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Sunday in the Rhône—what to do? A horizontal tasting of dozens of older wines passes the time
Posted: April 21, 2011 By James Molesworth
On my fifth day in the Rhône Valley I settled into my hotel room for a retrospective tasting of 30 Côte-Rôties from 2001. Here are my notes.
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Tasting the young new wines at Natacha Chave and Stéphane Ogier
Posted: April 20, 2011 By James Molesworth
On my fourth day in the Rhône Valley I visited two young wineries, one belongs to the daughter of Bernard Chave, the other to Stéphane Ogier. I tasted Natacha Chave's 2010 St.-Josephs and Ogier's 2010 Côte-Rôties and more. Here are my notes.
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Visitis with Les Vins de Vienne, Yves Cuilleron and François Villard
Posted: April 18, 2011 By James Molesworth
One way to learn the quality and style of a new vintage is to taste at a domaine such as Jamet, where a single appellation is broken down to its basic parts. The other way, is to taste a range of wines covering several appellations from within the broader region—such as at Les Vins de Vienne. And then, by using both approaches together, you get both the broad picture and the fine details. Today I tasted the upcoming vintages at Les Vins de Vienne, Yves Cuilleron and François Villard. Here are my notes.
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Visits with Domaine Alain Paret and Jean-Paul & Jean-Luc Jamet
Posted: April 14, 2011 By James Molesworth
Today I made a first-ever visit to one domaine, and a regular stop at a well-know domaine. I visited Domaine Alain Paret and Jean-Paul & Jean-Luc Jamet for tastes of the next vintages of Côte-Rôtie, St.-Joseph, Condrieu and more.
Below are my tasting notes
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Visits with Georges Vernay, Pierre-Jean Villa, Julien Pilon, Yves Gangloff and Jean-Michel Gerin
Posted: April 14, 2011 By James Molesworth
I’ve made quite a shift in gears following two weeks in Bordeaux as I’m now in my old stomping grounds in the Rhône Valley. Tastings here are a more casual affair, done usually in the cave, with samples drawn straight from barrel, as opposed to the more formal tasting rooms and pre-prepared samples that are typical at Bordeaux châteaus. I’m getting a good deal of teasing from the local vignerons too, about my new tasting responsibilities.
“Hopefully you’ll give them good marks and they’ll raise prices 40 percent,“ joked one Rhône vigneron. “Then we can raise ours 20 percent and look like a bargain.”
Today I visited Georges Vernay, Pierre-Jean Villa, Julien Pilon, Yves Gangloff and Jean-Michel Gerin for tastes of the next vintages of Côte-Rôtie, St.-Joseph, Condrieu and more. Here are my notes.
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Visiting the domaines of France's Northern Rhône Valley for a preview of the 2009 and 2010 vintages
Posted: April 13, 2011 By James Molesworth
Wine Spectator senior editor James Molesworth is back in France's Northern Rhône Valley for a preview of the 2009 and 2010 vintages.
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Stirring the Lees with James Molesworth
Rating the newest vintage from Bordeaux after tasting more than 400 barrel samples
Posted: April 8, 2011 By James Molesworth
After sifting through the 447 Bordeaux 2010 barrel samples I recently tasted, it seemed like a good idea to give some general thoughts on the vintage.
Right now, châteaus are still showing the wines to the press and trade, then they'll basically huddle up and determine pricing. Based on conversations with many château owners, Demand from the Asian market is not slowing down for the 2010s—with the exception of Japan, which is "not buying anything right now" according to one négociant I spoke with, for obvious reasons. Plus, as the U.S. economy slowly picks up steam, if would only seem to reason that demand for the top châteaus will increase here as well. So, with quality high and quantities slightly reduced in '10, I'd expect pricing to rival the levels of the '09s.
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My recommendations for good dining spots when traveling through Bordeaux
Posted: April 6, 2011 By James Molesworth
I'm back in the office this week, after spending two weeks visiting châteaus and blind-tasting a few hundred samples of the new 2010 vintage in Bordeaux. You can access all the tasting notes here; there will be an additional batch of notes posted today as well.
While my schedule was tight and I had little free time, I do actually prefer to dine alone. When I find something interesting, I pass it along here, so consider this an addition to my previous blog post on a few good dining spots when you're traveling through Bordeaux.
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Barrel Tasting
Tasting notes and scores for the potentially classic wines
Posted: March 31, 2011 By James Molesworth
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Barrel Tasting
Scores and full tasting notes for all barrel samples reviewed, grouped by location
Posted: March 31, 2011 By James Molesworth
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Barrel Tasting
A comprehensive list of all barrel samples reviewed, with scores
Posted: March 31, 2011 By James Molesworth
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Notes on the 2010 wines from two big names on the Right Bank, plus the great Sauternes estate of Yquem
Posted: March 30, 2011 By James Molesworth
On my last day of visits in Bordeaux, I decided to go back where I started—Pomerol and St.-Emilion. Since I would be beginning my blind tastings of the 2010 barrel samples with wines from those appellations, I thought it would make a smooth transition, so I stopped at Châteaus Pétrus and Cheval-Blanc. Below are my notes.
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Notes on the 2010 reds and whites from the first-growth and its sister in Pessac-Léognan
Posted: March 29, 2011 By James Molesworth
The expressway that circles the city of Bordeaux has become a major artery for commuters and long-haul truckers, and traffic on the rocade is always bad. So I avoided it for the short drive from my hotel to Pessac, the Bordeaux suburb that now engulfs the historic château and vineyards of first-growth Haut-Brion.
