I can continue to drink Burgundy. But why would you fake Chorey-les-Beaune?

Tasting Notes

2020

Inky purple color. Spicy for AOP and producer. Smooth almost nutty palate at first, but increasingly rustic with time in glass. Far more extract than you would ever expect for the AOP or for Pinot Noir. Good acidity and a little chocolaty on finish until it turns rustic. Is the high alcohol an indication of a change in style. Massively over extracted; feels more like Cabernet Sauvignon or some southern variety grown in hot conditions.

2008

A whiff of quite well rounded fruits on the nose. Slightly austere impression with mid density fruits on the palate showing a slight lack of generosity, reflecting the vintage. Light but nice enough for the year.   Tasted 2010.

2004

Red fruits showing a little tarry on the nose. Slightly stern on the palate, a little dry and tarry on the finish, but a decent result for the year. Tasted 2010.

Very much in the light fruity style of the house, with quite a forward buttery nose showing some stern notes from new oak. Well rounded light red fruits without much stuffing show on the palate, making this a nice wine for the immediate future, but without pretensions to longevity. Tasted 2007.

1988

Developed tertiary aromas on the nose – more directly tertiary than sous bois. But nice on the palate, still good fruit concentration showing, hardening up a little in the style of the vintage. Surviving now perhaps rather than aging.  Tasted 2010.

Is Clairette the Future of Whites in the Southern Rhone?

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Visiting producers in the Southern Rhône, the rising level of alcohol is a constant refrain. The wines of the south have always been powerful, of course, but it’s a new situation to have reds based on Grenache often reaching 15% alcohol or more, and whites often enough over 14%. Reactions among producers vary. Some take it in their stride. “With regards to alcohol we have harvested earlier than we used to, typically harvest has moved from September 20 to September 2, but maturity is the same. So we don’t consider too high alcohol to be a problem,” says Daniel Brunier at Vieux Télégraphe. Others are less sanguine. “You cannot trust Grenache now, it is minimum 15% alcohol,” says Jean-Michel Vache at Les Clos de Cazaux.

The most common response to rising alcohol in reds is to replant with Syrah as Grenache vineyards need to be replaced, or to go back to older varieties that previously were replaced with Grenache to get more flavor and color. But now there is something of a feeling that the move to Syrah has gone far enough. Jean-Michel is sceptical about other favored replacement varieties: “Counoise and Cinsault are good for rosé or rather light Côtes du Rhône,” he says. There is also a move to go back to the old practice of including some white grapes in the red cuvées.

The other transition is to move from black to white varieties. In my visits last week, several producers apologized that they could not show their white wine, because it had all sold out and the new vintage was not ready yet. With warmer temperatures encouraging a move to white wines, this is suggestive that climate change is creating demand that exceeds supply for whites, but producers are a bit nervous whether the trend will be sustained. The story you hear is not only that whites are replacing blacks, but that there’s a shift in white varieties towards those such as Clairette, which tend to have lower alcohol.

Gigondas AOP has decided that Clairette is the grape of the future in the south. Until the 2023 vintage, Gigondas has been restricted to red and rosé, but in 2012 the producers applied to have white added, and now the application has finally been granted. The unusual feature is a requirement that the assemblage should be at least 70% Clairette. “Clairette grown on sand and limestone has very specific typicity,” says Jean-Marie Amadieu at Pierre Amadieu. “There isn’t any typicity for Southern Rhône whites, except for the power of Châteauneuf du Pape. But when you taste a Clairette from this terroir, you know you are in Gigondas. And Clairette is very well adapted to resist global warming.”

There have been varietal cuvées from Clairette, or cuvées dominated by Clairette from Gigondas, for a while, but they have had to be labeled as Côtes du Rhône. This has led to a curious discordancy that for producers who have vineyards in, say, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, and Côtes du Rhône, their best white might actually have the least prestigious AOP label. That has made some of the Côtes du  Rhône whites a bit of a bargain. That may stop now that they will be labeled as Gigondas. At the present there are only about 16 ha of white varieties in Gigondas (although that is more than the area devoted to production of rosé), representing around 30 producers. The AOP’s target is to bring white production up to 15%  of total over five years.

