BDX Files: Ralph's 2012 Bordeaux Vintage Report Preview

By: Ralph Sands | K&L Senior Bordeaux Specialist

2012 Bordeaux: Is it too Late?

I have just returned from Bordeaux and the evaluation of the 2012 vintage. This marked my 44^th visit to the region and my 23rd vintage evaluation. With well over 1000 wines tasted. I believe I’ve wrapped my arms around 2012 pretty well, understand the style of the vintage, and have identified the best wines.

As always, the weather makes the wine. In 2012, the weather was normal…which means very difficult! Near-perfect vintages like 2005 and 2009 are very rare. Almost every vintage has numerous problems during the growing season, and 2011 and 2012 certainly had their share of problems.

Weather-wise, 2011 and 2012 could hardly be more opposite. 2011 had a warm spring with early bud break and early but uneven flowering; a mixed bag from May to June, mostly cold and wet. The summer was overcast and very cool. The vintage was saved by a warm/hot September and an early harvest ensued.

In 2012 the opposite occurred. Cold/wet conditions kept bud break late. Uneven flowering spread out for weeks, pushing things almost a month behind. Cool and wet conditions continued, causing worry of mildew. On July 15^th (on the dot!) the weather switch-flipped and sunny conditions took over August and September, causing some stress in some plots and continued uneven ripening. Harvest was late everywhere. Most of the Merlots were harvested at good ripeness and mostly in nice conditions but a lot of the Cabernet Sauvignons on the left bank were picked in the rains of mid October. The rain and the fact that some Cabernet Sauvignon was just not completely ripe at harvest keep 2012 out of the very good category. These conditions also resulted in a small crop overall, with most estates making about 50% of their normal amounts.

It is common to refer to a Bordeaux vintage as either a Cabernet Sauvignon vintage or a Merlot vintage, and 2012 is definitely a Merlot vintage. The Right Bank commune of Pomerol made some fantastic wines across the board, with very good consistent quality also in St-Emilion. The areas of Pessac-Leognan and the Medoc were very uneven with many wines showing aggressive dryness and green notes on the finish. That being said, there some fine successes in 2012 from the left bank that do not have those green and drying notes, but certainly not as many as I would have liked.

I’m lucky this year as I will be going back to Bordeaux in June and I am looking forward with great eagerness to taste many of these left bank wines again. The main reason for this return is that the one month lateness of the vintage at all stages, especially the lateness of the harvest, delays all the stages of fermentation/blending and putting into barrel. So when I along with everyone else tasted this year on April 1^st , it was a month early as far as the wine was concerned, and the weather had been very cold. There is no dancing around the fact that these wines were well behind in their development and difficult to access. So the expectation is that the six week period of additional development along with warmer spring weather should give the Cabernet Sauvignon blends a much better and fairer showing in June.

While 2011 produced elegant wines with strong acidities, 2012 produced riper wines with a darker core of fruit and more flesh, so I absolutely prefer 2012 to 2011. Where does 2012 fit in comparison to other vintages? Well, while it may not be in the league of great vintages like 2010, 2009, 2005 or 2000, I like it at least as well if not more than 2008, 2006 and 2007. My strongest comparison at this early stage would be to 1998, also a late and very fine Merlot vintage while being much tougher and closed on the left.

I have learned over the years not to dismiss the “tough to taste young” vintages on the left bank too soon. These wines develop slowly and vintages like 2004, 2002 and 1998 have turned out much better than most of the scores and reviews reflected at the time of release. Many have fooled us at recent blind tastings in Bordeaux where we thought they were from outstanding years.

The Blancs: The whites from Pessac-Leognan showed very well, refreshing and floral wines that are more on the elegant side. The Petite Chateaux and inexpensive Blancs also showed very well. Overall, 2012 is a nice vintage for the Blancs.

The Sweeties from Sauternes and Barsac: For lovers of the sweet wines this will always be a confusing vintage because Ch. d’Yquem publicly stated that they would make no wine in 2012 before the En Primeur tastings, which leads many to assume there will be no wine made anywhere. This is simply not the case across the board. While it is true that in the slow-growing gravel soils of d’Yquem and in neighboring Fargues (Ch. Rieussec, Ch.Guiraud, Ch. Suduiraut, and Raymond Lafon), little to no wine will be made; the grapes were so far behind that when good conditions for the boytrytis happened in these soils, the rains and humidity took over. However, just north in the sandy, clay and limestone soils of Barsac, the grapes were further ahead maturity wise and handled the conditions just fine in between periods of rain. Some lovely wines were made. These wines are not in the big, thick and powerful style; they are sweet, but elegant, fresh and charming. While tasting these wines I could not help but think about how nicely these wines will drink, even by themselves, on a warm summer afternoon or evening because they are so refreshing and not big and thick. Lovely wines were made at Ch. Clemens, Ch. Doisy-Daene, Ch. Doisy-Vedrines, Ch.de Malle, Ch. de Myrat, and Ch. La Tour Blanche, Ch. Haut-Peyraguey, Ch. Rabaud Promis, Ch. Rayne-Vigneau and Ch. Siglas-Rabaud, to name a few.

