2005 UGC Tasting Recap!
We’ve got a rough job here at K&L. More than 100 wines were poured at the recent Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux 2005 Vintage Tasting and we endeavored to taste them all. Imagine the stained teeth! Here are the combined impressions of Hollywood Assistant Manager Keith Mabry and K&L Writer/Editor Leah Greenstein’s impressions of some of the most stand-out wines of the event:
Whites: The acid levels weren’t quite what we expected in the 2005 whites, but there were a few standout examples that will definitely be great for nearer term drinking.
Domaine de Chevalier Blanc This was a stunner with great mouthfeel and complexity. Lots of minerality on the palate. The quality was reminiscent of Grand Cru Burgundy. Acid is present but a little on the round side making this a candidate for drinking over the next few years.
Château Olivier BlancThis was also fantastic with great acidity and vibrant citrus flavors and lanolin-like texture. The sémillon in this wine, the blend is 50% sémillon and 50% sauvignon blanc, really stood out and gave it a distinctness that separated it from the pack.
Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc Comprised of 80%sauvignon blanc and 20%sémillon, this is a grapefruity, grassy, fresh and crisp white. Highly recommended.
Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc Also highly recommended. A blend of 90% sauvignon blanc, 5% sémillon and 5% sauvignon gris, this is creamy and rich with a sweet finish.
Sauternes/Barsac: As with other white of the vintage, the acid levels fell a bit short. Only a handful of the stickies tasted seemed like long-term agers.
Château Guiraud, Sauternes A favorite by far, with brilliant acid levels and layers of flavors. Should be a good buy relative to the field of players.
Château Suduiraut, Sauternes The nose of pineapple and citrus was explosive, but the wine seemed a bit rounder in style than usual. The glycerin and nose will carry this for the near term.
Château Doisy Daëne This was surely a highlight. Lemon and green apple aromas kept the nose bright. Nice acidity balanced by a full, viscous palate.
Château Coutet Nice texture, this lush sticky was quite tropical and sweet! Always a great value.
Right Bank Reds: These were quite distinct with aromatics very different from their left bank cousins.
Château Angélus This was potent but definitely in need of a decade of aging. Cab franc seems to dominate the characteristics.
Château Troplong Mondot One of Keith’s favorites of the tasting. “I’m definitely putting a bottle or two of this away. This is going to be a killer wine!”
Château ClinetThis was a beautiful Pomerol with classy flavors and a roasted mineral style.
La Conseillante This was another of Keith’s favorites for its opaque extracted style.
Left Bank: Depending on the parish – Haut-Médocs were balanced, Margaux were elegant, Pauillacs and SaintEstèphes had a lot of power and the Saint-Juliens were just plain sexy.
From Haut-Médoc don’t miss the Château Cantemerle and La Lagune, both excellent balance and flavors.
Margaux: Keith and Leah both loved the Château Du Tertre and Château Lascombes (“one of my favorite wines of the tasting,” says Keith). The Du Terte was enchanting with blue fruit and violets on the nose and palate with a fabulously spicy finish. The Lascombes was a gorgeous ruby-garnet hue with olive, black pepper and black raspberry on the nose. Full-bodied with a nice juicy mid-palate and ripe tannins on the finish. One of the best sleepers of the vintage was the Château Ferrière, which was a bit closed down right now, but quite promising.
Sexy Saint Julien: An amazing line-up of wines! It was hard to find a bad wine here. The Gruaud-Larose was a standout showing the same quality (if not better) as its 2000 counterpart. The Château Lagrange will be a great crossover wine for California buyers. Both the Château Langoa- and Château Léoville-Barton were outstanding. The Langoa is showing well already, while the Léoville is just beginning to hint at its “A Game.” The Château Léoville-Poyferré was another resounding success and the Château Talbot is one of the best I’ve ever tasted from this winery, says Keith.
Pauillac: Another fantastic line-up. Château Haut-Bages Libéral is one of the great sleepers; Keith found the Château Lynch-Bages a trifle disappointing (too tightly wound on the nose). The Château Pichon Baron is always a favorite and delivered again with gorgeous mulberry and spiced plum flavors. And the Château Pontet-Canet was the wine of the tasting. If you don’t have a few bottles of this coming in on futures, don’t wait. When the reviews hit, this wine is going to blow up in price.
Saint-Estèphe: The Château Ormes de Pez was nice, with core of sweet fruit and vibrant acidity. This is always a great value, too! The Château Phélan-Ségur was a definite winner with sweet crushed berries and relatively mild tannins. The Château Lafon-Rochet should turn into a good sleeper.
Stay tuned for pics from the fun festivities!