1999 Bordeaux Vintage Report, tasting Notes & Opening Offers "En Primeurs"

The week of 27^th March 2000 witnessed, in Bordeaux, another mass gathering of wine merchants, producers, journalists and enthusiasts to assess the 1999, and ultimate vintage of the second millenium A.D. The organisation of the Union des Grands Crus tastings, has dramatically improved over the last few years, with tastings organised for individual communes as opposed to one tasting in the Medoc, Libournais and Graves. This new format allows the palate designated breaks from which to recover from the bombardment of tannins prevalent in young cask samples.

Although attendance figures this year were considerable, one could not help feeling that the frenetic atmosphere usually associated with these annual events was somewhat diluted by the lack of British and American palates. Particularly unfavourable early predictions had perhaps taken their toll.

A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF QUALITY

Changing weather patterns seem to be favouring, more often than not, the viticultural cycle of the Merlot grape variety. Compared to the seventies, the nineties vintages are on average 10 days earlier in terms of flowering and the maturity date for harvesting. Merlot grapes tend to ripen approximately 2 weeks before the Cabernet Sauvignon crop. There is some movement towards replacing old, redundant Cabernet vines with Merlot, particularly in the Graves region.

1999 however is not, as last year, a vintage dictated by individual grape varieties although the rains in September and October would appear to favour another Merlot Vintage. The best wines of 1999, in the Medoc, Graves and Libournais have been made by strict selection prior to harvesting. The crop size is quite phenomenal, predominantly due to fantastic amounts of rain during August, resulting in the loss of  some of the considerable concentration and fruit density built up in a very hot July. Those who rigourously green harvested, that is reduced the number of grape bunches per vine, managed to attain considerable fruit density. At Haut Brion potential yeilds were in excess of 100 hl/ha, considerable green harvesting produced a final assemblage at 55hl/ha.  Monsieur Vauthier whose wines at Ausone are improving year on year produced 34hl/ha. He believes his 1999 to be a superior effort to his excellent 1995, but perhaps not as complex as his 1998.

The variation in quality is quite staggering, there are a number of well endowed full bodied long lived wines at top levels, in contrast there are a considerable number which will not do justice to their individual Chateau name.

One is not able to favour either The Graves, Medoc or Libournais, but my own stars are predominantly from St. Julien and St. Emilion. Some Chateaux, remarkably in such a difficult year have still managed to attain that density and mid-palate texture to balance out the considerable tannic structure which was generally in abundance.

My feeling is that in the Medoc, generally, 1999 is roughly on par with 1998, a very different style with much more charming, supple fruit particularly in Margaux, but lacking the overall concentration. The trick was not to over extract, but to go for a lighter wine with harmony and balance. The best wines in the Medoc will, I believe, drink earlier and eclipse the overall enjoyment offered by their counterparts of 1998.

The Libournais showed again to be the most reactive commune improving quality at the expense of crop size. Some wines in St. Emilion will come close to rivalling the superb 1998’s but these wines are few and far between. There were many disappointing overly extracted efforts which will struggle to reach an equilibrium. 1999 Pomerols, I am afraid, will always live in the shadow of the exceptional 1998’s, there are however some serious wines among the most celebrated Chateaux.

The Graves again will always be considered inferior to the excellent 1998’s. I found relatively little to get excited about from the red wines but the whites were outstanding.

 WHITE WINES

This is a great vintage for dry White Bordeaux, perhaps even better than last year. The fruit concentration and balance are quite outstanding, unequalled outside Grand Cru Burgundy. If you enjoy top flight dry whites you should seriously secure representation from this vintage in Bordeaux. Particularly outstanding were: Pavillon Blanc, Haut Brion Blanc, Laville Haut Brion, De Fieuzal and Domaine de Chevalier.

ARE 1999’S WORTHWHILE FUTURES?

