Blog

The B Final of the Bordeaux Grands Crus Classés tasting for the 2011 vintage took place at a stunning country house located almost right in the heart of Montpellier. Thank you Régine and Francis for your hospitality and for organizing the sightseeing activities that complemented this wonderful final.

This one was preceded the day before by a small appetizer following the same principles (blind tasting) and showcasing seven great wines from around the world (Italy, Hungary, South Africa, Japan, the Golan Heights, and the United States) made from a single Bordeaux grape variety: Cabernet Franc, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon. Paleo, Le Macchiole, Bolgheri, Italy, made from Cabernet Franc, narrowly edged out Canon la Gaffelière, which served as the benchmark for this exercise. Also noteworthy were the tied third-place finishes by the Japanese Merlot (Solaris) and the South African Cabernet Sauvignon (Kanonkop).

Returning to the Bordeaux Grands Crus Classés Final B, ten wines were selected. These were the winners of the eight appellation finals (Graves, Margaux, Médoc, Pauillac, Pomerol, St. Emilion, St. Estèphe, and St. Julien), as well as the runners-up from the Pauillac and St. Emilion appellations. Here is the list:

Canon la Gaffelière, Clerc Milon, Clos de l’Oratoire, Domaine de Chevalier, Duhart Milon, l’Evangile, Gruaud Larose, Lascombes, La Tour Carnet, Montrose

Here are the results for the first six wines :

Château Lascombes, winner of the Margaux appellation final, brilliantly triumphed in this blind tasting by combining complexity, power, and balance. It is worth noting that it had already won the Margaux appellation final for the 2008 vintage, though it failed to make it into the top six in the 2008 Final B.

The three representatives from the Right Bank (Pomerol and St. Emilion appellations) fell just short of the podium, and only Canon la Gaffelière will advance to the Final A, alongside, of course, Ausone, Cheval Blanc, and Petrus.

Already fully focused…

A harmonious tasting featuring wines distinguished by their depth, balance, elegance, and even… a certain wisdom! Without a doubt, a fine selection for a vintage sometimes considered challenging.

In a tasting session where opinions were remarkably consistent, the tasters stood out for their low standard deviations. And this was achieved without anyone sharing their views on the relative quality of the wines during the tasting… What a challenge! In any case, kudos to all the participants for their professionalism.

Cathedral of Saint Pierre de Maguelone: An invitation to meditation.

The tasting took place on April 13, 2024 at Coti-Chiavari. After the 2015 vintage, whose final was won by Yves Canarelli’s cuvée Amphore, the club continues its exploration of the island’s great red wines with the 2016 vintage.

Great Corsican wines are hard to source in older vintages, but this time we had a little more time to track down the top wines, relying as usual on the consolidated scores provided by the Wine-Searcher website. We were even able to organize two semi-finals with the best challengers from northern Corsica (“Cismonte”) and southern Corsica (“Pumonte”). Unfortunately, we were unable to restock the first of each of these semi-finals, in this case Nos Petits Grains du Clos Marfisi (Patrimonio) and Tarra di Sognu, Yves Canarelli’s brand-new Bonifacio regional appellation wine. We have replaced them with Clos Venturi’s Chiesa Nera, second in the Cismonte, and Antica d’U Stiliccionu and Domaine Peraldi’s Cuvée Cardinal, second and fourth respectively in the Pumonte.

The A final is a match between Corsica’s two Grands Crus appellations, Ajaccio and Patrimonio, refereed by Clos Venturi’s La Chiesa Nera (Ponte Leccia) and Yves Canarelli’s Cuvée Amphora (Figari).

