2013 Bordeaux 29/4 – some fun on the final straight – Chenade, Cruzelles, Léoville Las Cases, Clos Du Marquis, Clos Manou, Beauregard

by David Porter

Today’s releases include the ‘little wines’ of Denis (Église Clinet) Durantou which provide two of our strongest buy recommendations of the vintage, La Chenade and Les Cruzelles, as well as all of the Delon/Las Cases wines. Also out today is one of our special recommendations in the shape of Stephane Dief’s top-rated Médoc Clos Manou. If you are going to buy at all, buy some of these for real drinking pleasure at the right price. We await Église Clinet itself with interest – it is worth noting that the ‘lesser’ vintages 2004 and the 2007 were both been given 95/100 in a blind tasting in 2011 by Neal Martin – Denis Durantou has proved he can weave his magic almost no matter what the climate throws at him.

We really really liked Clos du Marquis this year,  and Léoville Las Cases was pretty stunning but not really looking a great primeur buy at this level. Beauregard, which showed really well, seems to us a better Pomerol buy than Nénin.

The little wines of Denis Durantou – all recommended, with special mentions for La Chenade and Les Cruzelles this year:-

2013 LA PETITE ÉGLISE Pomerol (£120 per 3 mags NB available in mags and larger sizes only) Limited quantity.

2013 SAINTEM Grand Cru Saint Emilion (£47.50 per six)

2013 LA CHENADE Lalande de Pomerol (£50 per six)

2013 CHÂTEAU MONTLANDRIE Côtes de Castillon (£65 per six)

2013 CHÂTEAU LES CRUZELLES Lalande de Pomerol (£70 per six)

We have followed Stéphane Dief’s Clos Manou for several years and it is in years like this that you really see why – the quality he produces year after year is simply remarkable. This represents great value to the drinker – a full wine which shows no sign of the troubles of the vintage:-

2013 CLOS MANOU Médoc (£140 per doz)

Read all our recent thoughts on the daily commentaries on LATEST NEWS link.

Also out today:-

2013 CHÂTEAU BEAUREGARD Pomerol (£240 per doz) recommended as a value buy in Pomerol this year.

2013 CHÂTEAU PAPE CLEMENT Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan (£540 per doz)

2013 CHÂTEAU LÉOVILLE LAS CASES 2ème Cru Classé Saint Julien (£860 per doz)

2013 CLOS DU MARQUIS Saint Julien (£300 per doz)

2013 CHÂTEAU POTENSAC Cru Bourgeois Médoc (£135 per doz)

2013 CHÂTEAU NÉNIN Pomerol (£300 per doz)

2013 FUGUE DE NÉNIN du Château Nénin Pomerol (£165 per doz)

2013 CHÂTEAU ROUGET Pomerol (£245 per doz)