In a couple weeks, the first wines of the campagne des Bordeaux en primeur 2008 are expected, with the first notes of some of the participants. Contrary to last year, it’s expected that the event will finish quite early this year.
A few vintages are already out with discounts expected, from previous years, to sit between 10% and 45%. These early wines have the advantage of more maneuvering room with their prices after the surge in prices in 2005.
By Jacques Perrin (translated)
Exceptional Wines *****
Laville Haut-Brion 95-97
Ausone 95
Yquem 95
Great wines ****/*
Cheval Blanc 94-96
Cos d’Estournel 94-96
Ducru-Beaucaillou 94-96
Haut-Brion rouge 94-96
Haut-Brion blanc 94-96
Lafite-Rothschild 94-96
Lafleur 94-96
Mouton-Rothschild 94-96
L’Eglise-Clinet 93-95
La Mondotte 93-95
Léoville Las Cases 93-95
Margaux 93-95
Le Pin 93-95
La Mission Haut-Brion 93-95
Nairac 93-95
Pavie 93-95
Pavie-Macquin 93-95
Petrus 93-95
Pontet-Canet 93-95
Clos Haut Peyraguey 93
Rabaud-Promis 93
Angélus 92-94
Beauséjour Duffau 92-94
Calon-Ségur 92-94
Canon 92-94
Canon-la-Gaffelière 92-94
Chevalier blanc 92-94
Clos Fourtet 92-94
Clos l’Eglise 92-94
Coutet 92-94
Figeac 92-94
Gazin 92-94
L’Evangile 92-94
Larcis-Ducasse 92-94
Léoville Barton 92-94
Léoville Poyferré 92-94
Palmer 92-94
Pape Clément blanc 92-94
Pavillon blanc de Margaux 92-94
Pichon Baron 92-94
Rieussec 92-94
Smith-Haut-Lafitte blanc 92-94
Suduiraut 92-94
Trotanoy 92-94
Vieux Château Certan 92-94
Good wines (continued) ****
Lafaurie-Peyraguey 92
Pavie-Decesse 92
Sigalas-Rabaud 92
Beau-Séjour-Bécot 91-93
Branaire-Ducru 91-93
Certan de May 91-93
Doisy-Daëne 91-93
Fargues 91-93
Haut-Bailly 91-93
Hosanna 91-93
La Conseillante 91-93
La Dominique 91-93
La Gaffelière 91-93
Malartic-Lagravière blanc 91-93
Montrose 91-93
Pape-Clément rouge 91-93
Pichon Comtesse 91-93
La Tour Blanche 91-93
Troplong-Mondot 91-93
Le Tertre Roteboeuf 91-93
Péby Faugères 90-93
Belair 90-92
Bellevue 90-92
Clos Saint-Martin 90-92
Feytit-Clinet 90-92
Fleur Cardinale 90-92
Guiraud 90-92
Haut-Bergey rouge 90-92
La Clotte 90-92
Lafleur Petrus 90-92
Latour à Pomerol 90-92
Petit Mouton 90-92
Prieuré-Lichine 90-92
Providence 90-92
Rauzan-Ségla 90-92
Rayne-Vignault 90-92
Rol Valentin 90-92
Trottevieille 90-92
Vray Croix de Gay 90-92
A (domaine de l’) 90
Berliquet 90
Brane-Cantenac 90
Cantenac-Brown 90
Clinet 90
Cos Labory 90
Fieuzal blanc 90
Forts de Latour 90
Giscours 90
Haut Carles 90
La Passion Haut-Brion 90
Lafon-Rochet 90
Langoa-Barton 90
Lynch-Bages 90
Lynch-Moussas 90
Magdelaine 90
Roc de Cambes 90
Saint-Pierre 90
Sociando-Mallet 90
….
During my last visit to Manila I visited the fish market early in the morning - a unique experience!
It’s almost like a journey back in time; the atmosphere is very similar to what it would’ve been a century ago. Even if the hygiene doesn’t seem great the freshness of the fish is fantastic. A tip though - be sure to show up soon after opening so you get the freshest products, and bring a cooler to keep your purchases cold because fridges are nowhere to be seen at the market. Next time you’re in Manila be sure to stop by the fish market!
Cabernet Franc varietal - Anjou region - Mellow rosé wine - 750ml bottle - AOC Cabernet d’Anjou 1970
Halfway between white and red, we offer you a passionate oenological experience thanks to the aged vintages of the Domaine de Bablut in Brissac (49). Christophe Daviau opened his cellars to us and allowed us to obtain vintages vinified by his grandfather in 1966, 1970 and 1975 at Cabernet d’Anjou. Originally quite mellow (20 to 25g/L residual sugar), the sweetness has now nearly disappeared. Made from old vines with low yields (30 to 40 hL per high density hectare), these wines have defied the decades and offer truly original scent and taste. These wines show a bouquet of fir honey, resin and wax. A unique beverage with a reasonable price that goes well with items such as calf’s sweetbread.