The quality of the top wines from St. Emilion and Pomerol are probably worth securing, but   recent years have seen considerable price increases, so lets hope that reduced quantities does not translate into further escalation. The Medoc has a few properties which warrant serious consideration, on the plus side here, prices were reduced by 20% on average last year. and look set to remain fairly stable. Combined with the awesome strength of Sterling there could be some attractive prospects.

Tasting Notes

The following wines were tasted between March 27th-30th 2000, either from barrels at the chateaux or from barrel samples at the Union de Grand Cru Tastings. These examples are in turn a sampling from my complete notes. They represent some of the wines which we recommend as worth buying “en primeur”.

Quality Index

Tasting notes and ratings, reflect the individual wines’ characteristics at that point in time.  By analysing the wines’ characteristics, particularly the balance of  fruit, tannin, acidity and alchohol, we can make educated assumptions as to how the wine will develop as it matures.

However, the characteristics of wines, as with all living organisms, are perpetually changing, particularly in their youth when during the time between arrival in the cave and its bottling, the wine undergoes many treatments and chemical reactions, which do not adhear to a strict timetable.  

Tasting from cask is therefore hazardous and fraught with hypothetical pitfalls as some wines are better suited to analysis at that particular point in time than others.

This rating system scores a wine’s overall quality and value for money in the context of the individual vintage. 

             

*	- Fair
**	- Quite Good
***	- Good
****	- Very Good
*****	- Excellent
******	- Outstanding

HAUT MEDOC & MOULIS

Malescasse Cru Bourgeois – Excellent colour, now this is rich on the nose, blackcurrants, this is chewy and has substantial and pronounced fruit, reasonable balance, will be a sleeper. Drink from:  7yrs +  Quality:  ***  Value : ****

Chasse Spleen Cru Bourgeois – Bright plum colour, quite inky, soft fresh fruit, good texture and mouth feel, good touch of oak on the finish which is quite long. The tannins are in balance here. Good medium bodied example. Not as serious as Poujeaux but I feel it may give more pleasure certainly in the short term. Drink from: 6yrs +  Quality:  ***  Value : ****

 

Poujeaux Cru Bourgeois – Slightly deeper colour than Chasse Spleen, more expressive on the nose, a little more four square, with good grip, complexity and structure. Quite harmonious. Drink from:  7yrs +  Quality:  ***  Value : ****

MARGAUX

Lascombes 2nd Cru - Medium plum colour, sweetness here on the nose, good concentration, cool ripeness on the palate, substantial density, good heart and grip, good body, a bigger wine than usual. Drink from:  6yrs +  Quality:  ***  Value : ***

Ferriere 5th Cru – This is very deep, clean, broody, dumb nose with prominent blackcurrants, there is density and fruit concentration here. Good structure with ripe silky tannins. All in balance, I like this. This Chateau has been improving for several years, this is most impressive for the commune and vintage. Drink from:  7-8yrs +  Quality:  ****  Value : *****

Pavillon Rouge 2nd wine of Chateau Margaux - Good sweet perfume on the nose here, up front ripe jammy fruit, the palate is very sexy, soft, rich and obvious. Good length, I like this. To drink early.  Drink from:  4yrs +  Quality:  ****  Value : ****

Rauzan Segla 2nd Cru – Not overly deep for Segla, nose is dumb, there seems again to be an extra layer of fruit component here over the other wines in the commune. The oak is there on the finish. Very good. Drink from:  8yrs +  Quality:  **** Value : ****

Margaux Premier Cru – Medium full colour, the nose is refined and elegant though a little dumbish at present, nice and toasty, the palate is lovely and dense, fat and elegant, good balance of fruit and acidity, perhaps lacking a little grip but a sexy wine typically Margaux. I think this is very good. Drink from:  8-10yrs +  Quality:  ***** Value : ****

SAINT JULIEN

Talbot 4^th Cru – Good depth of full plum, quite rich and oaky on the nose, this is supple, good soft fruit, perhaps lacks a bit of complexity, but makes up for it in seductive style. Drink from:  6yrs +  Quality:  **** Value : ****