Here is the list of wines presented:

• Antica, U Stiliccionu, Ajaccio
• Amphora, Clos Canarelli, Figari
• Carco, A-M. Arena, Patrimonio
• Chiesa Nera, Clos Venturi, Vin de Corse
• Cuvée Cardinal, Comte Peraldi, Ajaccio
• Granit, Vaccelli, Ajaccio
• Grotte di Sole, J-B. Arena, Patrimonio
• Kalliste, U Stiliccionu, Ajaccio
• Memoria, A-M. Arena, Patrimonio
• Ministre Impérial, Abbatucci, Ajaccio
• Monte Bianco, Abbatucci, Ajaccio
• Morta Maio, A. Arena, Patrimonio
• San Giovanni, A-M. Arena, Vin de France

This blind tasting was won by two wines from Taravo, the southern valley of the Ajaccio appellation, namely Antica from Sébastien Poly (the most Burgundian of Corsican winemakers) and Granit from Gérard Courrèges. It’s worth noting that Antica is not aged in barrels. The stainless-steel vat enables a different level of evolution and balance to be achieved, without however – and this is the most astonishing – losing in complexity nor intensity.

Vaccelli’s Granit and Peraldi’s Cuvée Cardinal complete the podium, more in line with the grand crus de garde of the Ajaccio appellation. Yves Canarelli’s cuvée Amphora failed to make the podium this time, although it was ahead of Jean-Charles Abbatucci’s Monte Bianco and Ministre Impérial.

Overall, and as in 2015, the wines of Ajaccio and Figari, which feature Sciaccarellu, the emblematic grape variety of these two appellations, are ahead of all other wines. The great wines of Patrimonio, using mainly Niellucciu grapes, will certainly benefit from cellaring for a few more years.

A special mention must go to Tarra di Sognu, the only wine that managed to beat (admittedly by a small margin) Antica in the Pumonte semi-final. This new wine in the Bonifaccio “micro-appellation” brings to the top the Carcaghjolu Neru grape variety, characterized by its dark color and great sapidity.

Barneville-Carteret is certainly an ideal location in France for hosting a memorable double tasting in the middle of summer. The cool breeze from the Atlantic Ocean helps maintain stable temperature and humidity conditions throughout a blind tasting, which greatly facilitates the tasters’ work. Thank you to Perrine and Stéphane for once again welcoming us so warmly, right before the summer holidays!

Let’s start with the first tasting: It was a vertical tasting of the famous Château Brane-Cantenac, from the Margaux appellation and undoubtedly “the” favorite wine of Daniel Lamare, founder of the wine club.

A fine vintage selection from 1971 to 2011

Why these vintages? The idea was to compare relatively “recent” vintages, that is, young wines that have reached an initial stage of maturity, against certain legends of the past such as the 1999 vintage (winner of Final A), the 1985 (Second in Final A), or vintages that “trained” us within the club, such as the 1971 or the 1979.

Of course, it is difficult to compare “teenagers” to “sixtiers,” given that intensity is a key criterion for ranking wines and that this will inevitably decline with the age of the bottle being tasted! Nevertheless, beyond the pleasure of tasting all these incredible wines, we can draw relevant comparisons by simply ranking the wines by decade, for example.

And here are the results:

The 2011 vintage won this tasting by a wide margin. Already very well-integrated and balanced, it shines with its intensity and freshness. More surprisingly, it is closely followed by 2006 and 2007, two so-called “off-vintages” of the new century. 1985 comes in just off the podium: what class, what finesse, and what complexity! But we must accept the verdict of a blind tasting. The rest of the ranking is ultimately quite logical, with the older vintages bringing up the rear. But what a pleasure it was!

A brief moment of relaxation between sporting and sightseeing activities

Let’s continue with the second tasting: This time, the goal was to compare the winners of the ten finals A for the oldest vintages, ranging from 1964 to 1987. Hence the name “Super Final.”

Once again, it’s difficult to compare wines in their thirties to those in their fifties, and you have to read the results table while taking the different age groups into account—even if this time the gap is more reasonable, since the youngest wine is still 35 years old!

It’s no surprise to find three wines from the 1980s on the podium of this tasting… but who would have bet on the 1987 Château Mouton to take the top spot? One would have expected to see higher-rated vintages like 1986, 1983, or 1979. 1987 is part of the so-called “curse of the 7s” for red Bordeaux: 1967, 1977, 1987, 1997, 2007… Five decades shunned by critics. Fortunately, 2017 has finally broken this so-called curse! 🙂

Given these circumstances, finding Château Margaux 1977 at the bottom of the podium is a real surprise. Wasn’t it Robert Parker who claimed that “life was too short to drink 1977 Bordeaux”? 🙂 That said, we have rather a dull memory of the 1977 vintage tasting campaign, with a final round in which only Château Margaux and a certain Brane-Cantenac truly stood out.

