Of all the Bordeaux vintages I’ve tasted over the last 20 years, 2013 must be the most challenging of the lot for its red winemakers. But, this week's tasting of classified wines in London showed that some chateaux produced enjoyable wines against the odds; here's Decanter Content Director John Stimpfig's top seven.
Superbly situated at the top of the St Emilion’s famous plateau, this Merlot dominant blend has an aromatic nose, with light, crunchy red cherry and cassis fruits on the palate. Light-bodied in structure, there’s also a hint of leafiness and sandalwood on the finish.
Savoury ‘boot polish’ nose with spangly cassis fruit leading to blue-black fruits in the mouth with a lick of coffee and cream. Fresh acidity and fittingly modest tannins mean this is more of a welterweight wine. Well-made, pleasing if not profound.
Surprisingly deep colour and fine floral nose with ink and red-black fruits. A blend of 82% Cabernet and 18% Merlot, this has more of a red fruit profile on the palate with raspberries, cassis and violets providing lift and focus. The whole ensemble is underpinned by bright crunchy acidity and, for the vintage, impressive tannic structure. Good length too.
Owned by the Lur Saluces family, this is richly intense and serious with weight, power and gravitas. Super sweet yet with lovely acidity and drying bitterness on the finish, this is exquisitely balanced and long with apricot and marmalade fruit to the fore. A blend of 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, it is also richly unctuous. NB, this is still a barrel sample as the de Fargues spends between 30-36 months in oak. One for the long haul.
Normally, this is a blend of 60% Cabernet, 30% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot, but in 2013 winemaker Caroline Frey felt obliged to rip up the rule book and try something completely different. So she produced just 20,000 bottles of La Lagune (as opposed to the usual 120,000) and selected her best Cabernet plots. The result is an especially successful 100% varietal Cabernet which is juicy, fresh, and sweet-fruited with violets, red cherries, cola and plums. The fruit is cool while the tannins are pleasingly ripe without being over ambitious. Very impressive.
Charm and elegance personified, this was also showing extremely well. Again, it’s a forward drinking wine with soft easy tannins bright creamy cassis fruit and supple texture. Cropped at just 32 hl/ha, this is a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot and a pinch of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc aged for eighteen months in 60% new French barriques. A stand-out effort.
If the reds struggled in Bordeaux in 2013, the whites have shone. None more so than this brilliant effort by Olivier Bernard. A blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon, this is both crisp and weighty with intense flavours of citrus, greengage and sherbet mingling with a creamy, mealy savouriness. Also terrific mouthfeel, balance and length. Great wine.