Saturday, March 24, 2012

2011 Bordeaux UGC tasting

I didn’t taste all the wines presented by this great organization, but at least 50 very good wines: Pape Clément, Smith Haut Lafitte, Fieuzal, Balestard La Tonnelle, Canon La Gaffelière, Dassault (very good), Clos Fourtet, La Tour Figeac, Soutard, Troplong Mondot (very good), Villemaurine, Clinet (very good), La Conseillante, Lascombes (very good), Marquis de Terme, Gloria, Léoville Poyferré (very good), Lynch Bages, etc...

Many people attended, good atmosphere, pragmatic, rather positive opinions about the wines presented with, of course, a few remarks on wines too extracted, with too much oak, a little dry, but nothing major. Few comments were made about the price, 10%, 15% or 50% less? No one dare to forecast anything, but the general feeling is that Bordeaux has experienced many challenges, so there is no reason that the next release goes wrong. Everyone should not make a mistake, except those whose wine is an exception, etc...

Following the morning tasting, reserved for the heads of big wine merchants and brokerages firms, the afternoon was devoted to “small” companies, brokers, with their sales force, export managers, etc...

My employees also participated and will be able to get an idea on this 2011 vintage; this will allow everyone to have a vision of what our customers can expect on April 3/4/5 and as early as March 29 for journalists already here in Bordeaux.

For the lunch, pity they were not more ambitious, but I don’t know the price paid by the UGC, but as my friend Alain would say “Don't look a gifthorse in the mouth”. So at lunch, where we ate with colleagues, property managers or owners, our colleagues put on the table two great and super sexy wines, too much, too good, blah, blah... The members of the UGC gave us 2009 vintage! A delicious Petit Village 2009, damn it was good, only given 91 by Robert Parker, for the pleasure it gave us, it was worth 95 points (FYI, I have no inventory in my cellar nor in my company ), and after, it was, of course, the turn of some of my colleagues on the left bank, including a wine which was only half left bank since it belongs to the same owner as Clos Fourtet, and rarely tasted so well: Poujeaux 2009. Really, what vintage... noted 92 points, I more than agree with that!

Following, I brought for dessert, a remarkable Château de Fargues 2009 (95-97).
Long live the Sauternes when one flirts with the stars!

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