2017 Bordeaux: back from the beach?

14 May 2018

Batailley, Capbern, Ormes de Pez and other releases

After last week's French holidays, we hoped that the campaign would resume with some gusto this morning. But as is often the case, a couple of wrongly priced wines appear to have put a brake on proceedings, so let's catch up with wines released on Friday 4 May, just after our last offer.

Batailley is normally one of our biggest sellers by volume. Quality has improved dramatically under Philippe Casteja and it notched up again with the creation of Lions de Batailley, their new second wine, from the 2014 vintage onwards. The 2017 Batailley is a classic Pauillac rated 90-92 points by Neal Martin though note that we have both 2011 and 2012 in stock, rated 91+ and 92 by Robert Parker, and £165 per six.

From the owners of Calon-Segur, we have the excellent St-Estephe Capbern. We've always struggled to buy enough of this in the past but a change in distribution has been favourable and we now have good stocks. Staying in the northern Medoc, we also have the Cazes family's excellent Ormes de Pez and a very solid Sociando-Mallet, though fans of the latter should note that we currently have two pristine cases of the excellent 2003 at £420 for twelve.

To the other end of the Medoc and Caroline Frey's La Lagune, certified organic from the 2016 vintage. The 2017 has 90-92 points from Neal Martin ('tensile, mineral-driven') though it's worth noting that for £20 more we still have a little of the 93-95 point 2016, 'one of the best in recent years.'

From Margaux, we have Deyrem Valentin. This was our third visit to this small, family-owned chateau and we were pleased to find that their 2017 is close in quality to its predecessors, including the excellent 2014 we currently have in the shop.

A lone release on Thursday's holiday was de Pez and then last Friday came Denis Durantou's top value Saintayme, Montlandrie and Cruzelles. This morning we had Cantemerle from the southern Medoc, Chasse-Spleen from Moulis and Meyney from St-Estephe. From the right bank, we have - for the first time - Francois Mitjavile's amazing Bourg property, Roc de Cambes (and Domaine de Cambes), St-Emilion Fonroque and the de Bailliencourt family's Pomerol, Gazin. The latter would've been a strong recommendation had the price dropped back. As it is, it's worth noting that we still have the 2016 available at £360 per six, with 94-96 points from Neal Martin, 'a really marvellous Gazin.' /AR

Offered subject to remaining unsold; available 2020