2013 Bordeaux 30/4 – L’Église Clinet, Vieux Château Certan, Léoville Poyferré, Le Gay and La Violette

by David Porter

Writing on the morning after a day that finally saw some action. As expected Denis Durantou released his flagship wine L’Église Clinet. Considered by many as the wine of the vintage, and in very limited quantity, this was always going to be in demand, even if it is true that we can offer a couple of cases of the Neal Martin 95 point 2007 at £825 per case duty-paid. We have a very limited volume of the 2013 still available  – first come first served.

Vieux Château Certan, all Merlot this year, is a very elegant and supple, pretty wine, but not really with the power of a great vintage of VCC. This was released from the property at the same price as last year, although the improved exchange rate means we can offer it at £990 per dozen, marginally cheaper. They only made 800 cases. This could be an opportunity to get an allocation of a wine that is notoriously difficult to source en primeur, but on the other hand we still have stock of the higher rated 2012 at £1050 per dozen which might be a better buy in itself.

Léoville Poyferré showed well, and has made a decent effort on price, and we slightly grudgingly recommend it in the context of this vintage, but don’t really understand why it was not released ten days ago, and feel it may have rather missed the boat.

We now await only Pichon Lalande and Ducru Beaucaillou on the left bank, while on the right there are still the wines from Nicolas Thienpont, who, it has to be said, has shown as deft a touch on the vintage as Denis Durantou. The tasting at Pavie Macquin, which included a range of wines from the pretty basic right up to some of the right bank’s finest with Larcis Ducasse, Pavie Macquin and Beauséjour Duffau Lagarosse, was extremely impressive.

With the French on holiday to day and tomorrow, and us on a Bank Holiday on Monday, we assume these will finally hit the market on Tuesday. We do not think there is likely to be any miracle as far as price is concerned, so maybe now if the time to look at what does seem salvageable from this missed opportunity of a campaign. This will be the subject of our next post.

2013 CHÂTEAU L’ÉGLISE CLINET Pomerol (£600 per six bottles)

2013 CHÂTEAU LÉOVILLE POYFERRÉ 2ème Cru Classé Saint Julien (£420 per doz)

2013 VIEUX CHÂTEAU CERTAN Pomerol (£495 per six bottles)

2013 CHÂTEAU LA VIOLETTE Pomerol (£1425 per doz)

2013 CHÂTEAU LE GAY Pomerol (£525 per doz)