Beychevelle 4^th Cru – Fullish colour to the rim, nice sweetness on the nose, the palate is creamy and seductive, the fruit is quite soft and ripe, but still fairly light. A pretty well balanced wine. Drink from:  6yrs +  Quality:  **** Value : ****

Leoville Poyferre 2nd Cru – This is also quite deep , very bright at the rim. Good low key sweetness on the nose, red fruits, good, ripe sweet fruit on the palate, supported well by its tannins. A finely tuned effort. Drink from:  7yrs +  Quality:  **** Value : ****

Gruaud Larose 2nd Cru – This is very deep in comparison, exotic nose, good expression, blueberries, plenty here, more of everything, good texture and fruit appearance, lots of structure. Quite serious. Quite a big jump. Drink from:  8-10yrs +  Quality:  ***** Value: *****

Leoville Barton 2nd Cru – This is very full in colour, serious nose, very concentrated and powerful, good deep black fruits, very good texture and grip, the concentration is here, with the support. Very tannic, big wine, a bit of a handful in terms of the grip but the depth of fruit is there. One of the best wines of the vintage. Drink from:  10yrs +  Quality:  ***** Value : ******

PAUILLAC

Haut Bages Liberal 5th Cru -  This has an attractive colour, quite full and very bright, lovely sweetness on the nose, rich and concentrated, not a big wine but good depth and texture, quite round and soft. Very good balance. This always hits the spot with me one of the very best value wines of Pauillac particularly this year where there are few real successes. Drink from:  6-7yrs +  Quality:  **** Value : ******

Pichon Baron 2nd Cru – Good colour, quite deep, extra dimension here on the nose over the other wines, brambly and herby, good concentration with ample fruit, ripe tannins. A good effort. Quite long with good grip. One of the rare successes in the Northern Medoc . Drink from:  8-10yrs +  Quality:  ***** Value : *****

Les Forts de Latour -  This is very deep, fairly dumb nose with a hint of sweetness and class, underneath a soft heart and considerable charm. It possibly lacks a little mid-palate, but lingers. Very deep colour, right to the rim, wonderful nose of rose petals, red fruits and new oak, Very well with goodtoasty notes on the finish. Certainly one of the best wines from Pauillac. Drink from:  6yrs +  Quality:  **** Value : *****

Latour Premier Cru – Excellent colour, right through to the rim, lovely elegance and sweetness on the nose, expressive and perfumed. Good palate weight and texture, plenty of intensity. Dense and full bodied. The consistency of this chateau shows through. Certainly top flight for 1999, I prefer it to the 1998. Drink from:  12yrs +  Quality:  ***** Value : ****

Lafite Rothschild Premier Cru – Good colour, quite deep but perhaps not as deep as usual, there is more to this than the Duhart and Carruades. Quite a rich nose, not overly puissant for Lafite on the palate, but elegant, seems to lack a little mid-palate, there is a lot of tannin with some concentration but the fruit seems a little understated at the moment. Judgment deferred.

PESSAC & LEOGNAN

 La Mission Haut Brion – Very deep colour, the nose is a little dumb at present but classy with black fruits coming through, full dense palate, very ripe fruit here and plenty of grip and guts. This is a very successful wine for the vintage. Pessac, further south than the Medoc or Libournais, gained from its generally earlier ripening calander. Drink from:  8-10yrs +  Quality:  ***** Value : **** 

Haut Brion Premier Cru – Slightly deeper than La Mission, particularly at the heart. No lack of depth on the nose a little more expressive and complex, spicy and cedary, the palate is rich with ripe fruit, there is a serious core of dense fruit here, with a charming silky texture, and full acidity giving excellent balance. Long toasty finish. Excellent! Drink from:  10yrs +  Quality:  ****** Value : **** 

SAINT EMILION

 Grand Pontet Grand Cru Classe - Excellent full colour, almost black at the heart. Deep seated fruit, dense and inky wine, well extracted, a big wine which will require considerable time to mature. Drink from:  8yrs +  Quality:  ****  Value *****