Conventional wisdom is that there are two problems with Clairette: it tends to very high production; and acidity is low. This may not necessarily be true. “When you read the book about Clairette, it’s always written, high alcohol, low acidity, but I don’t think they were harvesting at the correct  time,” says Jean-Michel Vache. “Clairette is good but tends to high yields – you can easily get 100 hl/ha. You really have to work at it to keep yields down. We keep yields down for Clairette by two Spring prunings and a green harvest.”

“Clairette doesn’t have much acidity, and I was shocked when I saw the technical analysis of acidity, but it has freshness. I really like it,” says Corinna Faravel at La Martinelle in Ventoux. I tasted several varietal or near-varietal Clairettes during a week of visits in the Southern Rhône and I was struck by the lightness and freshness of the wines; and the alcohol levels around 12.5%, as noted in the tasting notes below, speak for themselves. These wines are a far cry from the old phenolic heaviness of whites of the area, although it’s too early to tell whether Gigondas has made an innovation that will spread.

The problem with trying to respond to climate change by changing the varieties are that are planted is that it’s a slow process. To plant a different variety requires finding a plot with appropriate terroir that needs to be replanted, or taking the risk of abandoning a currently productive plot. The replanted plot can’t make wine for 3 years, and probably won’t make really good wine for a few years after that. Trying to find selections or clones of the same variety that produce less alcohol is an even slower process – typically around 20 years. But do we have that much time?

Although you keep hearing that Grenache is being supplanted by other black varieties, and that black varieties are being replaced by whites, the figures for planted varieties actually show little change. In 2008, black varieties were 89.3% of plantings, including Grenache at 72% of total (80% of black varieties). Today black varieties are at 87.9%, including Grenache at 69% (76% of black varieties). Among the whites, proportions of varieties have not changed much, with Grenache Blanc and Clairette each close to one third, and Roussanne and Bourboulenc each close to 15%, although Roussanne has increased and Bourboulenc has decreased. This has not even kept pace with the rate of climate change let alone got ahead of it. More aggressive action is needed: but what?

Tasting Notes

La Martinelle, IGP Vaucluse, 2022  (Clairette 90%, Grenache Blanc 10%)
Fresh aromatics with some cereal notes. Spiciness comes to the fore on the palate and nicely offsets impressions of creaminess. Pressed straight off the skins with no maceration. Aged half in barrels and half in stainless steel, but feels like it has more oak exposure. Some heat on the finish. 12.5%   88.

Pierre Amadieu, Côtes du Rhône, Domaine Grand Romane 2022  (Clairette 100%)
The nose is just slightly appley. My companion, the Anima Figure, sees it as representing the garrigue. Fresh impression with balanced acidity, flavorful on palate with savory impressions in the background. Still young and tight, should open out in a few months. Light, airy impressions, with perhaps a touch of salinity. 12.5%   88.

Domaine Le Clos des Cazaux, Vacqueyras, Clairette Centenaire, 2019 

As the name indicates, this is a varietal wine from 100-year old vines. Slightly nutty, slightly savory, nose, leading to palate offering an impression of completeness. Lovely balance with only hints of phenolic aromatics, and a smooth, silky texture. A wine with subtlety, concentration, and intensity.    89 

A Vertical of the Most Expensive Wine in the World

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With a price on release of €30,000 a bottle since 2015 (up from €5,000 per bottle for the first vintage in 2006), Liber Pater is the most expensive wine in the world. So opportunities for a vertical tasting are not exactly common…

Loïc Pasquet started his project when he bought a tiny estate in Landiras in the Graves in 2005 and set out to produce a wine from pre-phylloxera varieties. The vineyard was partly planted with old vines on their own roots, and he slowly converted it to entirely ungrafted vines. By 2015, the wine was made exclusively from ungrafted vines. [I previously described a visit to the vineyard].

The major grape is Petite-Vidure, which is an old name for Cabernet Sauvignon. There are small quantities of Petit Verdot and Malbec, and around 2% of the really rare varieties: Tarnay-Coulant (also known as Mancin); Sainte-Macaire (formerly planted in marshes of the Garonne, but rather unproductive); Castets (an old variety of the Right Bank). “We didn’t have Merlot on the left bank before phylloxera,” Loïc says.

“To make good wine you need maturity, not sur-maturity.” Loïc distinguishes between freshness and acidity: “acidity is not freshness.” “When you plant on own roots, everything matures together. We harvest the vineyard in two days, if the vines were on rootstocks it would be two weeks.”

Overall there have been 9 vintages in the past 15 years. Recently there was no release in 2012-2014 and 2017. Before 2015 the vineyard had some grafted vines, 20% 2006-2009, 10% 2010-2014. Since 2015 it has been 100% ungrafted. “The taste changed…” Loïc says. Since 2015 the blend has been constant, with about 70% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Vinification used small barrels before 2015, when everything switched entirely to amphora. “With grafted wines the tannins are not so fine, so you need the oak to smooth them out. In Bordeaux today we make wine like soup.” Loïc says scathingly of modern winemaking.

Overall Liber Pater conveys a strong sense of freshness against a background of red/black fruits (less focused on black than Bordeaux today). It is not at all driven by the usual black fruit aromatics such as blackcurrants. I am not at all sure you would recognize it as Bordeaux in a blind tasting.

Liber Pater is made in very small quantities, only around 500 bottles. Another wine, Denarius, is made in slightly larger amounts, around 2,000 bottles. (The price is around €1000.) Loïc does not want to call it a second wine. “It comes from a separate part of the vineyard,” he says. I think it is possible that Denarius may actually come closer to Loïc’s intention to reproduce the taste of 19th century Bordeaux.

Tasting notes from a visit Loïc made to New York at the end of April 2023.

Liber Pater 2007

Nose is relatively fresh but not very aromatic (at least not the usual black fruit aromatics of modern Bordeaux). Strong sense of freshness, but without any trace of herbaceousness, is appealing. Perhaps this is what Loïc means when he says “acidity is not freshness.” Not at all like a modern vintage or for that matter one of the sixties of seventies. The palate is fine and silky and smooth, and any tannins are well in the background. This feels like a relatively cool climate production. In terms of areas, the sense of finesse relates better to St. Julien or Margaux than to Pessac-Léognan or Graves. As the wine ages, it merges more towards a conventional view of Bordeaux but is quite distinctive. I suspect this is much finer than the 19th century Bordeaux Loïc is trying to emulate (which would have been aged in oak, albeit not new).     91 Drink now-2031.

Liber Pater 2010

Nose is quite restrained by comparison with modern Bordeaux, but is more powerful and savory than 2007. A touch more savory on the palate than predicted from the nose, and quite a herbal impression. The palate is equally as fresh as 2007. Savory impressions accentuate in the glass and take this even farther away from impressions of modern Bordeaux. Structure is very fine but well in background. Powerful impressions of Cabernet Sauvignon show retronasally with some hints of minty herbs.     92 Drink now-2035.

Liber Pater 2011

Compared to 2010 there is a change here to a more fruit-driven impression, with a spectrum between red and black fruits. Palate retains a touch of tannic bitterness; normally you would put this down as due to oak influence. This seems more evidently driven by Cabernet Sauvignon as it develops in the glass. The savory elements come out more evidently as minty than in 2010. The sense of structure is enhanced, and this does not seem as fine on the palate as 2010; the flavor spectrum is broader. That faintly minty character comes out on the aftertaste with an almost soapy density.     91 Drink now-2034.

Liber Pater 2018

This shows a completely different flavor spectrum from the older vintages of 2007-2011: is this due to youth? or to the changes in plantings or élevage? There are still some savory and quasi-minty notes on the palate, but they are offset against nutty impressions. Rounder on the palate than older vintages but still has that hallmark freshness. The sense of freshness, together with some savory acidity in the background, takes over from the fruits as the wine develops in the glass. The savory impressions reflect dried herbs, but are hard to pin down. Impressions of malic acid give the palate a slightly disjointed character (needs time to meld together?) This is closer to Denarius in style than the older vintages, so may reflect youthfulness. Similarly there is an impression that this needs time to smooth out. It is less forceful than Denarius (more elegant?) but the flavor spectrum is similar.     90 Drink 2026-2036.

Denarius 2019

This has calmed down in the past year. The nose is intensely savory driven, similar to, but more forceful than, Liber Pater itself. It is also more assertive on the palate, at least at this stage, than Liber Pater, with a really strong herbal character (dried herbs not fresh). A nuttiness develops on the back palate that is reminiscent of an affinity for oak, but there is a piercing clarity (as opposed to fruit purity) compared to modern Bordeaux. A strong malic impression enhances the overall savory character. The palate is less finely structured than Liber Pater, and in this regard I suspect this is closer to the 19th century Bordeaux Loïc is trying to emulate.   12.5%   92 Drink 2025-2032.

The Taming of the Tannins

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You know something dramatic has happened when you are in Bordeaux and your tasting notes of barrel samples mention ‘silky tannins.’ Admittedly the most recent Bordeaux vintages of 2021-2018 showcased at a tasting of Grand Cru Classés in London are all on the lighter side, but ‘silky’ recurs in my tasting notes in wines from St. Emilion to St. Estèphe. Historically, ‘bitter’ would have been more likely to dominate the description of young Bordeaux, but now you sometimes feel the tannins are resolving even before the wine leaves the barrel. Make no mistake, this is a sea change in Bordeaux.

The Grand Cru Classé 2021-2018 tasting was held in the splendid quarters of Church House, Westminster.

I was actually a little disappointed in the wines from Pessac-Léognan (Smith Haut Lafitte), Margaux (Rauzan-Sègla), and St. Julien (Branaire-Ducru). Reflecting the vintages, the wines are relatively lightweight, reflecting their youth they are a little dry on the finish, and reflecting high Cabernet Sauvignon they are a little lacking in generosity. Dry whites were represented only by Smith Haut-Lafitte, where the second wine, Petit Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2020 showed its Sauvignon Blanc (80% of the blend)  less evidently than the grand vin (90% of the blend), which had more pizzazz. In reds,

the 2019 Smith Haut Lafitte offers the liveliest aromatics across the vintages; 2020 Rauzan-Sègla really brings out the silkiness and elegance of Margaux, and Branaire-Ducru 2018 is just beginning to come out, with a style between the softness of Margaux and precision of its home in St. Julien.

Virtually all these wines, across all four vintages, could be enjoyed for dinner now–even the youngest samples. Attractive as they are as potential restaurant wines for short- and mid-term drinking, my disappointment stemmed from the thought that they are unlikely to develop the complexity of the great old vintages. Some of the grand vins of these appellations seemed more like second wines in their approachability, to the point of undercutting the concept that second wines offer the advantage you don’t need to wait as long to drink them as for the grand vins.

Moving into Pauillac and St. Estèphe, I became more optimistic. Pontet-Canet is attractively poised between classicism and modernism; in classic style, none of the vintages are quite ready, although in modern style you do see the plush black fruits of Pauillac before you sense the structure that’s holding them back. Punching well above Cru Bourgeois level, Tronquoy-Lalande (owned by the Bouygues brothers of Montrose) shows only a trace of the hard edge that used to mark St. Estèphe. Dame de Montrose varies from distinctly second-ish in 2020 to rather stylish in 2019. I knew the world had changed when I found the 2019 Montrose to show a silky structure. 2020 is still more evidently structured; 2018 has a great sense of finesse. I remember only too well when Montrose never took less than two decades to soften from its initial toughness. If the wines aren’t quite ready yet, it’s not so much that they need to resolve tannins, but that they need a bit more time to develop flavor variety.

St. Emilion was the star of the show. Second wine Croix Canon shows the elegance and reserve that I always find in the grand vin from Château Canon, and the words ‘silky’ and ‘finesse’ appear in my tasting notes of Château Canon from all four vintages. A dazzling array of four châteaux from Comtes von Neipperg showed what a bargain Castillon is, as Château d’Aiguilhe showed very attractively compared with Clos l’Oratoire; if I were pushed to define a difference, I would say that Aiguilhe is more mineral, Oratoire more fruit-driven, but they share a tendency to move in a more savory direction as they age. With Canon La Gaffelière, tannins vary from silky to supple, depending on the vintage, but are never obtrusive. It was fascinating to compare Canon La Gaffelière (35-55% Merlot, 30-45% Cabernet Franc, 12-20% Cabernet Sauvignon across four vintages) with the small cuvée of La Mondotte (farther east on the limestone plateau, with 75-90% Merlot and 20-25% Cabernet Franc) vintage by vintage. The granular texture of Canon La Gaffelière in 2021 compares with a less obviously fruity Mondotte, whereas in 2020 Canon La Gaffelière is smooth and supple and Mondotte is even smoother but more firmly structured. In 2019, La Mondotte has greater weight and body than Canon La Gaffelière, but is not (at least at this stage, to my mind) as elegant. Yet in 2018, although Canon La Gaffelière is tighter and more precise than 2019, La Mondotte is the standout with very fine structure to support its complex, savory, black fruits.

St. Emilion was so fine that Pomerol, represented by Château Gazin, was eclipsed almost to the point of appearing rustic, or at least more obvious in the relatively straightforward focus on Merlot. In the era of climate change on the right bank, more Cabernet Franc, and even Cabernet Sauvignon, more be the order of the day. Indeed, I wonder whether the over-performance of St. Emilion at this tasting was partly due to the fact that Châteaux Canon and Canon La Gaffelière both have less Merlot and more Cabernet than average for the appellation.

Sauternes was represented by Château Guiraud, showing a typical comparison between 2020, where botrytis came late and the wines are half botrytized, half passerillé, and 2019, where botrytis is more intense all round.

The overall impression left by the four vintages from 2018 to 2021 is that they complete Bordeaux’s transition into the post-Parker modern era, where the tannins are tamed and extraction is not excessive.

The Unique Style of Château Gilette Sauternes

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“In the crisis of 1928, René Médeville had difficulty in selling the wine so he just kept it instead of selling it at a low price. Eventually he couldn’t bottle it until after the second world war,” Xavier Gonet says, as he explains the origins of Château Gilette’s unique production of Sauternes. “If you find an old bottle of Gilette – before the 1930s – it will have been made ‘the normal way,’ Xavier adds. His wife Julie, who is René’s granddaughter, took over Château Gilette in 2004 from her father, Christian.

“Gilette is a special type of wine,” Xavier says, “it never sees any oak. “We harvest by picking only botrytized berries – we wait a lot and usually I’m one of the last to pick. We try to pick late and have as few tries as possible”. After fermentation in stainless steel, the wine goes into 12 small concrete tanks for 18-20 years. It’s completely racked off to fill the tank—there are no lees. “Most people make a link between oxidation and aging, but the vats are completely filled so there is no oxidation. What happens in the vat is just like the difference between keeping wine in a magnum or bottle—the big vats are fruitier. When we bottle, we bottle the complete vintage.”

There used to be different levels of Gilette — dry, demi-sec, demi-doux, doux, and crême de tête. G was the dry wine but made in only three vintages, 1954, 1956, 1958. (This gave the idea to Bernard Lur Saluces to produce the dry Ygrec at Château d’Yquem.) The last vintage of the other cuvées was 1962. “Because we now produce only Crême de Tête, we don’t produce every year. It’s usually made 5 years each decade. At 10 hl/ha we get 6,000 bottles. Basically we try to sell  up to 3,000 bottles per year. Some years we don’t pick at all.”

