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Bordeaux 2011 Releases Update 07/05 - 14/05
- 14th May 2012
By Tom Gearing (Director) - Cult Wines Ltd -
http://www.cultwinesltd.com
Four of
the best wines of the 2011 vintage have been
released in the last week, and at prices which
suggest the Chateau have thought carefully about
pricing the 2011’s at reasonable levels.
For this year’s campaign we will only be
recommending wines that we feel meet our investment
grade criteria.
1)
Pontet Canet 2011 @ £725 per 12
- 5 cases available
Represents one of the superstars of the vintage,
and with allocations down 30% on 2010 it’s been
released at an extremely attractive price. With
value proving difficult to find for 2011 Bordeaux,
this is one of the best wines of the Left Bank and
continues to ooze First Growth quality at a
fantastic price level. Cheaper than any other
physical vintage.
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Robert Parker
Jr.
Once again proprietor Alfred Tesseron has produced a
wine of first-growth potential. One of the superstars of
the vintage, Pontet-Canet's 2011 exhibits an opaque
purple color and a glorious bouquet of incense, subtle
toast and copious quantities of creme de cassis. There
is a floral underpinning, decent acidity and ripe tannin
to this full-bodied effort. Big, rich, round and
generously endowed, it should drink well for 20-25+
years.
Score: 93-95
Tim Atkin
A lighter wine than 2010's brilliant effort, but the
team at this stellar fifth growth has interpreted the
vintage with honesty and no little skill. Perfumed,
serious and structured, with flavours of fruitcake and
vanilla and fine tannins. Late picking and rigorous
selection was the key to success here, confirming
Pontet-Canet's status as a super second in all but name.
12+ years.
Score: 96 |
2)
Lynch Bages 2011 @ £725 per 12 - 15 cases
available
2011 Lynch Bages is always a must have even if you
are only looking to pick up a few cases of En Primeur. Alongside
Pontet Canet, this is a wine to buy every year and at this price is
also one of the cheapest available vintages of Lynch Bages on the
market.
The 2011 is cheaper than all of the previous 15 vintages with the
exception of the 87pt 2007! Lynch Bages has an enormous global
following and the 2011 provides astonishing value for a wine of
First Growth quality. The 2011 has been most likened to the 1996 (RPJ
93pts) which is currently trading at £1,350 per case (12x75cl),
nearly double the price of the 2011.
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Robert Parker
Jr.
Another strong effort produced under the
administration of Jean-Charles Cazes (the son of
Jean-Michel Cazes, who spent decades building Lynch
Bages into one of the most popular Bordeaux estates),
the 2011 boasts an inky/purple hue in addition to
copious aromas of black currants, incense, forest floor
and ink. Deep, rich, medium to full-bodied and layered
with supple tannins as well as the vintage-s freshness
and vibrancy, it should age easily for 20 years.
Score: 90-93
Tim Atkin
Like Pontet-Canet, this is a château that continues
to make a mockery of the 1855 classification. There's
much more Merlot in the blend than usual because it
suffered less from the drought than the other varieties,
according to Jérôme Le Roux, and 75% new oak because of
the "tannic structure". The result is a rich, hedonistic
red blend, bursting with blackcurrant and liquorice
flavours and dense, yet supple tannins. 10+ years.
Score: 95 |
3)
Ch. Margaux 2011 @ £3,750 per 12 - 5 cases
available
This is one of the best wines of the vintage and
undoubtedly one of the finer efforts from the first growths in 2011.
Offered by the Chateau at a price that represents good value, it’s
available at half the price of the 2010 and 2009, which Parker
believes it rivals in terms of quality which is quite exceptional
given the disparity in terms of quality between the vintages.
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Robert Parker
Jr.
Administrator Paul Pontallier is nearly embarrassed
to explain the amazing success of the 2011 Chateau
Margaux, a candidate for wine of the vintage. With the
harvest occurring between September 5-20, it was the
smallest crop in over twenty years as yields were cut
significantly by the drought. The berries were tiny.
Moreover, analytically, the 2011 has a higher level of
concentration as well as tannins than the 2009. A blend
of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and the rest Petit
Verdot and Cabernet Franc, only 38% of the harvest made
it into the grand vin. The wine offers an inky/purple
color, barely noticeable sweet tannin, and a beautiful
nose of creme de cassis, spring flowers and lead pencil
shavings backed up by fresh acids and good overall
structure. This medium to full-bodied effort possesses
tremendous personality and character. It rivals what
they achieved in both 2010 and 2009, which is virtually
impossible to contemplate given the quality of those two
vintages.
Score: 94-96+
James Suckling
Very elegant and ethereal with ultra-fine tannins and
delicate fruit. Full body. I love the floral and
aromatic quality to this. Then the tannins kick in. This
has more tannins than 2010, according to technical
director Paul Pontallier, and others, but you can't tell
when tasting it.
Score: 94-95 |
4)
Pavillon Rouge du Margaux 2011 @ £875 per 12 - 5 cases
available
Our favourite second wine of Bordeaux 2011,
alongside Chapelle d’Ausone, and released this year at a price that should suit.
It’s the best priced available vintage of Pavillon and one of the best scored,
should make for an interesting prospect. #
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Robert Parker
Jr.