Once again, an incredible tasting that showcases Bordeaux’s three flagship appellations: Pauillac, St. Émilion, and Margaux. It’s true that the Pomerol appellation wasn’t represented, since no Pomerol has won an A Final since the club’s inception.

The Final A of the Grands Crus Classés de Bordeaux tasting for the 2008 vintage took place in April 2023 in Montpellier, the city where the sun never sets. Thank you Régine and Francis for your welcome and for a wonderful guided tour of Montpellier’s historic center.

For this tasting, the top four wines in Final B – Le Bon Pasteur, Domaine de Chevalier, La Mondotte and La Tour Carnet – were pitted against the usual “big eight” of Bordeaux’s Grand Cru Classés:

Ausone, Cheval Blanc, Haut-Brion, Lafite, Latour, Margaux, Mouton Rothschild and Petrus.

Here are the results for the top six :

For the first time in the club’s history, the podium is made up entirely of wines from the qualifying rounds. It’s a proof of the levelling upwards that is taking place in Bordeaux! As in all the world’s wine-growing regions, new winemaking techniques are narrowing the gap between the big estates and the smaller operations. And this is true even in a difficult Bordeaux vintage like 2008, when the start of the harvest, particularly for the Cabernet Sauvignon grape variety, was more often a matter of necessity than choice.

As in the final B, wines featuring the Merlot grape did extremely well. With a special mention for La Tour Carnet, which offers an incredible value for money. Haut-Brion, with all its power, falls short of the podium, and will certainly benefit from being aged longer in the cellar. It is followed by a surprising Château Lafite, which despite its high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon, seduces with its astonishing roundness and harmony.

It should be noted that La Tour Carnet is in fact first ex aequo on points, but comes second due to the greater standard deviation of the tasters’ scores. The same goes for Petrus, which, after the 1998 vintage, once again made it into the top six of the Finale A.

Visit at the Domaine Aigues Belles, a rising star in the Pic Saint Loup appellation

The final B of the Grands Crus Classés de Bordeaux wine tasting for the 2008 vintage took place in October 2022 in the magnificent setting of Lake Annecy. Thank you Ella and Jean-Philippe for your welcome in Veyrier du Lac and bravo for the organization of all these sports and tourist activities around this superb final.

Eleven wines have been selected for this blind tasting:

Le Bon Pasteur, Domaine de Chevalier, Grand Puy Lacoste, Issan, La Mondotte, Larcis Ducasse, Lascombes, La Tour Carnet, Léoville las Cases, Phélan Ségur and Pichon Baron

Here are the results for the top six:

For the first time in the history of the club, a Haut-Médoc, in this case Château La Tour Carnet, won a final B!

Apart from this surprising winner, this final saw a clear domination of the right bank with wines that were more aromatic, fat and supple. It seems that the climatic conditions of this vintage favored the development and the blooming of the Merlot grape variety, very present in the Saint-Emilion and especially Pomerol appellations. La Tour Carnet, although located very close to the Saint-Julien appellation, is also characterized by proportions worthy of a right bank wine with its 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, which may explain its great performance. We will see if this analysis is confirmed during the Final A.

Overall, it was a very nice tasting where even the last classified wines could delight the most difficult palates!

This final took place on July 9, 2022 at Pascale and Luc’s house and here is the list of wines that were presented:

• Clerc Milon
• Haut-Bages Libéral
• Haut-Batailley
• Lynch Bages
• Pichon Baron
• Grand Puy Lacoste
• Duhart Milon
• Pontet Canet

Unfortunately, Pichon Comtesse could not be supplied in time for this vintage and it is Grand Puy Lacoste, one of the best “second knives” of the appellation, which imposes itself in strength and balance in front of a trio composed of Haut-Bages Libéral, Clerc Milon and Pichon Baron. Haut-Bages Libéral stands out with its citrus aromas and its very “Margalais” charm. In the tasting, Pichon Baron certainly has the greatest potential for aging.

