Et voilà! Here is my final report from my Bordeaux en primeur visit in 2016, from the Blogger archives. The campaign went well for us at Belmont Wine Exchange as a first foray into Bordeaux futures, particularly for the First Growths and "hot" wines like Rauzan-Ségla (we had to reprice that one multiple times as critics' high scores were released). 2015 was an excellent vintage for us to have cut our teeth on. However, we are a very small company and it's admittedly a tough decision to tie up two years' worth of cash if the wines don't sell upfront, and Bordeaux has been seeing a softening of the market in recent years. That said, I believe there will always be demand for quality Bordeaux, hopefully not only as an investment for the top-traded wines on the secondary market, but first and foremost to enjoy!
Bordeaux En Primeur 2015 Vintage - Summary (May 2016)
I've often been asked: How would you summarize the 2015 Bordeaux vintage?
Drinkable yet Long-Lived: These wines are, on the whole, very approachable and yet possessing of great depth. I was surprised by how many of wines are drinkable even now, and we're talking pretty substantial wines here! This makes it all the more challenging to hold onto them to witness their evolution as they mature and develop more smoothness and complexity in the bottle. That said, some wines, like Lafite Rothschild (Pauillac), Palmer (Margaux) and Suduiraut (Sauternes), are beautifully made and will only truly blossom in years to come - they will be worth the wait!
Full and Generous: There was a lot of heat during the growing season, and many of the wines are full-bodied, with significant tannins. Don't let this put you off! The well-made wines (see my previous reports for recommended selections) are wonderfully balanced by generous fruit and the right amount of acidity to lend them a dazzling fresh quality. We're not talking big, sappy fruit bombs; rather, we have wines with heft, lifted fragrance and concentration.
Alcohol levels are higher than usual for Bordeaux, but again, the excellent wines are so well balanced (fruit concentration, acidity, tannins) that they don't feel "hot" at all. And believe me, I've tasted 11% alcohol wines that set my face on fire, because they lacked the other elements in balance.
I would say: 2015 has the structure of 2005 and the fruit concentration of 2009. This makes for an approachable wine like 2012, but with even longer potential for aging and development of complexity in the bottle. This also makes for a distinctively sunny, yet poised character for 2015.
Not All Are Created Equal: That said, take care: Wines that didn't show as well exhibited imbalances. One noticeable trait in such wines was what I call "whale tannins" - outsized tannins that surged up like a whale beneath a ship and nearly knocked me over (and left me with numb, fuzzy lips, like I'd been playing the trumpet for a 5 hour gig ... past life). I realize that this is a strange naval analogy, but that is exactly the imagery that came to mind during tastings! Also, some examples of overripe, over-extracted wines on the Right Bank might bring some whopping enjoyment in the near term (burgers!), but they don't have the structure or balance to last.
Great for Fans of California Reds: As I tasted during en primeur week in Bordeaux, I realized increasingly that 2015 is possibly the perfect vintage to share Bordeaux wines with folks who love California red wines! Their generosity and approachability are surprising and delightful for such baby wines, and the best will mature with plenty more rewards to come.
The Top 10
Naturally, the other question I'm being asked is: What are your Top 10 wines for Bordeaux 2015? This is difficult, not only because there are many wonderfully well-made wines, but also because the châteaux have different styles.
My criterion: Does the wine embody the château's signature style, while expressing the very best of their land, their grapes, and the vintage conditions?
When a wine demonstrates this simple and challenging ask, and one is left with that distinct, ineffable imprint that indicates a superbly made wine - regardless whether the wine is to one's own personal taste - it is starred for "Outstanding" on my list.
Without further ado, in no particular order:
Pontet Canet (Pauillac)
Ducru-Beaucaillou (Pauillac)
Lynch-Bages (St-Julien)
Pichon Lalande (St-Julien)
Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux)
Margaux (Margaux)
Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan)
Pavie (St-Emilion)
L'Evangile (Pomerol)
La Violette (Pomerol)
That was tough! There are so many excellent wines for Bordeaux 2015. Again, please see my previous reports in the blog archive for all my selections for Standouts and Excellent wines, along with tasting notes.
At work (Belmont Wine Exchange), I'm working hard to get allocations for my selections of wines. Their futures are being released by the châteaux, one by one, day by day. (I have an elaborate spreadsheet that is gaining more columns every day as I track the campaign.) It is incredibly exciting to be able to secure some of the best wines of the vintage. I look forward to sharing and enjoying these wines with you, in the future!
Thank you again, as always, for joining me in my journeys. There will be more adventures!