We thought things would be winding down as many in the Bordeaux trade head east for the Union des Grands Crus tastings in Mumbai tomorrow and New Delhi on Friday before next week's Vinexpo Hong Kong. Not so, and today's seen the release of two of the vintage's best St-Juliens.
Branaire-Ducru: 'A top-notch effort from this estate, the 2011 exhibits an exotic perfume of lead pencil shavings, white chocolate, raspberry jam and red as well as black currants. Loads of fruit, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel and velvety tannin suggest this beauty will drink well for 15+ years. It is one of the stars of the appellation in this vintage. Bravo! 91-93 points.' - Robert Parker, erobertparker.com
Gruaud-Larose: 'Deep garnet hue. Intense nose of fruit with delicately toasted and smoked notes. Juicy entry leading to tasty fruit on the palate then fat and substantial body on the mid-palate through to the sappy and rather powerful finish. A cru to watch. 88-89 points.' - Jean-Marc Quarin, quarin.com
Two great Pomerols today, too, both of which we prefer to their 2010 incarnations.
Feytit is still the bargain of the three Clinets: 'This property has come of age over the last five or six years and is now routinely one of the better wines of Pomerol. Its 16-acre vineyard is strategically well placed between Trotanoy and Latour a Pomerol. Yields in 2011 were a small 30 hectoliters per hectare, and the final blend was 93% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc. Tasted on three separate occasions, the 2011 Feytit-Clinet consistently performed well, exhibiting a deep ruby/purple color in addition to abundant notes of plums, blueberries and black cherries, outstanding ripeness, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, well-integrated acidity and moderate tannin. This big Pomerol should age easily for two decades. 91-93 points.' - Robert Parker, erobertparker.com
'The La Conseillante is a blend of 82% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc. It has a very well defined bouquet with attractive dark berry and mulberry aromas, the terroir really coming through with subtle notes of black truffle. The palate is medium-bodied and I think Jean-Michel has really achieved very the filigree tannins this year, rendering this the most feminine La Conseillante I have tasted. It is silky smooth and yet there is certainly a tensile structure that should see it age nicely over 15-20 years. It is very composed, almost understated towards the finish, but this shows great persistency in the mouth without being overpowering. A "controlled" La Conseillante with just a elegant, beautiful finish. 94-96 points.' - Neal Martin, erobertparker.com/winejournal
With the sublime de Fargues we have 2011's penultimate Sauternes.
Finally, we're delighted to have some Mouton-Rothschild for general sale. This is a genuinely exciting Mouton, and a candidate for wine of the vintage for some of the critics. /AR
Halves & magnums £10 extra per 9 litre case; other formats on request
