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Sep 30, 2014
2011 Bordeaux Release - October 4, 2014
While 2011 marks the start of a series of troublesome to downright devastating vintages; I did find a few treats in this year’s release in British Columbia Liquor Stores on October 4, 2014.
Prices this year are fairly static from last, but the next couple of vintages, with low yields due to dramatic weather conditions (and the Canadian dollar) will likely become pricier.
The season started warm but July and August were cool and wet. Although harvest warmed up and was pretty much completed under sunny skies, growers had to be selective.
Good Value
Good value is, of course, relative. The following offer good value in a Bordeaux red.
Château Belgrave, Haut-Médoc
Consistently good value - I seem to mention this wine each year. The vintage is expressed in this wine (as it is with each wine this vintage) but it shows classic Bordeaux character. A cherry-ruby hue with aromas of cassis, cherry, raspberry atop leather, tobacco, dried fruit and wild herbs. Leaner in style but fresh and charming.
+263764 $50
Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Léognan
Probably the most delightful wine I tasted under $100. High-toned red berries combined with crushed flowers and herbal notes. It has a soft entry and is a decidedly feminine style. It grows more powerful mid-palate with fine but firm tannins and flavours of cocoa. This is one I’ll be picking up.
+280420 $90
Château Branaire Ducru, St. Julien
Expect beautiful silky aromas of black currents and blueberry and pipe tobacco. This wine though, is all about the texture… it is silky and fresh, medium-bodied with more flavours of tobacco, leather and cocoa than fruit.
+3000194 $95
Others Under $60
Château La Vieille Cure, Fronsac
Expect deeper ripe briary fruit and a plush character. It is fuller-bodied with bittersweet chocolate and tobacco flavours.
+301689 $38
Château Rahoul, Graves
This makes me think of what old Claret must have been like. The nose is a bit sweaty and woody with some herbal and bloody/meaty notes atop sour fruit. It is spicy with herbal flavours but holds court with tart red fruits and bittersweet cocoa, tobacco and more spice on the finish. A wine for savoury dinners, lamb, lentils, medium-firm cheeses, grilled peppers.
+263228 $25
Château Plince, Pomerol
It offers notes of juicy red fruits, herbal tones and tobacco with fine spice and cocoa. It’s a leaner red but has an attractive freshness.
+266957 $38
Château Montlabert, St. Émilion
Expect sweaty saddle leather, sweet briary fruit and classic Bordelais aromas, which include tobacco. It’s a very approachable wine with a slightly bitter finish.
+288191 $35
Château Berliquet, St. Émilion
Expect vanilla, oak spice and fat, juicy berry fruit aromas and flavours. It’s drinking quite nicely now – a wine with good structure and balance with a smooth finish.
+264499 $58
Premium
Château Canon La Gaffeliere, St. Émilion
Besides the obvious trophy wine, following, this was my favourite wine – which at $120 is still good value. It has an alluring and feminine nose of violets and lilacs, charming red fruits, licorice and a hint of mocha. The palate is an echo of the nose – it is juicy and fresh, delightful and drinkable. The tannins are present but fine and it has room to age. Finesse.
+300459 $120
Château Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan
Old school – classic and honest. It has an intense colour with aromas of cassis and wild briary berries, muddled with licorice, crushed purple flowers and sweet spices. The palate does a 180-degree turn to masculine – powerful and firm with grippy tannins and flavours of tealeaf and cocoa on the finish. Hold this one for a few years.
+300962 $150
Château Troplong Mondot, St. Émilion
Expect aromas of wood spice and leather, black briary fruits, extracted liqueur-like character and floral tones. It is silky with supple and juicy fruit that stands out as more pronounced than most of the others I tasted on this day. Excellent length. Another standout in a difficult vintage.
+267070 $180
Château Lascombes, Margaux
Expect classic Bordelais aromas of dried flowers, leather, tealeaf, roasted herbs and olives with woody notes. The palate is dominated by bright fruit (leaning toward red) and tobacco flavours. It is juicy; the entry is silky. It is elegant and fine boned with fine dry tannins.
+288357 $120
Château Palmer, Margaux
Quite a potent style, constructed to create intensity in a rather troublesome vintage. Inky in colour with good depth of dark fruits, leather, smoked meats, toasted wood and tobacco aromas and flavours. It is somewhat brooding leaning toward overbearing despite bright acidity. Very tightly wound with firm tannins – a wine that needs significantly more time to open than most of the others I tasted in this flight.
+280354 $399
Trophy
Château Latour, Pauillac
As Master of Wine and buyer for the European wine selections at BC Liquor Stores, Barb Philip says, “The Latour has good breeding.”
True enough, even blind this wine would stand out as the best wine of the flight. It’s virtually unattainable for most of us but if you have the means, it is fantastic. Entirely more depth – pipe tobacco, cedar, licorice, cassis, vanilla liqueur, black raspberries mixed with purple fruits and dried flowers.
Silky, yet polished tannins are present. It is a complete wine, seductive in character with wonderful finesse and balance. The finish is long and sweet, reminiscent of pipe tobacco and berries. The 2011 was the last time Latour was offered en primeur. From now on it will be released when the estate feels it is ready to drink. It is believed this has been a focus on Latour’s for many years as they have slowly been reducing their en primeur offerings over the past decade.
+289942 $1500
View the details and booklet from BC Liquor Stores here
~Daenna Van Mulligen |
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