The Prices: Last but not least is the question of pricing. This will be a key factor in the success of the vintage sales-wise. We firmly told everyone in Bordeaux who would listen that 2012 presents a great opportunity to get people back to loving Bordeaux before it is too late…that they should offer this good vintage at steeply reduced prices, giving everyone a reason to buy and stimulating the marketplace. We will see if they listen or not.

Please feel free to contact me anytime with any questions or for advice on the wines of Bordeaux. I can be reached at extension 2723 or by email at Ralph@klwines.com.

Cheers and Go Giants!

Ralph Sands

Ralph Sands

Bordeaux Expert

Senior Wine Specialist

K&L Wine Merchants

Redwood City and San Francisco Ca.

1-800 247-5987 Ext# 2723

Direct Line 650-556-2723

Email- Ralph@klwines.com

Company Website- klwines.com

BDX Files: Will Ralph Make It Out Alive?

Stay tuned for reports and reviews from Ralph Sands and the K&L Team on Uncorked!

This pretty much sums up my trip to Bordeaux...

Ralph Sands

Bordeaux Expert

Senior Wine Specialist

K&L Wine Merchants

Redwood City and San Francisco Ca.

1-800 247-5987 Ext# 2723

Direct Line 650-556-2723

Email- Ralph@klwines.com

Company Website- klwines.com

The BDX Files: Tasting with the Greats at K&L

 The Greats: K&L Co-Founder Clyde Beffa Jr (center) with visiting Bordeaux negociant and special guest Christophe Reboul (left), and Ralph Sands, K&L Senior Bordeaux Specialist (right).

By: Gary Westby | K&L Champagne Buyer (& Bordeaux lover)

This past Saturday at the Redwood City K&L we hosted a special Bordeaux tasting. As usual, K&L Senior Bordeaux Specialist Ralph Sands was behind the bar to talk about the wines, but in addition we had the added wisdom of K&L owner and principal Bordeaux buyer Clyde Beffa Jr on hand. As if that wasn't enough, Mr. Christophe Reboul, owner of both Chateau Gigault in Blaye and the negociant house the Wine Merchant was the guest star. We had a fantastic line up of Bordeaux to taste, mostly from the outstanding 2009 vintage. Everyone left the tasting with a smile on their face!

2011 l'Avocat Blanc, Graves ($14.99) is delicious and ready to drink now.We started the tasting with the 2011 l'Avocat Blanc, Graves ($14.99) from the Allison family. This wine is composed of 50% Semillon, 40% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Sauvignon Gris. It had one of the most unique noses that I have encountered tasting white Bordeaux. The racy Sauvignon Blanc gives the wine a smoky aroma that reminded me of Islay peat! On the palate this wine is very bright and light, and would make a great aperitif or partner for goat cheese crostini.

My favorite wine of the tasting was the 2010 de Fieuzal Blanc, Pessac-Léognan ($58.99 pre-arrival) and it reminded me just how good top white Bordeaux can be. White Burgundy on this level is more than twice the price, and tasting this inspired me to pull out a bottle of 2001 from my cellar the next day. I was surprised to find that it would be very difficult to tell which was the older wine, since these great whites age so slowly! The 2010 will certainly have a very long drinking window, and I would bet on it making a great 20 year old in 2030. It had an intense honey, lanolin and barrel spice nose, and was rich, broad and powerful on the palate. The finish was packed with complexity and went on forever- the tasting could have ended here and I would have been happy! Luckily, we had a bunch of great reds to taste...

Clyde & Ralph pose for the paparazzi.Our first red was the 2009 de Birot, Côtes de Bordeaux ($14.99) and it showed just how deep the 2009 vintage is. Most collectors will clamor for the top wines in this vintage, but the real excitement for me with a vintage like 2009 comes from the everyday priced wines like this. Composed of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, this dark wine has lots of herbal intrigue on the nose and excellent, grain free texture. If you are looking for good, dry red for the table that won’t knock you out with too much alcohol, try out the Birot!

I love the Graves region for value priced Bordeaux and the 2009 l'Avocat Rouge ($17.99) is a great example. Composed of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc it has classic proportions for this area. The powerful nose is full of plum fruit backed up by gravelly earth. In the mouth it has a full, rich texture and a hint of chocolate on the palate. This is a great 2009 to drink while you are waiting for your classified growths to mature. That being said, I think this wine has plenty of stuffing to develop nicely for at least 10 years.

