So day two dawned with a very foggy start. Not what we had expected having look forward to a picturesque breakfast on the 7th floor. Whilst on the topic of breakfast it is comfortably the most important meal of any wine tasting day…skim on breakfast and you’ll make bad choices later…It may also be that it’s the last time you see fruit.
Our day then started on the right bank at Angelus, we tried to be early but were politely asked to wait, it was worth it, two good good wines, then to Figeac which always has a lovely feel about it, a bit more “trad”, old school. The wine may well need time, as ever, but is very impressive and “not” comparable to any other vintage. Then leaving St.Emilion we dashed across to Conseillante and their “family day” offered up a chance to not only taste 2016 (delicate and good) but also 2009, 2006 and 1996 from an array of formats. All were tasting (drinking) well, the 1996 was mature and lovely, the 2006 a real over performer, quite decadent, and the 2009 just about to show its hedonistic best. The lunch that followed was a competitive affair but once we befriended “Gary the Goujon” who was proffering Gambas we were all sorted.
Parcels was the next theme and that only means one estate – Château Rouget – and our great friend Edouard Labruyere. Now Edouard wears a few hats – from Moulin-a-Vent to Burgundy to Champagne and in this case Pomerol. But whatever hat he wears the key thing is terroir and so he has been experimenting with different parcels from his holdings for some time. The results are as interesting as they are impressive. The main Château Rouget is yet again a star in the making! (There will soon be a video interview with Edouard for you to watch).
Next destination was back to Bordeaux for a big UGC tasting at Hangar 14 on the Quai (the home of Bordeaux negociants). This is a scenario that shows a lot of wines and therefore offers a chance to try many wine alongside each other…a much fresher vintage is appearing. We were finally turfed out at 5.30pm and from this point there was only one thing to do…have a beer! When you are tasting through the days one tries to put off thoughts of the first beer, once this seed has been planted it is hard to think of much else, this is the most earned of all beers (well it feels this way).
One more tasting loomed before dinner and it was a quick one, a “small estates of the Graves” tasting, interesting wines and it was here that we saw our friends from Château L’Avocat, Sean later joined us for dinner which was a fun affair, never lacking in opinions. After dinner drinks we were somewhat cast aside by the first tastings of tomorrow, for which we would “divide and conquer” being 8am (Les Carmes Haut Brion) and 8.30am (Palmer)…
Onwards as they say!
Scores:
Wines tasted so far: 99
Wines drunk: 12
Wine of the day? A close run thing but for me: Grand Puy Lacoste and Figeac
Topics of discussion at dinner: ZZTop, blue food (the lack thereof), the 1980s.