Friday, February 17, 2012

James Suckling and 2009 Bordeaux

It would be an understatement to say he liked the 2009 Bordeaux, at least for the wines my company produces, with a few rated below 90 points, such as Baby Bad Boy, Claud Chapel, Bellevue de Tayac and 3 Valandraud.

These wines averaged 89/100, which is not so bad, considering they received the same notes as 3 classified growths from St. Emilion such as the excellent Chateau Trianon.

9 wines received 100, 5 got 99/100, 8 98/100 and Valandraud with 97/100 and a good comment, not to mention being rated the same as Angelus, La Conseillante, Pichon Baron, etc. ... Included in the 94/100 series were le Secret de Cardinale and Virginie de Valandraud.
And the confirmation of our Mauvais Garcon from Bad Boy 2009 with 93/100, same as Fleur Cardinale, Franc Maillet Jean Baptiste, Sansonnet, Clos Romanile and Clos du Beau Pere.
Château de Carles, Haut-Mazeris, Vieux Brandard, Clos Badon Thunevin and Domaine des Sabines received 92/100.
91/100 for Domaine Virginie Thunevin, Galaxies 2 Romanile, Haut Carles, La Guilbonnerie. Some of these wines retail for less than 10 euros in France. Like him, I think 2009 is really an incredible vintage.

We drank for dinner with Gilles Berdin, who is still writing his book on us, a sample of Clos Badon 2010 before bottling and again an amazing vintage, even though, in my opinion, it was more difficult. Bellevue de Tayac 2009 to check James Suckling’s opinion who rated it 89/100 compared to 91/100 given by James Molesworth, the current Bordeaux reviewer for the Wine Spectator. I understand both notes, 2009 Bellevue de Tayac is a true wine from Margaux with its softness characteristic, a very nice nose, not powerful enough for me, or for James Suckling, but more balanced and elegant. I look forward to the taste it again in 5 or 6 months.

Following, we drank a special bottle, even if it is not easy for us to promote, a 2006 3 Marie, a very fine wine, but with Cotes du Roussillon on the label, which makes it almost impossible to sell. If we had written Chateauneuf du Pape on the label, and sold it for 100 euros, we would have been out of stock a long time ago. And for desert, we had our Maury 2004, which was in perfect harmony with the rice pudding with Tahitian vanilla.

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