This is a wine I'm lucky enough to have a small allocation to
sell but It's not the sort of wine one can (afford to) open &
taste in normal circumstances. This was a rare chance to confront
it. They have a fantastic perfectly formed new winery (pictured) to
create their tiny crop of 5 contiguous parcels into Le Pin This has
ended the 'few barrels in a garage' days & added more precision
to the whole affair. The 2012 is 100% Merlot from yields of 32hl/ha.
It has a vivid colour & wonderfully expressive aromas of violets
& cherries. I also picked fresh coffee & the wine had such
an incredibly long finish. To slot in my visit, I had to lose my
usual transport & get back into Bdx by blagged lift to the
rocade & then tram. I sat on this still tasting the wine all the
way back into town. They had a difficult spring in Pomerol but great
weather all summer. The picking was a bit delayed by the rain but
they seem very happy with the result & so was I. I don't have a
lot to compare it to though as I haven't tasted the 100pt 09 &
10. I have tasted a fair amount of Vieux
Chateau Certan though & can vouch this is another
high quality VCC in 2012. It's different to the 2011 though, in that
they used much less Cabernet Franc in the 12. It's 87% Merlot &
very opulent & velvety for it. The touch of Cab Franc adds
delicacy & complexity. 
Like other Ch, they have a problem
comparing it to other vintages. The 2011 maybe like the 1988 but the
2012 is the 2012. If pushed they mention the 85. Whatever, it really
is worth owning this wine if the release price is similar to last
year about £5-£550 per 6. It's rare v top end Pomerol. Also La Conseillante was an amazing
success. I bought the 2011 for my cellar thinking I might just be
able to afford drinking it & I'd do the same with this no
problem. It's perfectly balanced with that glossy sheen of juicy
young Pomerol. It also assumes considerable complexity. It was nice
to visit the Chateau for the first time too. If these Premiership
Pomerols are out of your price range, then consider the Croix de Gay at some point. They
were sensibly pouring their 2012 samples from decanter (not bottle)
which gave a far wider view of it. Masses of fruit & it's a
joyful wine. The difference is with the big boys is perhaps a touch
of rusticity but I'm cool with that! La
Pointe was a more tannic animal & I maybe would
opt for Croix de Gay over it at this stage. Petit
Village really stood out as a Chateau on the rise in
quality. It doesn't always raise it's head but it really did this
year. I wasn't totally convinced with the Clinet
I tasted though...the nose seemed muted compared to the others on
display. Gazin as well but I'm
looking forward to another tasting in London soon of both these. I
really must mention Ch L'Eglise Clinet &
Denis Durantou's stable of tiny cuvees in Pomerol, Lalande de
Pomerol & St Emilion.
The Ch L'Eglise Clinet itself was one of
the purest wines I tasted all week. Denis never over eggs the
extraction on any of his wines & the 2012 Grand Vin is 90%
Merlot 10% Cab franc & poised to be a fantastic Claret for years
to come. This guy makes superb wines that suit my pallet & I'm
more than happy to recommend them. There's gentle sweetness, super
length & sappy, supple, enticing fruit aromas & on the
palate. It's creamy but not oaky. The second wine Petit Eglise is 100% merlot &
very natural & fresh tasting. Berry compote. Les Cruzelles is richer with coffee
aromas & La Chenade is not
as complex but such a fun wine & always such a cheap price. I
always buy his young vine St Emilion 'Saintayme'
too every year & happy to continue that with the 12. There's
only 2000 cases of it & I supply it to restaurants so I need to
grab it EP to make sure of stock. There's not a huge need to buy it
early otherwise but it's so cheap there's no risk attached.
But what of other St Emilions? Well as I said I felt many were
unnecessarily over extracted, almost like they'd been made to a
formula...ie- what they think RP will mark highly. He may not follow
suit actually. I must say in fairness that this wasn't only
happening in St Emilion. It is the worst offender thaough - It's
obviously a temptation for them to do this. The ones I did like were more restrained & fresh
tasting like the Pomerols.
It's not the best vintage in the world
& impossible to artificially make it so. I can be a very
enjoyable drinking vintage though if treated as such. The St
Emilions I liked included Ch Fleur
Cardinale, Canon La
Gaffeliere, Clos de L'Oratiore, Franc Mayne, La Gaffeliere.
I also thought that Ch Figeac
was on form & had bettered it's rivals like Beau Sejour Becot & Clos Fourtet. Wines like Pavie Macquin, Troplong Mondot &
Grand Mayne, which I have loved
in the past, I found a bit monster-esq at this stage. I just can't
call them & I think I'll wait till they are in bottle & make
my mind up. 2 years to wait for that but as I said, I'm going to
taste many again from barrel over the next 2 months as well. I'm not
adverse to wines that are bold & tannic at all...it just needs
to balance out with fruit & sometimes that get's lost at EP
tastings...fingers crossed not forever! Ch
Angelus had made a great wine better than 11 I
noted...purity & freshness again. Cheval Blanc is top drawer if
you can afford it. All in all the right bank is the most successful side
of Bdx 2012 but as always choose carefully. I'm more than happy to
discuss my thoughts with you on any particular wine you are interest
in...just email me?
