Pessac-Leognan
Smoky, oaky nose, a touch stemmy with blackberry jam over cedary toast – good wild berry fruit up front, nice balance, soft tannin, good acid, tannins are a bit peppery, good length, crisp fruit on finish, hint of bitter tannin. (87-88)
Earthy and lightly funky on the nose with integrated wood offsetting soft small red berried fruits – round in the mouth, very soft tannins, good bright red berry fruit, red currant, red raspberry a bit lean perhaps, but fresh and finely balanced, modest length. (87-88)
Perfumy nose redolent of spicy French oak with undercurrents of dried meats and sweet red fruits – sweet entry with a very polished mouthfeel, fine balance, smooth with ripe fruit, ripe tannins, and well integrated supporting acids, spicy wood tones on the moderately long finish. (91-92)
Smoky and earthy on the nose with herbaceous tones giving this a stemmy quality and leathery notes to the fruit – elevated acids make this tart, light bodied, a bit neutral on the palate, soft tannins, clean finish, fairly fruity, stemmy tannins, a bit short, obviously quite fruit driven. (85-86)
Toasty, roast herb, leather, hint of barnyard, dried grasses and wildflowers, a bit of chalk – highish acid but with covering fruit, a bit chunky, very black currant, soft tannin, nice mouthfeel and mid-palate weight, crisp tannin on the finish with good length. (89-90)
Woody, cedary, yet soil driven nose, notes of talc, flowers and gingerbread add some complexity – light bodied, bright, a touch simple, quite floral with astringent red fruit tones in the mouth, minty finish is a bit short. (85-86)
Hugely herbaceous nose, Cabernet driven, black, gravel and even some tomato- a bit blocky in the mouth, structured and balanced with nice density and weight, but not much detail, tight, finish is short, should improve. (85-86)
Subtle yet complex on the nose with smoky tones intertwined with slightly herbaceous black fruit and backing notes of oak spice – bright, a touch shrill, transparent, quite red fruited but with hard acids and a compact chalky finish. (85-86)
Rather intense nose full of wood, butcher’s wax, talc, cream, and rich floral perfumes – plush in the mouth, very finely polished tannins, deep, aromatic fruit, a bit small scaled but with excellent balance, nice tannins are firm but ripe, shows real focus and drive across the palate, good length and fruit persistence. (91-92)
Bitter greens on the nose, raw wood with dusty, stony underlay and some tomato top notes – nice round feel, well balanced, integrated acids and tannins, small scaled but fresh with a bright fruit character, a bit creamy on the back end, short, tight finish. (87-88)
Cedary, oaky and toasty on the nose slick in the mouth, almost silky, tight and shallow, closed with no mid-palate or finish. (81-82)
Tasted later at the Chateau with more detailed notes – please see the wine detail page
Comments
e
It would be helpful if, along with your snapshot reviews, you gave what you feel is the aging potential of each of these, vs DRINK NOW or DONT DRINK NOW. My interest is very specific, because I had the (mis/good) fortune of visiting many of these chateaux in April '07 and wanted ideally to buy a btl from each of the places I visited, within reason and affordability:
Pichon-Longueville was my "residence" for my week-long stay, and we also visited
Petit Villages
Lafon Rochet
Margaux
Lynch Bages
Cantenac-Brown
Loeville Barton,
Suduiraut
Pibran
Ausone
Valandraud
Smith Haute Lafitte
Some are obviously beyond my price range (Margaux and Ausone) but if any are priced reasonable to their quality for 2007, knowing if I should save or savor them now would be a plus.
Thanks.
Mary
Aug 11, 2010 at 5:04 PM
So in your view what was the problem with Domaine de Chevalier? They usually do better, and are one of my go-tos in Pessac-Leognan. As is the Pape Clement, whose '97 I also like. Ditto Kirwan and Rauzan-Segla in Margaux, Branaire-Ducru and Gruad Larose in St. Julien, d'Armailhac and Pichon Baron and Comtesse in Pauillac, though we're rising in price scale. How much better do you guess the Pontet Canet will get with age?
Aug 11, 2010 at 7:41 PM
H
There really is a typo in there: Bordeaux Clairet (deep pink) is great, but Clairette (the white grape) isn't permitted in Bordeaux.
Aug 12, 2010 at 12:31 PM
Dal Piaz
Duly noted - Thanks!
For the more in-depth questions, give me a bit of time to clear my desk and I shall return!
Aug 12, 2010 at 12:47 PM
Great article. I have had many similar arguments with friends who love the Southern Rhone in 2007. Like 2000, 2003, 2005 and now 2009 in Bordeaux, 2007 in the Rhone produced opulent wines with ripe tannins and powerful fruit. The kind of stuff the critics live for.
Honestly I prefer the 2008 CDPs to those of 2007. What they lack in power, they more than make up for in nuance and elegance. I would love to hear your thoughts on the past few years in the Southern Rhone.
Aug 13, 2010 at 4:36 PM
Dal Piaz
Mary, these wines will only improve with age, well most of them at least. I would be comfortable leaving them be for 3-5 years.
Dmcker
Let's see Domaine de Chevalier - looks fine just a bit too tannic at this stage, and with this being a lighter bodied vintage I am hesitant to suggest that this sort of issue will easily rectify itself. The Pontet Canet though looks like it is balance already so I would expect the wine to have a fine, if somewhat compressed evolution. Now keep in mind this is coming from someone who is now begging to drink his 99s, which i expect will be at peak over the coming 5-8 years.
Thanks Amantivino. Well, I think vintages like 05 and 07 in the Rhone are fantastic - for Cotes du Rhone. I have preferred most 04 Rhones to their 05 counterparts, and lots not even discuss the 03s!
Truth is the winemaking style in the Rhone has undergone radical changes over the past 10-15 years. A vintage like 1995 was my kind of vintage and some producers still ate making spectacular wines, but at a price.
To be honest I don't generally buy much Rhone wine anymore. If I do it's likely to be from just a few producers in the north, and perhaps an equal numer in the south. Though i find myself thinking that if I want southern Rhones I'm better off looking towards the Rousillon-Languedoc these days for better wine at better pricing!
Aug 13, 2010 at 6:04 PM
pson
Oh Dear
Not only am I at a loss to understand why we should be gambling large amounts of money to find which left bankers are worth the cash, my preferred alternative, the 2007 Southern Cotes du Rhone, where everything is a winner, not just the psh communes but the humble villages, is under attack!
I am baffled chaps!
Two of last years greatest young wines tasted were:-
Font de Michelle Chateauneuf de Pape 2007
Domaine du Cayron Gigondas 2007.
Not only that but you can drink these from now onwards, not in 2016 or whenever the vendor tells you the closed tannins will soften and the vegetal aromas will subside!
Lower priced alternatives are the excellent Rasteau applelation and Cotes du Rhone Villages. However, there is a reason the 2008s are more common and easy to find; the French and collectors are hoarding the 2007s.
Aug 19, 2010 at 7:23 AM
Add a Comment
Submit
Edit Confirm