“What you get with Gilette is the intensity of old vines, the volume, but the freshness of aromas. There is absolutely no oak in any of our Sauternes, Oak is not our style. (We think that) with oak you lose a little bit the purity and freshness in the wine. It begins a second life in bottle. Twenty years after bottling, the wines begin to express perfectly.” When we start the tasting, Xavier says, “All the wines will change in the tasting because they have never been in contact with air at all. Because this is an extreme reductive situation, they need a lot of oxygen.”

The tasting (fron row of bottles), with color darkening from 1999 (left) to 1975 (right)

We tasted from the current release (1999, bottled three months ago) back to the great vintage of 1975. The wines deepen and become more intense with age but always retain a remarkable sense of purity and freshness. They develop very slowly. Clearly just beginning its development, the 1999 seemed almost too young to assess by comparison with the extraordinary 1997. “1997 is completely different. It’s a very particular vintage, the smallest production of Gilette ever, only 40 hl, I needed a special tank. Frost reduced yields, the grapes were harvested in 2 tries, everything was perfect. It’s a very precise vintage,” Xavier says.

“1996 was a good vintage for reds, so there was more passerillage, it was a little bit too hot (for Sauternes). Each vintage is a photographic record of the year,” Xavier comments. It’s a fatter vintage, showing more like a conventional Sauternes, whereas in most vintages the 4.5 ha plot from which Gillette comes expresses itself in a lighter style more like Barsac.

Going back to 1988, you see the result of an unusual vintage that required 11 tries. It’s very pure and precise, but perhaps more overtly sweet than usual, so the 1981, which is not as sweet, givers a clearer sense of its flavor spectrum. The 1979 and 1975 move towards the broader texture of figs and dates, with impressions of bitter orange cutting the sweetness.

Tasting Notes

1999
Medium gold color. Some spices on nose. Viscous, honeyed, long aftertaste shows honey, coffee, caramel, marmalade, but fresher than you usually find in Sauternes. Some citrus on the finish. “1999 gave very pure results with good botrytis. It begins a second life in bottle,” Xavier says.    92  Drink -2042

1997
Slightly darker color than 1999. Quite a piercing nose with citrus to the fore. The freshness is extraordinary. “For me this is a legend,” Xavier says, “it will age for 80 years.” Spicy and elegant, quite reserved now, lots of coffee on the nose following through to the finish. Aftertaste tends to citrus, bitter orange, marmalade. Palate shows honeyed texture but very elegant impression. Elegance is not a word I often use to describe Sauternes, but this stands out in the tasting for its combination of sweetness, complexity, and freshness.    96  Drink -2050

1996
Deeper golden color than 1997. A little spice and marmalade and apricots on the nose; it takes about 30 minutes for the nose actually to come out fully. This is a fatter vintage and more like Sauternes as opposed to Barsac. A touch of bitterness on the finish, you might say bitter orange, some honey and marmalade, long, and finally that bitterness coming back.    91 Drink -2042

1988
Medium gold color moving towards caramel. Nose is quite restrained but promises elegance, with some tight, sweet, botrytized aromas. This shows fruit purity above all else, very tight and precise on the palate, with bitter orange, marmalade, candied fruits, spicy, notes of nougatine, apricots. Complex but precise, with coffee developing on the finish.    93  Drink -2040

1981
Deep orange color. Complex spicy nose remains fresh. Smooth and silky, pure and crystalline, with marmalade and bitter orange predominating on palate on finish. Shows more subtlety because it is not as sweet as 1988.    94  Drink -2042

1979
Quite deep caramel color. Sense of purity shows on spicy nose, follows to palate of apricots, marmalade, some figs in the background, very clean precise lines, sharply delineated, long bitter orange on the finish. Deepens in the glass and increases in intensity. Silky impression on palate.    95  Drink -2042

1975
Deep gold – caramel color. Rich impression of vintage comes through the usual tight expression of the chateau. Very fine and precise, bitter orange dominates the finish with hints of coffee, dates, and figs in the background, long impression retronasally. That sense of bitterness really cuts the sweetness.    94  Drink -2040