The Bordeaux En Primeur Marathon has started. Got up at 1.45 am and left Yorkshire to drive to Luton Airport. Queues at Check in and Security were bad but made the flight by 15 minutes... just.
Arrived at the Vintex tasting at 10.30 (9.30 GMT). Tasted a lot of Bordeaux Superieurs and Cru Bourgeois. 105 wines in all tasted today.
First impressions on the En Primeur 2010 are very good. Excellent concentration and balance in the wines. Some are very seductive and luscious. Plenty of hype around with some of the French are saying that its better than 2005 and 2009…My judgement is reserved.
Real stars of today are Poujeaux (Moulis), Senejac( Haut Medoc), Cap de Faugeres (cotes de Castillon), Chasse Spleen (Moulis), Haut Marbuzet( St Estephe), Ch Rol Valentin (St Emilion) and the Sauternes.
Also some excellent efforts from Ch de La Riviere (Fronsac), Puygueraud (Cotes de Franc), Malactric Lagraviere, Tour Saint Bonnet, Lanessan, Ch Belle-Vue (Haut Medoc), Clement Pichon (Haut Medoc), Patache D'Aux to name a few.
The 2010 Sauternes are very good, I didn't get a chance to taste all the big ones but Doisy Daene, Doisy Vedrines and Suduiraut were superb. Liot for an entry level looks exceptional. They are a totally different style to the 2009's – which were mega concentrated. These are much fresher in style yet still very seductive.
Tomorrow's En Primeur 2010 is a day on the right bank. St Emilion in the morning and Pomerol in the afternoon.
Now enjoying a beer to quench the palate - very refreshing! And looking forward to a steak... Will write more tomorrow...
Jamie
