JEWELS OF TUSCANY New Releases – Another sort of Bordeaux.
By Patrick Sandeman on 27/05/2011
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2010 Bordeaux Primeurs – Friday 27th
By Charles Lea on 27/05/2011
Château Poujeaux has followed Chasse Spleen onto the market at the same price. Château Bernadotte, the ‘entry-level’ wine from the Pichon-Lalande stable is out this morning too. This offers good value in a tight, classical but glossy style. Château Rol Valentin comes recommended by me – and see Jancis’ note too as it is very similar – a real, racy wine despite its ripeness and elevated alcohol level. Michel Rolland has released his ‘home’ property, the excellent Fronsac Fontenil. Finally Cap de Faugères is another good value wine from the underrated Castillon area, this one under the same ownership as Chateau Faugères (Saint Emilion).
2010 Bordeaux Primeurs – Chasse Spleen, d’Aiguilhe, Trois Croix, la Garde
By Charles Lea on 26/05/2011
Chasse Spleen is out this afternoon, up around 7% on last year.
2010 Bordeaux Primeurs – Wednesday latecomers…
By Charles Lea on 25/05/2011
Bravo again to Francois Despagne for this year’s Château Grand Corbin Despagne which is a Saint Emilion which just tastes real, remarkably unforced, and unites the English palates: "Good juice and flow, it tastes like real wine" L&S, "Proper wine!" Jancis Robinson, "very pure and precise" Neal Martin, "Splendid wine with extra depth and purity of fruit" James Lawther (Decanter). It is offered at the same price as last year, and comes recommended.
Château du Tertre is possibly slightly pushing its luck – it is no better than the 2009 (but probably very close in quality), but offered around 11% more than last year. But it’s hard to find a Cru Classé Margaux for less, and it offers solid value in a big, round, slightly sweet and smudgy style.
2010 Bordeaux Primeurs
By Charles Lea on 25/05/2011
It is turning out to be a busy morning, after a slow start with a raft of inconsequential right-bank wines, we have the release of the first of the top-performing Médoc Crus Classés in the shape of Lafon Rochet, which has by general concensus, made it’s best wine ever in 2010. Also on the market two remarkable wines from Didier Cuvelier, owner of Léoville Poyferré, Moulin Riche and Le Crock and Goulée, the top-performing Médoc owned by Cos d’Estournel, in what is also its best performance to date. Finally just released is Château Belgrave, a ‘lesser’ 5th growth, but one which is making better and better wines and which Robert Parker has, like Goulée, called a ‘sleeper of the vintage’, by which he means a lesser-known but good value offering.
Bordeaux 2010 – the ups and the downs
By Charles Lea on 24/05/2011
If your wine sold out in seconds last year, and you have even better notes than last year, the temptation must be to hike a little. Sarget de Gruaud Larose flew last year, when it seemed one of the bargains of the vintage, and I’d suggest that this year it will also fly, because the 2010 is still a bargain. Sociando Mallet clearly just pushed above the critical point last year, and is offer about 16% down this year. I liked it even more, making it a bit of a bargain too. Long-term, mini-Latour like wine.
2010 Bordeaux Primeurs – beginning to speed up
By Charles Lea on 24/05/2011
Regular customers will know that we have has a soft spot for L’Arrosée ever since the Cailles took it over in 2002.
2010 Bordeaux Primeurs – Capbern Gasqueton and Laforge
By Charles Lea on 23/05/2011
Under the same ownership as Calon Ségur, Château Capbern Gasqueton is a Saint Estephe which offers cru-classé level drinking at lower-end Cru Bourgeois pricing.
LEA & SANDEMAN FINE WINES including RECENT PURCHASES FROM PRIVATE CELLARS
By Charles Lea on 23/05/2011
Our new format Fine Wine list gives customers the opportunity to buy single bottles of wines that they might like to drink now or add to a collection, or put together a mixed dozen (reflecting a 10% discount), or buy unbroken cases at our trade/broking price, either duty paid or in bond.
2010 Bordeaux Primeurs, Château Labégorce
By Charles Lea on 19/05/2011
Nathalie Perrodo is bringing her father’s dream closer to reality with this ‘first’ vintage from the newly reunited Labégorce vineyards, after they had spent a couple of centuries split into three. The part that was names Labegorce Zédé in 1840 is reintegrated for the first time since then this year, and this new wine is offered at a very realistic, even bargain price for a Cru Classé level Margaux.
2010 Bordeaux Primeurs – Cantemerle, Beychevelle
By Charles Lea on 19/05/2011
Releases continue this morning. Slight doubts in my mind about Cantemerle - as you will see from the note I only saw it once, and the sample may have been tired. Steven Spurrier, Neal Martin, Robert Parker ond other have all rated it very well. 16 (Jancis Robinson MW OBE (www.
2010 Bordeaux Primeurs – Ormes de Pez, Raymond Lafon
By Charles Lea on 17/05/2011
2010 Les Ormes de Pez has been released at the same price as the 2009. Given the reasonable price level of this excellent and consistent wine, this is really the best one could have hoped for. Goes straight into our recommended Médocs list.