The 2011 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux is one of
the finest examples of this cuvee I have ever tasted. It
hit 13% natural alcohol and represents only 28% of the
harvest. This blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25%
Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc
reveals more structure than most vintages in addition to
lots of dark berry fruit intermixed with hints of wood
smoke, forest floor and spring flowers. Very pure with
striking minerality as well as a long finish, it should
drink well for two decades or more.
Score: 91-93 |
Haut Brion and La Mission
Haut Brion were both excellent when tasted at the Chateaux last
month with LMHB just edging its sibling in our opinion.
They have both been released today and at significantly cheaper
levels than the two previous vintages, they are clearly amongst the
very best wines of 2011 and the very low production levels of just
4, 100 cases of the LMHB (down 31%) & 7,600 (down 28%) of Haut Brion
will ensure they are highly sought after stock.
5)
Château La Mission Haut Brion 2011 @ £2,150 per 12 -
4 cases
available
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Robert Parker
Jr.
The production of the 2011 La Mission-Haut-Brion (55%
Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc)
was a tiny 4,100 cases, compared to 6,000 cases in 2009
and 5,100 cases in 2010. The 2011 is a big, sexy, smoky,
classic La Mission displaying lots of road tar,
graphite, barbecue, meats, mulberry, black currant and
blueberry notes. It is full-bodied with sweet tannin as
well as an expansive, fleshy style. The harvest was late
in 2011 despite the fact that this micro-climate is one
of the warmest and most precocious in all of Bordeaux
since it is essentially in the city of Bordeaux. This
brilliant wine, one of the vintage’s superstars, should
drink reasonably well in 3-4 years and keep for 25 or
more.
Score: 93-95 |
6) Chateau Haut
Brion 2011 @ £3,750 per 12 -
5 cases available
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Robert Parker
Jr.
Like its stable mate La Mission-Haut-Brion, Haut-Brion’s
2011 production was small, only 7,600 cases, which is
nearly 3,000 fewer cases than in 2009. A blend of 46%
Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 19% Cabernet Franc,
it is interesting to taste the 2011 Haut-Brion next to
the more open-knit, seductive 2011 La Mission Haut-Brion.
The former wine is more firm, backward and earthy with a
more formidably structured style. Undeniably elegant,
distinctive and original, it exhibits notes of
mulberries, plums, blueberries and raspberries.
Jean-Philippe Delmas told me that in many ways the 2011
reminds him of the 2008 from an aromatic and structural
profile. There is plenty of tannin, and the 2011 has
25-30 years of aging potential. It may be more
reminiscent of a vintage such as 1988, but it is better
made as well as being the product of a far stricter
selection process.
Score: 92-95
Wine Spectator by James Molesworth
Manages to harness the angularity of the vintage
extremely well, almost burying the acidity in the core
of cassis, black cherry skin, plum pit and maduro
tobacco flavors. This is typically among the most
backward wines of the vintage when young, and it's still
tight and primal, but with admirable length and density
already. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Tasted non-blind.
Score: 93-96 |
7)
Chateau Clinet 2011 @ £525 per 12 - 20 cases
available
One of our favourite right bank properties and one
that is very much on an upwards curve in terms of quality, has
continued that trend for 2011 with another very good effort from
Ronan Laborde. When prices all around look very expensive, it makes
wines like Clinet look unbelievable value. From an investment point
of view it is cheaper than available comparable vintages and will
benefit from increasing brand awareness for Clinet.
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Robert Parker
Jr.
Under proprietor Ronan Laborde, Clinet has returned
to the high quality witnessed in 1989 and 1990 under the
helmsmanship of the late Jean-Michel Arcaute. Made from
a final blend of 85% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and
3% Cabernet Franc that hit 14% natural alcohol, the
inky, opaque purple-colored 2011 exhibits notes of
blackberries, blueberries, espresso roast and subtle
oak. Full-bodied, layered, opulent and flamboyant for a
2011, with loads of concentration and glycerin as well
as a long finish, this is one of the most impressive
wines of the vintage. It should drink well for two
decades.
Score: 92-94 |
8)
Chateau Calon Segur @ £415 per 12 - 15 cases
available
Along with Chateau Montrose and Cos d’Estournel,
Calon Segur is the third heavyweight of the St. Estephe appellation.
This third growth is steeped in history and in 2011 produced one of
our favourite wines of the left bank, and certainly our
recommendation for best value for money. Parker scored the 2011 very
well, comparatively to the ’10 and ’09, and with the unfortunate
timing of the death of Madame Gasqueton it will be remembered as the
last she produced.
This wine is well scored, well priced in comparison to physical
vintages and represents value for money.
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Robert Parker
Jr.
The great Madame Denise Gasqueton, a Bordeaux icon
whom I always visited early in the morning (8:15 a.m.
for nearly 20 consecutive years), passed away on the
first day of the 2011 harvest. The 2011 Calon-Segur is a
fitting tribute to her extraordinary passion and love
for this fabulous estate in the northern sector of St.-Estephe.
A very strong effort (this property was untouched by the
hail storm that swept through the area on September 1),
it boasts an opaque purple color as well as surprisingly
sweet tannin and abundant quantities of black cherry,
black currant and dusty, loamy scents. Medium to
full-bodied with beautifully integrated tannins and
sensational purity and length, this super effort is a
wonderful homage to the memory of Madame Gasqueton.
Moreover, it is potentially one of the longest-lived
wines of the vintage and should drink well for 25 or
more years.
Score: 92-94 |
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