Hi,
I went to the Médoc this afternoon.
Margaux
07 Pavillon Rouge:
C: Fine, fairly deep core, purplish rim
N: Spring flowers, raspberry, pure and straightforward
P: Aromatic, with good, lively acidity. Definitely a light, elegant wine to enjoy relatively young. Digestible. Antithesis of a New World clunker.
07 Margaux
C: Pretty similar
N: hides its light under a bushel. Ethereal. Good potential. Subtle chocolate overtone.
P: Much more rich than the Pavillon Rouge, but this still makes it only medium in body. "Sweet". Fresh. Soft aftertaste. Very pure with a lip smacking sappiness. Persistent, yet the opposite of assertive. Has "digested" 100% new oak wonderfully, which shows its underlying power and character. Surprisingly, the measurable tannin is higher than the 82 vintage! This is a wine of class rather than power.
07 Pavillon Blanc
This is 100% Sauvignon Blanc and has an alcohol content of… 15.5%!
C: Pale gold with slight green highlights
N: Pineapple, vanilla
P: The New World aspects on the nose are compounded on the palate until the aftertaste kicks in. Upfront, round, and impossible not to like. Seems simple at first, but the finish is fresh with a penetrating acidity that provides an interesting balance.
Palmer
07 Alter Ego (50% of production)
C: Very fine, cut above the average run of the vintage
N: Fresh, subtle, once again ethereal. Cherry cough drops. Typical of the estate, but could use more personality.
P: Spherical, ripe, melts in the mouth into a soft silky aftertaste. Better on the palate than the sniff. Crowd pleaser.
07 Palmer ((40% of production)
C: Deeper still
N: Sweet and pure, but slightly herbaceous with hints of tobacco and a touch of blackberry.
P: Rich, with good mouth feel but lacks structure. However, could it come out with age? Seems amazingly up-front. Remains natural and in no way overoaked.
Sensual more than fine.
Lafite Rothschild
07 Carruades de Lafite
C: Fine, deep, purplish rim
N: Some fermentation aromas linger. Deep berry fruit. Serious, mysterious. Surprisingly good.
P: Nice weight. Soft, big attack and then develops delightfully on the palate. A serious 2nd wine. Good balance. The best Carruades I can remember tasting (I'm generally not a fan).
07 Duhart Milon
C: Touch darker
N: Dusty, unimpressive, less good than the Carruades.
P: Paradoxically, better on the palate than the previous wine. Satisfying, with mouth-puckering tannin. Round, ripe, definite cedar wood. Pauillac! Fairly long aftertaste.
07 Lafite
C: Deepest of all with bright purple on the rim
N: "Lead capsule/pencil shavings on the nose, without the violets I hope to find in Lafite. Understated.
P: Unctuous, floral, fine oak, but of tar. Long, lingering aftertaste with toasty oak coming in on the finish. Pure. Very enjoyable, and will be a treat even when consumed relatively young.
Pichon Comtesse
(range of wines owned by Roederer)
07 Haut-Beauséjour, St. Estèphe
C: Medium dark
N: Toasty, upfront, but wild and funky
P: Tremendously chewy. Big, meaty, but no champion when it comes to finesse. A nice, hearty wine to drink young
07 de Pez
C: Both deep and dark
N: Toasty oak with a mysterious, difficult to define bouquet.
P: Due to its high proportion of Merlot (60%), this estate is sometimes referred to "the Pomerol of St. Estèphe). Lots of this will be replaced with Cabernet Sauvignon as time goes on. Anyway, this 2007 was both fat and sinewy. Lacks backbone and is somewhat short. Flags in the middle palate. Nevertheless rich and round.
07 Bernadotte, Haut Médoc
C: Good, deep core
N: Underripe, common, not special in any way
P: Medicinal and rustic. Disappointing.
07 Réserve de la Comtesse
C: Good, but could be more limpid
N: Tried several times, but not much there at this time
P: Lovely, round, textured attack going into an equally textured aftertaste. Sweet. Medium-light body. Not dilute, but will be good young as well as old.
07 Pichon Comtesse
C: Fine, dark
N: Typical fine Pauillac characteristics (lead, cedar), but fleeting and a touch dank. Will obviously blossom with age.
P: Full, sweet, richly satisfying. Oak overpowering at this stage. Too easy-going for a great wine this young. Not enough structure and length. Nevertheless, sensual and will be a treat young or old. Well and truly Pauillac on the aftertaste.
Latour
07 Pauillac
C: Good, deep core with purplish rim
N: Vaguely perfumed
P: Soft, seductive, seemingly on the inconsequential side until the relatively long aftertaste adds a more serious note. Shadows Latour's mineral finish. Will be quite good young. Depending on the price tag, this might be a good value.
07 Forts de Latour
C: Slightly less deep
N: Ethereal aromas. Ripe, plumy.
P: Weightier, fuller, and very fresh. Unctuous. However the aftertaste could be longer. The finish nevertheless ratchets the estate's mineral side one notch up.
07 Latour
C: Fine, dark
N: Toasty, caramel, and slightly spirity
P: Chewy, round, mouth-coating going into a tremendously textured aftertaste. However, it is too flabby, too "easy" for a great Latour. Lacks sufficient backbone, seamless development on the palate, and a certain authority. Clearly better than Les Forts de Latour, but one wonders if it is really worth the price differential. Bigger, but not that much better… Slight hotness (cherry brandy).
Best regards,
Alex R.
