Early start on a crisp morning as we charged through Bordeaux rush hour for our first stop of the day at Canon La Gaffelière in Saint-Émilion, in the presence of Stephan Von Neipperg, a promising start with Clos Marsalette shining through.
Quick hop to Canon as we asked ourselves will it be firing today? We were not disappointed, and it landed on target with effortless precision. They really are top gunners. Its neighbouring sister estate, Berliquet, deserves a mention. This is catching up on Canon in terms of quality, a touch more savoury, and polished in style but its pedigree is starting to show. Bravo!
A dash to Figeac where a warm welcome from winemaker Frédéric Faye greeted us. Lots of elegance and charm in the Grand Vin thanks to the blend of more Merlot and Cabernet Franc than usual this year, offering a luscious wine with true terroir expression.
Ten minutes drive to the powerhouse of Pavie followed suite. Toned down offering this year from old vines with finer ripe tannins lifting the dark brooding fruit core. Then back on the road, a sunny winding drive through a busy and bustling Saint-Émilion on to Vieux Chateau Certan (VCC) in Pomerol.
Alexandre and Guillaume Thienpont were on good form. They spoke of a return to a "timeless style" of VCC, though a precocious vintage with the Cabernet Sauvignon being discarded, the blend of Merlot (82%) and Cabernet Franc (18%) offers pure class in a glass.
Onto lunch UGC Pomerol tasting at Le Gay where some good wines including Rouget (the team favourite) with Clinet and Beauregard both in contention. With a quick bite to eat and an extremely busy schedule, we raced back to Saint-Émilion for the UGC Saint-Émilion tasting at Soutard before our 2pm appointment with Cheval Blanc. La Gaffelière in our view came out top, however, a real mixed bag with some over extraction and greenness present in several wines.
Now to the formidable Cheval Blanc, where Winemaker and Director, Pierre-Olivier Clouet, talked us through the vintage... such sophistication from a young wine. A hot favourite of the right bank alongside La Conseillante. A real honour for Pierre-Olivier to talk us at length through the vintage and wines. Merci.
Next up La Conseillante over in Pomerol; a first class wine, offering both focus and intensity. Bravo, Marielle! Definitely contender for top 10 wines of the vintage.
Back over to Saint-Émilion with Angélus where we tasted Carillon d'Angélus and the Grand Vin, with the main man himself: Hubert de Boüard.
Next we set of in the direction of renowned Pomerol estate: L'Evangile, now majority owned by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), under the guidance of Michel Rolland. Another beauty was unveiled here with real class and sophistication. Elegant, yet precise.
Our last visit of the day was at the powerhouse Nénin where we tasted through the Delon family wines including Nénin, Potensac, Clos du Marquis and Léoville Las Cases. This would normally be held at Léoville Las Cases, but the property is currently being renovated.
I’m calling early stumps at 5.30pm as Charles and Ben were home bound and needed a lift to the airport, while Andrew and Sam headed for Saint-Émilion for dinner at the Canon… la chance!
Any early night beckons, as we need to beat the morning rush hour traffic tomorrow morning for our first day on the left bank in St. Estèphe with Calon Ségur at 8am!