Futures Alert! The 2010 Gigault "Cuvée Viva" Premières Côtes de Blaye (93 JS, 90 WS) is available on Prearrival ($18.99; $39.99 1.5L). By far one of the best deals from the 2010 vintage, this opportunity will not last long. Click to buy now!It is a rare treat to have the owner of a Chateau in Bordeaux pouring his wines for you in Redwood City, and we enjoyed every minute of our time with Mr. Christophe Rebaul and every sip of his 2009 Gigault "Cuvée Viva" Premières Côtes de Blaye ($21.99, due in April). This cheerful, easy to drink blend of 99% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon was plump and full of cinnamon and carob flavors. Rich, sweet fruited wines like this are fantastic to drink now and blow the notion of all Bordeaux being expensive out of the water.

2009 Coufran, Haut-Médoc ($24.99) is in stock now.We have a few house favorites when it comes to Bordeaux here at K&L, and the 2009 Coufran, Haut-Médoc ($24.99) confirms why we love this property. For the Haut-Medoc, this wine has a huge proportion of Merlot at 85% and just a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon at 15%. The wine has a big, ripe, plumy nose, but is very elegant in the mouth. It reminded me very much of old fashioned Pomerol; medium bodied, pure, racy Merlot without the extraneous sugar and oak. At the price, too much of this wine will be consumed to young, but the patient will be rewarded with a great experience at a very small price. If you want to see how they age, we also have the 2003 in stock!

Moving over to the right bank we tasted the 2009 Montviel, Pomerol ($39.99). This flashy right bank wine is composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. The Montviel is a dark wine with a toasty oak nose and plenty of dried plum fruit on the palate. While modern, big and tannic, it still has Pomerol soul and no residual sugar to ruin it for the table. I am sure the extroverted oak will win over lots of folks who like a big wine.

Staying with the right bank, we tasted the 2009 Monbousquet, St-Emilion ($49.99). The Perse family makes wines that the critics love, and this blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon has won all kinds of accolades. The color is nearly black, and the aromatics are dominated by fancy, expensive oak. This very rich, heavy St. Emilion has plenty of sweet dried fruit on the palate and a big tannic finish. I think it would be a serious contender in a flight of $100+ Napa proprietary reds.

2009 Alter Ego de Palmer, Margaux ($84.99) is in stock now.Switching back to the Medoc, we tasted Ralph’s number one wine of the 2009 vintage (and our top seller of the day), the Alter Ego de Palmer, Margaux ($84.99). Palmer makes the most sensual of all Bordeaux, and this blend of 51% Merlot and 49% Cabernet Sauvignon will add to their legend. This has so much class and balance that it could easily pass for the first wine! The Alter Ego has sexy, bright Margaux aromatics of tense currant dusted with chocolate. On the palate it has a velvety texture that is almost perfect now, but will no doubt get even better with time. This great bottle shows incredible focus on the finish- I can’t wait to taste it again when it turns 10!

Moving up the Medoc, we tasted the 2009 Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac ($89.99) next, and the contrast between the two great Medoc communes could not have been starker. This blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc is brooding, backward Pauillac for the long haul. The nose is extraordinary: lead pencil, black currant and high-class gravelly earth are all in harmony. On the palate the wine is tense, packed and unyielding. The finish is powerfully tannic but also powerfully complex, hinting at the bright future that this wine has. This wine is from the old school--not a 2009 to open early--but the patient will be rewarded, as this Grand-Puy-Lacoste has the structure to unfold like the 1982 has. I am happy to see that wines like this are still being made in Bordeaux.

Ralph Sands hosts monthly Bordeaux tastings at K&L's Redwood City headquarters.

Get the 2010 Poujeaux, Moulis ($34.99 on pre-arrival) before it sells out!Bordeaux insiders usually snap up our allocation of Chateau Poujeaux before it touches the shelf. It is a property that makes serious wine every year and is a great property to collect vertically. The 2010 Poujeaux, Moulis ($34.99 pre-arrival) is true to form, and a great cellar candidate. It is composed of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petite Verdot. When I first tasted this wine in Bordeaux during the enpremieur campaign in 2011, I found it very elegant and laid back next to its peers. Tasting it again among 2009’s showed me just how much structure these 2010’s have- it is a powerhouse! It has an opaque, black-purple color and strong currant and cola Cabernet flavor wrapped tightly to its high acid and high tannin spine. If you have room in your cellar, this is a spectacular deal. If you are looking for something to drink in the next couple of years, keep looking!

No Bordeaux tasting should end on a tannic note, and luckily Clyde and Ralph had the 2010 Petit Guiraud, Sauternes (375ml) ($13.99) to finish out the afternoon. This very open knit Sauternes is composed of 65% Semillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc. I loved the honey and white flower that were present both on the nose and the palate. While this is not concentrated or profound, it tastes great and has the balance for current drinking. Like all good dessert wine, the Petit Guiraud is sweet without being cloying.

Ending on a sweet note: Clyde tastes the 2010 Petite Guiraud Sauternes.

I hope that you can join us for our next tasting. If you are interested, please check out K&L Local Events on KLWines.com for upcoming Bordeaux tastings and other events. They are always a lot of fun!

–Gary