750mL bottle
AOC Cabernet d’Anjou
To make good use of the soil, preserve biodiveristy and produce quality wines that are good for your health, the Daviau Vineyards undertook a total restructuring in the early 90’s in two steps: 1 - placement of varietals in their preferred soils and territories, as well as carefully planned wine-growing 2 - Between ‘93 and ‘94 an experiment in biodynamics on 3 hectares, and since ‘96 a complete reconversion to organic winemaking. Along with the intensive work done at the vineyard, Christophe Daviau, oenologist, brought his knowledge and experience to modernize the winemaking methods while respecting the raw materials. Christophe Daviau, after his oenologic studies at the Université de Bordeaux II, worked in Australia for 16 moths in the two vineyards of the Rémy Martin society, being responsible for the “oenological experiements” there. In 1990, 27 years old, he returns to the Domaine de Bablut. A rosé of this type would, at first thought, seem strange as an aging wine. This is, however, the method of the Domaine: old vintages that prove their aptitude for aging in Cabernet d’Anjou (1959, 1966, 1967, 1970…).
Varieties: Cabernet franc, Cabernet Sauvignon
Soil: Shale and clay-limestone hills, well exposed to wind and sun. Compared to other areas of the region, the rocky soil permits an increase in concentration and sweetness.
Yield: 40hL per hectare
Annual production (average): 18 600 bottles
Harvest: Manual and machinery, at full maturity, determined by physiological and phenological signs
Winemaking: 100% destemming, pneumatic pressure, slow fermentation in vats. Once the sugar/acid balance is reached, fermentation is slowed by decanting and a reduction in temperature. Settling is performed in springtime by multiple decantings, and finning.
Residual sugars: 20-25g per litre
Languedoc Region (St Chinian) - Round, rich white wine - 750ml bottle - table wine
An original varietal for the area: La Petite Arvine
Another winegrower talks about it in his blog:
http://lisson.over-blog.com/article-20027088.html
For a long time, the origins of La Petite Arvine perplexed the best specialists. Since the meeting of the Société Internationale Ampélographique in 1878 at Geneve, this varietal has been known to exist nowhere but in Valais, where there are 115 hectares planted. Nowhere else? This is most assuredly a Surprising Wine! Hildegard Horat, swiss winegrower of Assignan, Herault, couldn’t resist his roots and grafted Petite Arvine onto old clairettes.
Chapoutier received authorization to plant this varietal experimentally in Tain l’Hermitage. La Petite Arvine favours exposed hills weak in organic material, but is vulnerable to drought and strong winds. Assignan proves to have conditions favourable to growing Arvine. Even if Assignan is situated in the AOC zone of St Chinian, we find not shale but clay-limestone soils on sandstone handling the winter rains more easily to restore the plants in the summer. Additionally, the 250-300m elevation attenuates the summer heat well.
Fermented dry, Petite Arvine is a defined, virile wine. Its nose is a floral wisteria, with a hint of honey. We can distinguish also hints of citrus, pineapple and rhubarb. It has somewhat high acidity, with a slight salinity. Harvested at maturity, Petit Arvine shows a strong alcohol presence that gives it an aptitude for aging. The Hildegard Horat vintage differs somewhat from this description with a rounder, more yellow stone fruit smell. 2003 marked the vintage with a certain smoothness in the mouth without ending up too soft, with a nice saline finish.
Petite Arvine is found only in Valais and the Val d’Aoste. Rumours run of certain renowned owners, primarily in France and Italy, who show serious interest in Arvine and are performing tests of the variant… in Valais, the planted acreage has more than doubled in the last 10 years. Between 1997 and 2000, more than 10 hectares of Arvine were planted (raising the total from 54.6 to 64.9 hectares). The variant benefits also from repurposing of more established varietals; in 2002 the variant was already up to 81 hectares. The next year over 100 hectares were dedicated to Petit Arvine and by 2004 that number was up to 115 hectares.
The names Arvine and Petite Arvine are used interchangably these days. La Grande Arvine, a large-fruited variety from a Rèze crossed with an unknown varietal giving cruder wines, has practically disappeared. There is thus not a large chance of confusion through use of the Arvine name to refer specifically to Petite Arvine.
Dry, Arvine meshes well with cheese, fish, and shellfish. Matured, it accompanies foie gras well (the salinity and acidity complement it wonderfully) but also blue cheese where it tastes almost syrupy.
Text from www.fullygrandcru.ch