13 samples of red tasted, 13 samples of white also. Few surprises. Like other appellations, if the great terroirs have been able to express themselves, we must not forget to highlight the decisions that have been made by the properties.
For the reds, Merlot qualities quite heterogeneous, which has led Château Bouscaut, for example, not to produce red wine on this vintage.
For the whites, as I was able to express in the presentation article, this is a wonderful vintage, with a superb aromatic expression of the grape varieties and a remarkable tension. It’s hard to get ahead, so let’s wait for the deliverables, but I like to think that this is a historic vintage.
There have been great successes, including a Knight’s Estate shining with purity and elegance. I am also thinking of the Château Malartic-Lagravière which, in my opinion, produced the most beautiful vintage in the history of the property, red and white.
Here is, in order, my Top 3 on the vintage:
- Domaine de Chevalier
- Château Malartic-Lagravière
- Château Pape Clément
Finally, I would also like to highlight the Château Olivier which, in my eyes once again, produced the most beautiful vintage in its history. It has been one of the very good deals since it went to market.
Here are the comments sorted by property and then by color:
- Château Bouscaut White 93-94/100
Fresh and expressive nose with notes of lemon, fruits with white flesh with a hint of floral notes. The palate is creamy and very well balanced. A fine acidity brings a beautiful freshness. Mineral finish and a very nice length.
- Château Carbonnieux White 93-94/100
Sharp, lively and elegant freshness, the nose reveals its pretty bouquet with notes of lemon, grapefruit, white peach with subtle notes of white flowers. On the palate, it is creamy, expressive and well balanced by a fine acidity. The finish is fresh and very long.
- Château Carbonnieux Red 93-94/100
Fine and aromatic nose with notes of black fruits, spices with a delicate oak. A full mouth, dense with a beautiful aromatic intensity. Well structured and well balanced. The tannins are ripe and accompanied by a fine acidity. Fresh, fruity finish with a nice length.
- Château de Fieuzal White 93-94/100
Nose clear, precise and aromatic, with notes of citrus, white peach with a hint of white flowers. Creamy palate, full of vivacity, aromatic intensity and balance. Mineral finish and a very nice length.
- Château de Fieuzal Red 93-94/100
Fine nose and a beautiful intensity, we discover a nice bouquet with notes of black fruits, spices with a very fine oak. On the palate, it is elegant, well structured and well balanced. The tannins are ripe, the acidity is medium. Fresh finish and a very convincing length.
- Château de France White 90-91/100
Fresh and aromatic nose, you can easily perceive its notes of lemon and grapefruit, mixed with delicate floral notes. Lively attack on the palate with a nice creamy. The acidity is fine and brings freshness. Mineral finish and a correct length.
- Château de France Red 91-92/100
Fresh and intense nose with notes of black fruits with subtle spicy notes. A fruity palate, well structured and well balanced. The tannins are firm, but supported by a fine acidity. Final of a beautiful length.
- Château Haut-Bergey Red 92-93/100
The nose reveals its intense notes of black fruits, spices, mixed with subtle floral notes and a very delicate oak. Fine palate with a beautiful aromatic intensity. Well structured and well balanced. The tannins are ripe and supported by a fine acidity. Finish full of freshness, fruit and length.
- Château Larrivet Haut-Brion White 92-93/100
Precise and expressive, the nose reveals its pretty notes of citrus, white peach with a hint of herbaceous notes. Attack in mouth creamy and full of vivacity, due to a fine acidity that brings a nice balance. Fresh finish and a nice persistence.
- Château Larrivet Haut-Brion Red 92-93/100
Fresh and elegant nose with notes of black fruits and spices. The palate is full, fruity, well structured and well balanced. The tannins are ripe and are accompanied by a fine tension, which gives a beautiful freshness. The finish is full of fruit and a correct length.
- Château Latour-Martillac White 93-94/100
Lively, rich and precise nose, we discover an intense bouquet of notes of lemon, grapefruit, white peach, exotic fruits, with subtle notes of white flowers and delicate vanilla notes. Creamy mouth, tense, full of elegance and balance. Fine acidity. Mineral finish with a very nice length. A great success on the vintage.
- Château Latour-Martillac Red 93-94/100
Deep and full of elegance, the nose reveals its intense notes of black fruits, spices mixed with a very delicate oak. On the palate, it is full, dense, with a nice aromatic intensity. Well structured and well balanced. The tannins are ripe and supported by a fine acidity. The finish is fresh and very long.
