An early start this morning, yet the team were all packed up and on the road by 8.30am for our final day. En route and an hours journey back down to Sauternes to taste the 2021 Yquem (released in March this year) through the Bordeaux morning traffic on the Rocade and out into the countryside.
Another English day in Bordeaux with sporadic sun and dark brooding clouds fretting us as we arrived at Yquem in good time. The 2021 is unquestionably outstanding; elegant, luscious concentration with lovely vibrancy, and beautifully layered with an epic finish. Sadly with minute yields, our allocation is small.
Heading back north on a 45 minute journey we have time to call the office and do some campaign planning whilst enjoying the sounds of RTL radio.
Our final destination for the international team was at Pape Clément, where we tasted through the whites and reds of the 2023 vintage, crafted under the watchful eye of Bernard Magrez. Wines included Fombrauge on the Right Bank and Les Grands Chênes, La Tour Carnet as well as the flagship wines of Pape Clément and Clos Haut-Peraguey… a close finish between Pape Clément Blanc and Clos Haut-Peraguey (his Sauternes property). We were treated to a fabulous lunch with much banter and wine chatter. Merci beaucoup Monsieur Magrez, et à bientot nos amis.
Next, for the Bon Coeur team, was our visit to Les Carmes Haut Brion. Probably the coolest winery in Bordeaux. This is the cutting edge of Bordeaux winemaking and in our opinion, this is a truly exciting new chapter, that is now gathering pace, without any loss of precision nor definition. François (cellar master) and Thibaut (commercial Director) at Les Carmes Haut Brion talked us through the vintage. What can we say Other than both wines (C des Carmes Haut-Brion and Carmes Haut-Brion) are beautifully constructed and balanced with freshness, energy, and much drinkability. We were impressed.
It's been a great week after over 70 Châteaux visits and numerous UGC speed dates, we now have a good handle on the vintage. It's one of variation across the board, and that's why it's so important to come and taste first-hand and quietly ask the questions.
A big thank you to the team, both and home and abroad, for all your hard work. A special mention to Sam, Ben, Charles and Rachel; great to have you with us on our annual Bordeaux En primeur pilgrimage.
There are some good wines out there on both Left and Right Bank, setting aside the variables in quality, it's also about price. Over the week there has been much discussion on release prices so we will wait to see if the price is right. There was a strong message last night at the Commanderie du Bontemps celebratory dinner from Emmanuel Cruse, the Grand Master of the Commanderie and Managing Director at d’Issan, who spoke of the world's economic climate and challenges, canvassing the Châteaux to be reasonable with their pricing to ensure a successful campaign.
Unusually we have a flurry of releases scheduled for next week, with Lafite, Évangile, Pontet Canet to name a few; they're not hanging around.
We will of course keep you updated with the campaign including releases, scores, and market sentiment. Thank you to everyone for all your messages, Instagram re-posts and likes!
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À bientôt Bordeaux,
Jamie & Andrew