Here are the results:

This tasting took place on June 25, 2022 in Coti-Chiavari. For once, the club turned away from the Grands Crus Classés of Bordeaux to focus on the great red wines of Kallisté, the Island of Beauty.

Great Corsican wines are particularly difficult to source in older vintages and 2015 is no exception to the rule! It was therefore a real challenge to present the following precious bottles:

• Amphore, Clos Canarelli, Figari
• Chiesa Nera, Clos Venturi, Vin de Corse
• Clos Venturi, Domain Vico, Vin de Corse
• Cuvée Cardinal, Comte Peraldi, Ajaccio
• Kalliste, U Stiliccionu, Ajaccio
• Granit, Vaccelli, Ajaccio
• Grotte di Sole, J-B. Arena, Patrimonio
• Memoria, A-M. Arena, Patrimonio
• Monte Bianco, Abbatucci, Ajaccio
• Oriu, Domaine de Torraccia, Porto Vecchio
• Rouge, Clos Canarelli, Figari
• YL E Croce, Yves Leccia, Patrimonio

No wine from Calvi and Sartene could be presented and we will do better for the next vintages! The two “grand cru” appellations, Ajaccio and Patrimonio, are however well represented.

This blind tasting was won quite easily by Yves Canarelli’s Amphore, ahead of Jean Charles Abbatucci’s Monte Bianco. The Amphore cuvée is characterized by its great elegance and perfect balance while Monte Bianco stands out for its aromatic power and impressive length in the mouth. Overall, the wines of Ajaccio and Figari, which give pride of place to Sciaccarellu, the emblematic grape variety of these two appellations, are ahead of all other wines. The great wines of Patrimonio, using mainly the Nielluccio grape variety, will certainly benefit from being kept in the cellar for a few more years.

This event took place mid-May in a lovely place nearby Paris.

Here is the list of the nine tasted wines:

• Calon Ségur
• Capbern Gasqueton
• Cos d’Estournel
• Cos Labory
• Haut-Marbuzet
• Lafon-Rochet
• Ormes de Pez
• Phélan Ségur
• Montrose

This appellation final is marked by the surprise victory of Phélan Ségur, which delighted us by its sapidity and its length in the mouth, the latter being punctuated by a beautiful final balance. Châteaux Calon-Ségur and Lafon-Rochet complete the podium of a tasting that was both technical (by its variety) and well-made. Small disappointment however for the Châteaux Montrose and Cos d’Estournel which will certainly benefit from being kept much longer in the cellar.

And here are the results:

This final took place at the end of April 2022 in Sucy en Brie.

Here is the list of the eleven tasted wines:

• Beau-Séjour Bécot
• Canon
• Clos Fourtet
• Figeac
• Fonplégeade
• La Gaffelière
• Les Grandes Murailles
• Larcis Ducasse
• Pavie Macquin
• La Mondotte
• Troplong Mondot

This wonderful finale of appellation was dominated by La Mondotte, a real “fighter jet”, so much so that it stands out by its power and “fatness” compared to the other wines. Larcis Ducasse was a very good second. Together with Les Grandes Murailles and Fonplégeades, they certainly represent the best value for money of this blind wine tasting:

This final took place on March 19, 2022 at Pascale and Luc’s home in Sucy en Brie. A date also marked by the grand slam of the French Rugby team, following a beautiful victory against the English team!

Here is the list of the ten tasted wines:

• Bouscaut
• Chapelle de la Mission Haut Brion
• Domaine de Chevalier
• Fieuzal
• Grand vin de Reignac
• Haut Bailly
• Latour Martillac
• Malartic La Gravière
• Pape Clément
• Smith Haut Lafitte

Domaine de Chevalier wins quite easily this very nice appellation final where we took a lot of pleasure. On the nose, it is characterized by a beautiful expression of red fruits, completed in the mouth by a great sapidity and an exceptional length. Châteaux Pape Clément and Malartic la Gravière complete the podium.

Here are the results of the wine tasting: