The SOMM Journal

April / May 2017

Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/807387

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 100 of 124

100 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } APRIL/MAY 2017 { steven spurrier's letter from london } WHITE WINES The dry whites were somewhat disappointing considering that they have a good reputa- tion. Quality and styles were very mixed, and the group's overall winner was Smith Haut Lafitte (my equal top with Pavillon Blanc —S. S.). The sweet white wines were very good, and if one included them in the overall rankings the top three sweet wines would all come in the top five. Living up to its reputation was "the King of Sauternes" Château d'Yquem, which outscored 19 rival estates; in second place was La Tour Blanche and third Doisy- Védrines. My advice for anyone looking for a great wine at a bargain price is to go for Doisy-Védrines at £230 a case In Bond. No red wine comes anywhere close to this quality at anywhere near this price. RED WINES Right Bank For value for money there was one stand-out performance here, which was by Denis Durantou's Les Cruzelles. This Lalande de Pomerol won its flight (my top wine was Sansonnet, which came third in this flight —S. S.), beating well-known names from Saint- Emilion and Pomerol, some of which sell for five times the price. Also showing well was Roc de Cambes which tastes like Roc de Cambes far more than it tastes like a 2013 Bordeaux. Saint-Emilion Over 30 wines were tasted from this appellation and, to be honest, hardly any of them impressed us. If one excludes the First Growths (which were correct if not exciting), the clear winner was La Tertre Roteboeuf (my top equal with Figeac —S. S.), which was over half a point ahead of its rivals on the 20-point scale. (Both the group and I put Pavie Macquin top of another Saint-Emilion flight.—S. S.) Far too many of these wines were thin, lean, dry and over-extracted, resulting in short, dry finishes. Above all, I would avoid second wines in 2013 if the Petit Cheval is anything to go by. Pomerol These were clearly ahead of the neighbours in Saint-Emilion, and some decent wines were made here with some rare flesh on the mid-palate. The two outstanding wines were L'Eglise Clinet and Lafleur, both of which beat a rather sulky Pétrus on the day. Vieux Château Certan was also good in third place. Pomerol is probably the most suc - cessful commune in 2013, which is perhaps because the growers here had no underripe Cabernet Sauvignon in their vineyards. Pessac-Léognan Unsurprisingly the best wine made here was Haut-Brion. However, there were some attractive wines from Pape-Clément, Domaine de Chevalier and Smith Haut Lafitte. This commune is not far behind Pomerol in 2013 with some pleasant, forward wines for early drinking. Value for money I'd recommend de Fieuzal. Margaux Again, there was no surprise that Château Margaux was the pick of the bunch. Runner-up was Palmer, with Pavillon Rouge, Giscours and Rauzan-Ségla close behind. Some To Buy or Not to Buy? ON SECOND TASTING, THE 2013 BORDEAUX VINTAGE DISAPPOINTS AGAIN story and photos by Stephen Browett of Farr Vintners additional notes by Steven Spurrier FOR OVER 25 YEARS, A GROUP OF the U.K.'s leading wine buyers and writers get together to taste the most recently released Bordeaux vintage from bottle. With the 2013s having been physically released onto the market last year, now was its turn to step forward and show us whether the lukewarm reception we gave it when we tasted it en primeur was perhaps a little harsh. Last year the consensus was that 2012 had turned out better than expected and contained many pleasant surprises. This year our regular venue, The Swan Hotel in Southwold, Suffolk, was closed for refurbishment, so the tasting was held in London in the new Farr Vintners purpose- built tasting room on the banks of the River Thames—Southwold on Thames. The panel of experts included five MWs and the buyers from merchants such as The Wine Society, Berry Brothers, Corney & Barrow and Justerini & Brooks as well as three wine writers. Overall, the 2013 did not impress us. The tasting took place at the new Farr Vintners tasting room on the banks of the Thames. The Pomerol flight.

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of The SOMM Journal - April / May 2017