Moulin St. Georges Grand Cru Classe - Very deep, rich and ripe, as good as the 1998, mulberries on the nose, the palate has ripe tannins, soft , fairly low acidity, good bredth of flavour, medium full length and good balance. A very good 1999. Drink from:  5-8yrs +  Quality:  ****  Value *****

Clos de L’Oratoire Grand Cru Classe - Full imposing colour, almost black, shows excellent richness on the nose, very concentrated, this is a big wine with excellent all round style. Drink from:  8yrs + Quality:  **** Value *****

Pavie Macquin Grand Cru Classe - Superb depth of colour, lovely dense loganberries and blackcherries on the nose, vey concentrated! This has marvellous depth, power and above all harmony, giving it that superstar length. A Great wine and one of the very best 1999’s. Drink from:  8yrs +  Quality:  ****** Value ****** 

Canon La Gaffeliere Grand Cru Classe  - Full plum, almost black at centre, well to the rim, this has lots of excellent sweetness on the nose, very rich black cherries, lots of density and texture, the tannins are here but well covered, this wine explodes with new flavours emerging for several seconds.. This is quite excellent for the vintage.  Drink from:  10yrs +  Quality:  ***** Value *****

La Dominique Premier Grand Cru -  Quite full colour, deep at the heart, this has richness on the nose, certainly one of the purist fruit styles, good texture, not overly extracted but plenty of grip, soft and delicate fruit proportion, with a nice oaky finish. Drink from:  6-8yrs + Quality:  **** Value ****

Pavie Premier Grand Cru – Not as deep as Pavie Decesse, not getting a lot on the nose, some black fruits underneath. This seems quite classy, seductive with a nice dense fruit backed up harmoniously with full tannins. Very good oaky finish.  Drink from:  8yrs +  Quality:  *****  Value ****

Pavie Decesse Grand Cru – This is quite full, very dark, there is richness and purity here on the nose, quite toasty. This is chewy, high-toned, upfront and oaky. Sweet and evocotive in style. Where the fruit has the density as here, 1999 can be a very serious vintage. Drink from:  8yrs +  Quality:  *****  Value ****

Cheval Blanc Premier Grand Cru – Colour is deep for Cheval, good sweetness on the nose, high toned, complex toasty oak, very rich, full palate weight, chewy, with great texture, ripe tannins, inky but charming and full bodied, good lingering length, cocoa and chocolate on the finish. Very expressive now, will drink fairy young. Drink from:  8yrs +  Quality:  ******  Value ****

Ausone Premier Grand Cru - Very deep colour, a little dumb but refined and elegant with a deep seated depth of sweetness , soft and ripe surprisingly supple and drinkable, due to what appears to be lowish acidity. The fruit quality is very fine. Long and classy. Only 34 hl/ha here which shows in the silky texture.. Monsieur Vauthier feels that it lacks the mid-palet of the outstanding 1998 but would get his nod as the second best wine of the decade. 55% Cab Franc – 45% Merlot.  Drink from:  8-10yrs +  Quality:  ******  Value ****

POMEROL

La Croix du Casse – This is very deep in colour, concentrated and pruny on the nose, jammy dense palate with gobs of fruit backed up well with plenty of grip. Long oaky finish. A good ripe effort. Drink from:  6-8yrs +  Quality:  ****  Value *****

Le Bon Pasteur – Medium full plum colour, sexy perfumed nose, this is more concentrated than most with good texture, rich and dense palate. Long on the finish. Very good for the vintage. Drink from:  6-8yrs +  Quality:  ****  Value ****

Clos L’Eglise – This seems a little lighter in colour than some, very oaky on the nose, quite full on the palate, excellent purity and texture, not overly extracted, dense mid-palate, lovely oaky finish and good grip. Excellent.  Drink from:  6-8yrs +  Quality:  *****  Value ****

Clinet – This is quite deep in colour, rich and exotic on the nose underneath but still a little restrained., good chunky palate, plenty of depth and concentration, with good balance on the finish. Drink from:  8-10yrs +  Quality:  ****  Value ***