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by Manos Angelakis
Union de Grand Crus de Bordeaux
We just finished the tasting of the 2007 vintage of the Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux. This is the trade group that represents many of the first, second and some third tier wineries of Bordeaux. The result of the tasting was, in general, disappointing. Two denominations, Margaux and St. Émilion showed wines that were pleasant and most of them were eminently drinkable. Some individual wineries from other DOs were also very good, but the vast majority was barely drinkable and it is questionable whether long time cellaring could salvage these wines, when many were very thin. The other thing that surprised me was the prices. Considering the vintage’s poor quality, the general economy, and the stiff competition from excellent wineries from the rest of the world, I would think that Bordeaux vintners would lower their prices to get rid of the poor wines. Instead, when I asked, I was told of wholesale prices from US$ 40 to $90 per bottle, for wines I would not wash my feet with. When I commented that these were very high prices for a poor vintage (2007), the answer was “These are French Bordeaux wines”, while another producer said, “I have already sold most of this vintage en primeur to Chinese buyers”! Incroyable!
I think the best red wines in the tasting was from Saint Julien’s Château Langrange and from Margaux’s Château Kirwan. Not far behind were Saint Émilion’s Château Angélus, a Grand Cru Classé wine, and from the same region, Château Figeac, also a Grand Cru. From Margaux. Château Cantenac-Brown, Château d’ Angludet, Château Giscours, and Château du Tertre were very nice indeed. Château Pichon Longueville Comptesse de Lalande from Puillac was the only wine that I thought that by the time it arrives to the retailers it would be ready to drink upon purchase. I would buy the above-mentioned wines in the 2007 vintage at any time without hesitation as the quality to price ratio is still very favorable.
I was disappointed that some of wineries that were preeminent in other years were not participating this year. I especially missed Sauterne’s Château Suduiraut. Of the Sauterne wineries present, I thought Château Doisy-Daëne was as close to an optimal Sauternes as the vintage would permit, and I also thought that Château Sigalas-Rabaud was very nice, even though the finish was more acidic than I would expect. By the time I got to the Sauternes tables, I had tasted so many reds, looking for decent wines, that my palate was indeed tired.
So, my final conclusion on the 2007 Bordeaux vintage is: taste before you buy. Caveat Emptor; let the buyer beware.
To your health!
© February 2010 The Oenophile Blog. All rights reserved.
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