Clay and Sand: St-Émilion and Pomerol

From the Clay and Sand: St-Émilion and Pomerol tasting at Uncorked, Bishopsgate, London on 16/7/13.

Unlike Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot doesn’t mind getting its feet wet, which is why it dominates wine production in the right bank Bordeaux districts of St-Émilion and Pomerol, where water retentive clay soils are the norm. Using tannic Cabernet Sauvignon in only small quantities (and sometimes not at all) these wines are consequently likely to ripen faster than their left bank counterparts.

Grand Cru may sound like a great label, but it is given out with much profligacy in St-Émilion and is no absolute guide to quality; the label Premier Grand Cru Classé (whether A or B) is an indicator of the most prestigious wines. Pomerol has no official classification at all. It is a much smaller area than St-Émilion and, with a lot of prestige adhering to it, it is perhaps not the place to look for keen value for money.

Château Bellegrave – 2008 – Pomerol

Not exactly cassis on the nose; more cherried, and chalky. Ripens somewhat over the evening to show more leaf and black fruit and even suggests peach. Definite minerality, sharp acid, slightly astringent finish. A solid, good wine that could be from either bank of the Gironde Estuary. Perhaps not very exciting, though; it gets more breathing and swirling over the evening than any other wine, but doesn’t give the impression it’s on the way to anywhere special.

82/100

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot – 2008 – St-Émilion

Quite dark as Bordeaux goes, a still intensely purple rim. A powerful, complex, high-toned nose full of new oak that comes across as hot glue and leather; also floral, and plenty of dark fruit (blueberry). Still a little stemmy, with some heat and spice in the mix.

A lot of flavour churn over the evening makes this a fascinating wine to follow. The suggestion of malty, sweet marzipan makes me think of Speyside whisky.

92/100

Clos Fourtet – 2004 – St-Émilion

Dark too, but with a little bricking at the rim. The dominant impression on the nose is freshly ground coffee (new oak?) – also meaty, and herby. Still relatively closed and tannic, with a bitter, phenolic finish that should resolve in a few years, I’d never guess this was in fact 4 years older than the Beau-Séjour Bécot. Nevertheless, the tannins are very smooth. Probably needs quite a few years yet to achieve its full potential.

Both 2004 and 2008 were mixed vintages in which Merlot typically came out better than Cabernet Sauvignon, so overall, better right bank vintages.

91/100

Château Feytit-Clinet – 2007 – Pomerol

Exciting tastes: smoky, animalistic, and a touch of filter coffee – N1 thinks someone has spiked it with Laphroig. On the palate the fruit is classically Right Bank, sweet and ripe. Texturally less special, smooth, with acids and tannins working towards being in balance but not a massive, weighty wine – the effect of a weak vintage? Quite accessible now, not a long term keeper. 

90/100

Clos de L’Oratoire – 1998 – St-Émilion

Dark but bricking. Most of the primary aromas have disappeared and the nose is more tertiary; still sweet, though, says N1 with a wrinkled nose. Opens beautifully – probably drinking near its peak. Oaky, tertiary, acidic - mushrooms and underbrush.

Another vintage where Merlot did better than Cabernet, which was troubled by a wet harvest.

92/100

Château Monbousquet – 1996 – St-Émilion

Marked browning. Massively cigar box (seems more Médoc than St-Émilion), it still has the very oaky character of a younger wine. The fruit character is more plum liqueur than cassis, but it remains more primary than the slightly younger Clos de L’Oratoire. 

1996 was not a very good vintage anywhere in Bordeaux, and poorer vintages tend to call for earlier drinking, but this is a solid, structured wine that still needs time to come into balance.

92/100

Château Cheval Blanc – 2002 – St-Émilion

The only great wine that can be made predominantly from Cabernet Franc; while typically made from a blend of 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot, in some vintages the Cabernet Franc can rise much higher.

Dark, with the rim showing a little paling. The bouquet is not yet very giving, but is definitely more black fruit (i.e. Cabernet Franc) than Merlot plum. A tremendously silky, balanced, well-structured wine, but still far too young, from a vintage that I think is a little underrated across Bordeaux. Probably 100% new oak, but it is hardly perceptible, hidden away in the structure of the wine.

96/100