Jean-Philippe Delmas, the technical director at the sister châteaus of Haut-Brion and La Mission-Haut-Brion, which are just opposite each other, has a big vintage on his hands. Of all the first-growths, these wines were easily the most backward examples of the 2010 vintage yet. Delmas was dealing with too much of a good thing, which he admits made for a tough time deciding on the blend.
Below are my notes on the 2010 Haut-Brion red and white, as well as those of La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion, Le Clarence de Haut-Brion and La Mission-Haut-Brion.
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Notes on the 2010 wines from a first-growth aiming to make every parcel worthy of the grand vin
Posted: March 28, 2011 By James Molesworth
Last December, I visited Château Latour, one of the three first-growths in Pauillac, and spoke with its intensely focused president, Frédéric Engerer. On this visit, he picked up where he left off—all Latour, all the time, despite the recent acquisition (pending final paperwork) of Château-Grillet in the Rhône.
Engerer wanted to talk about selection. It seems that every top château in Bordeaux is being more stringent in their selection of the lots for their grand vin. But Engerer insists that the process begins in the vineyards. Simply selecting quality levels of wine after the fact is limited.
After touring a few vineyard parcels, on bike no less, I tasted the 2010 Latour, Les Forts de Latour and the third-wine Pauillac. Below are my notes.
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Notes on the 2010 wines from the first-growth and its siblings, d’Armailhac and Clerc-Milon
Posted: March 25, 2011 By James Molesworth
Château Mouton-Rothschild in Pauillac is the only Bordeaux classified growth ever to have been promoted; in 1973, it rose from second-growth to first-growth. Proud yet unyielding, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, the owner at the time, proclaimed the château’s motto: “I, Mouton, do not change.”
But since taking over the winemaking here in 2004, Philippe Dhalluin has made changes—and the wines here are embarking on a new era of purity and elegance, while still retaining their classic, ironclad power.
Below are my scores and tasting notes for the wines I tasted with Dhalluin at Mouton, including châteaus d’Armailhac and Clerc-Milon.
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Notes on wines from the first-growth and other estates in the Rothschild portfolio: Duhart-Milon, L'Evangile and Rieussec
Posted: March 24, 2011 By James Molesworth
I headed further up through the Médoc today, into the heart of the left bank’s prime Cabernet Sauvignon territory—St.-Julien and Pauillac.
I ended the day at the famed first-growth Château Lafite-Rothschild, where I met with estate manager Charles Chevalier and Christophe Salin, managing director of the parent company, Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite).
Below are my scores and tasting notes for the wines I tasted, including châteaus Lafite Rothschild, Duhart-Milon, L'Evangile and Rieussec.
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An overview of the 2010 vintage of top estates on Bordeaux's Left Bank, including Château Margaux
Posted: March 23, 2011 By James Molesworth
Another splendid day in Bordeaux, with bright skies and cool breezy weather greeted me as I made the drive into the Margaux appellation for a handful of visits.
If Christian Moueix is the dean of Pomerol, Paul Pontallier holds an equivalent position in Margaux. The soft-spoken but serious winemaker has built a sterling 30-year career at the helm of one of the region’s top estates, first growth Château Margaux. Like Moueix, Pontallier resists hyperbole, yet he was nearly giddy (by Pontallier standards) at the prospects of the 2010 vintage. I had spoken to him shortly after the harvest last year, and he has not changed his position.
Below are my scores and tasting notes for Margaux's red and white wines.
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An overview of the 2010 vintage at top Right Bank estates, including Lafleur-Pétrus and Trotanoy
Posted: March 22, 2011 By James Molesworth
The weather in Bordeaux today was simply perfect for tasting—bright and sunny, with high air pressure and a fresh, cooling breeze. It put me in a great mood as I set off for Pomerol for my first day of visits to taste the barrel samples of 2010 Bordeaux.
As if I truly needed another reason to be excited, since I was going to visit Christian Moueix. Moueix is one of the true wise men of Bordeaux, and his portfolio is rich with the jewels of the appellations of Pomerol and St.-Emilion. Though he no longer personally controls Château Pétrus (I’ll taste that wine later), there’s no better place than Moueix’s Libourne headquarters to get an overview of how the Right Bank fared in the vintage.
Below are my scores and tasting notes for the wines I tasted, including châteaus Lafleur-Pétrus and Trotanoy.
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My château visits and tastings of the 2010 red, white and sweet Bordeaux start this week
Posted: March 21, 2011 By James Molesworth
I'm on my way to Bordeaux to taste the 2010 vintage, the first official unveiling of the vintage by the region's many producers. Just before I left, I was able to taste 20 wines from the Right Bank, a mix of Pomerol, St.-Emilion and satellite appellations. (View notes on these wines here.) Based on that first small sampling, I think I'm going to enjoy my tastings and visits over the next two weeks: 2010 looks like it will give the tremendous 2009 vintage a run for its money.
The châteaus will be showcasing barrel samples, unfinished wines still aging in their cellars. So what exactly do you look for when tasting young wines, reds in particular, at such an early stage in their evolution?
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Barrel Tasting
How exciting is the new vintage? James Molesworth is tasting in Bordeaux for two weeks to find out. Check out his tasting notes and daily blogs
Posted: March 21, 2011 By James Molesworth