- Château La Louvière White 91-92/100
Sharp, fresh and expressive nose, it reveals its pretty notes of citrus, fruits with white flesh, with its delicate exotic notes and subtle floral notes. Palate creamy and well balanced by a fine acidity. Tense finish and a correct length.
- Château La Louvière Red 91-92/100
Nose with a nice intensity, you can easily perceive its notes of black fruit, a fine woody, but also subtle herbaceous notes. On the palate, it is well structured and the balance is correct. The tannins are ripe and are accompanied by a fine acidity. Fresh finish and a correct length.
- Château Malartic-Lagravière White 95-96/100
Precise, complex and very expressive, the nose reveals its delightful bouquet with notes of lemon, fruits with white flesh, exotic fruits with delicate floral notes that bring a lot of elegance. The attack on the palate is creamy and accompanied by a beautiful vivacity. Very beautiful structure, the balance is perfect. Remarkable aromatic expression. A mineral finish that harmoniously blends freshness, refinement and persistence. Simply magnificent.
- Château Malartic-Lagravière Red 96-97/100
Rich, airy and elegant, the nose offers us its wonderful bouquet of black fruits, spices, mixed with subtle floral notes and a very delicate oak. On the palate, it is full, dense, with a beautiful aromatic intensity and a remarkable structure. The balance is perfect. The tannins are ripe and accompanied by a fine acidity, which brings freshness. The finish is full of elegance and persistence.
- Château Olivier White 93-94/100
Brilliant, fresh with a beautiful aromatic intensity, you can easily perceive its notes of citrus, white peach, with subtle floral notes and delicate vanilla notes. On the palate, it is creamy, refined, with a fine acidity that brings balance and freshness. The finish is mineral and very long. It will undoubtedly be one of the very good deals of the vintage.
- Château Olivier Red 94-95/100
Sharp, precise and airy, the nose reveals its intense bouquet of black fruits, mixed with a hint of spices and a very delicate oak. On the palate, it is full, dense, with a beautiful aromatic richness. Very well structured and balanced. Ripe tannins accompanied by fresh acidity. Fruity finish and elegant length.
- Château Pape Clément White 95-96/100
Precise nose, rich and elegant expression, we discover lovely notes of lemon, white flesh fruit, vanilla, with intense notes of white flowers that bring great elegance. The attack on the palate is creamy, tense, with a beautiful aromatic expression. Very well structured and balanced. The finish is mineral and wonderful persistence.
- Château Pape Clément Red 95-96/100
Rich, complex and refined, the nose offers intense notes of black fruits, spices with subtle floral notes that bring elegance and a woody finish. The attack on the palate is full, with a beautiful concentration and a remarkable aromatic intensity. Very well structured and balanced. The tannins are ripe, racy, and accompanied by a fine acidity. A finish that harmoniously combines elegance, freshness with a beautiful length.
- Château Picque Caillou White 91-92/100
Clean, fresh and aromatic nose, with notes of lemon, grapefruit, with subtle floral notes. On the palate, it is well structured and balanced. Mineral finish and a correct length.
- Château Picque Caillou Red 92-93/100
Fresh nose and a beautiful aromatic intensity with notes of black fruits and spices. On the palate, it is fruity, well structured and well balanced. The tannins are ripe and the acidity is correct. Fresh finish and very convincing length.
- Château de Rouillac White 92-93/100
Fresh nose and a beautiful intensity with notes of citrus, peach, with a very delicate floral character. Palate creamy, tense, and expressive. Well balanced by a fine acidity. Mineral, fruity and long finish.
- Château de Rouillac Red 91-92/100
Expressive nose with notes of black fruits, spices, with a delicate oak. On the palate, it is well structured and well balanced. The tannins are ripe and the acidity is correct. The finish is fresh, fruity and of a correct length.
- Domaine de Chevalier White 97-98/100
Vibrant, brilliant and remarkably expressive, the nose offers us its wonderful bouquet with notes of lemon, grapefruit, fruits with white flesh, with fine spicy notes and subtle floral notes. Attack in mouth creamy, tense, with a beautiful opulence and a fine acidity that brings freshness and balance. Rich, mineral finish with superb length. One of the greatest of the vintage.
- Domaine de Chevalier Red 97-98/100
Captivating, airy, complex and very expressive nose, you can easily perceive its intense bouquet of black fruits, spices, vanilla, with subtle floral notes and delicate woody notes. On the palate, it is remarkable concentration, aromatic richness and elegance. Very well structured and perfectly balanced. The tannic frame is of remarkable nobility and is accompanied by a beautiful acidity, which provides a lot of freshness. The finish is refined and of a wonderful length. A very large on the vintage.