Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/807387
{ SOMMjournal.com } 101 wines from Margaux were painfully weak and thin, and even the best would probably be comfortably beaten in a taste-off with their second wines from a good vintage. Saint-Estèphe and the Northern Médoc This was a bit of a car crash. The wines here were dry and austere and mainly devoid of charm and generosity. Only Montrose struggled to reach an average score of over 15 (followed by Cos d'Estournel and Calon-Ségur below 14.5), but after the tasting I would tell any customer to buy as much of the wonderful Dame de Montrose 2010 as they can lay their hands on, because it is a far better wine than this. Saint-Julien The winner here was Léoville Las-Cases with Barton second (sec - ond and first for me —S. S.) with Poyferré fourth. Saint-Pierre (very impressive in recent vintages) came third with an attrac - tive, smoky effort that you can drink now. Overall they were decent for the vintage, but the common 2013 theme of a body lacking in flesh and a short, dry finish was evident, even in the top châteaux. Pauillac As expected, Mouton and Latour showed very well in the context of the vintage. These are good wines, but their only duty in life must be to offer the lowest price of any vintage on the market today. Latour should probably get on with it and release their 2013 sooner rather than later. Lafite was a nightmare and I gave higher marks to Pichon-Baron, Grand- Puy-Lacoste and several others. (I put Pichon-Baron top, Grand-Puy-Lacoste and Les Forts de Latour equal second in the non–First Growth flight. — S. S.) SUMMARY My overall impression of 2013 is that it's a good year for Sauternes, mixed for dry whites and clearly the worst year for red Bordeaux since 1997. To those who said that modern technology and global warm - ing means that Bordeaux will never have an off-vintage again, I think that Mother Nature has had the last laugh. Wines Drunk to Make Life Better As over all the previous years in Southwold, members of the group bring wines from their own cellars for the communal meals. In the old days the late, great Bill Baker had one rule—"Don't bring crap"—but recently we have worked to a theme and for the single dinner it was the appellation Chambolle-Musigny for the reds, but we started with some whites. Champagne Pol-Roger 2006 (magnum) Quite superb, powerful yet elegant, great future. 18.5/95 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Boudriottes 2013 Domaine Ramonet Yellow- gold, rich fruit, really fine and balanced with the weight of a Grand Cru. 18/93 Meursault 2007 Coche-Dury Lemon-gold, richly flavoured with bright acidity, superb for a "village" wine. 17.5/92 Corton-Charlemagne 2008 Bonneau du Martray Lemon-green, really good fruit with a stony, firm finish, terrific poise and precision, still young. 18/93 Corton-Charlemagne 2006 Bonneau du Martray Fresh pale gold, has the evolu - tion that 2008 lacks with stony firm finish and great finesse, great now and for the future. 18.75/96 Ch. Ausone 1980 Saint-Emilion (one of the younger taster's birth year) Faded red; delicate and fine fruit, lovely lissom wine with clarity and precision. Chambolle-Musigny Aux Doights 2010 Lucien Le Moine Very good depth and concentration for Chambolle, already opening up. 17.25/91 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras 2008 Ghislaine Barthoud Good colour ; more floral and feminine, very good expression and still young. 18/93 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers 2005 Robert Groffier Rich red, mature rim; good broad fruit on the rich, sweet side. 17/90 Bonnes-Mares 2007 Clos des Lambrays Fine mature colour with really fine, rich flavours and all the Morey-St-Denis grip and depth is there plus fragrance and florality; unquestionably a Grand Cru. 18.5/95 Bonnes-Mares 2002 La Vougeraie Mature red; still some fine ripe fruit, but begin- ning to fade. 17/90 Bonnes-Mares 2002 Drouhin-Laroze Superb young colour ; wonderful structure and length, so young and vigourous. 19/97. Vougeot 2002 La Vougeraie Fine colour and bouquet that shows the warmth of Clos de Vougeot; flavours that show natural sweetness, still lots of energy left. 17.5/92 Bonnes-Mares 2001 Domaine Roumier Mature red; wonderful, almost lissom fruit for Bonnes-Mares and then the energy kicks back in with richness, warmth and a structured maturity. 19/97 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fremieres 1998 Leroy Good young colour, vigour and fruit; quite masculine but shows the purity of Chambolle-Musigny, with a firm future. 17.5/92 Bonnes-Mares 1996 de Vogüé Good young colour ; fine expression of Bonnes-Mares with lots of grip, but the high acidity of 1996 is beginning to show through. 17.5/92 Crabtree Watervale Riesling 1994 Clare Valley Australia Full gold; lots of rich - ness and energy; lanolin texture but dry finish, very good for its age and wonderfully complex. 18.5/95 Ch. Doisy-Vedrines 1982 Barsac-Sauternes Fine deep amber-gold colour ; superb vibrancy of fruit, acidity just beginning to take over, but very good now. 18/93 Dow 1985 I didn't make a note, but it would have been a lovely end to the evening. As expected, Mouton (and Latour) showed very well in the context of the vintage.