Deep ruby red, the most elegant nose amongst the premières Côtes, it displays spices, wild berries, minerals and flowers, the palate is nicely balanced with elegant fruit, fairly smooth tannins and a good freshness, elegant and long persistence.

Château Haut-Gaudin
Medium deep ruby red, the nose is elegant and displays aromas of wild berries, minerals and smoke, the palate is rich with chewy tannins, red fruits and a long
fresh aftertaste.

Château de Ricaud
The colour is developed and medium deep ruby red, the nose is attractive with smoky undertones, a touch of spices and sweet red fruits, the palate is rich with a tannic backbone a good freshness and generous fruit, long persistence.

Château La Rame
Medium ruby colour, the nose is smoky with spicy undertones and sweet red fruit, the palate is fresh with marked tannins, well structured with red fruit, spices and a medium long finish.

Bright and intense ruby red, elegant aromas of dark berries, minerals and a touch of wood and spices, the palate is classically dry and fresh with a long, clean aftertaste.

Medium deep ruby red, the nose is clean with undertones of herbs and spices, the fruit is reminiscent of rosehips and red cherries, the palate is fresh with firm tannins, red fruits and a medium to long finish.

Château Lezongars
Bright medium dark ruby, slightly closed with elegant aromas of wild berries, leather and minerals, the palate is rich with marked tannins, medium-long aftertaste.

2004 Château Haut-Valentin
Bright with a medium golden tinge, the nose is generous and offers aromas of honey, yellow fruits and minerals, the palate is nicely balanced with luscious fruit and a good freshness, nice and long finish.

I ALSO LIKED

2003 Domaine de la Croix
A bright golden colour, exotic aromas of pineapple, peach and saffron emanates from the glass, on the palate it is sweet but not overwhelmingly so, it is backed up by a fresh acidity, and has a long persistence. Nice and drinkable.

Intense, deep golden colour, the nose evokes aromas of ripe yellow fruits, pineapple caramel, acacia honey and spices; the palate is nicely structured with a good sweetness-freshness balance, long and honeyed aftertaste.

2002 Château Birot
The colour is intense and deep golden, the aromas are complex with ripe peaches, apricots, honey and spices, the palate is rich with a fine sweetness, dried fruits and a medium high acidity, long finish.



BLAYE AND PREMIERES CÔTES DE BLAYE
- Charm, structure and fruit -
        I have been very impressed by the charming, round, perfumed and fruity yet structured wines from Premières Côtes de Blaye and Blaye. This appellation covers almost 6 000 hectares and the wine styles differ a lot according to where the vineyards are situated. There are vineyards in the plain, on the hillsides or on the high plâteau. The dominant Merlot thrives on the clay-limestone soils while the Cabernets and the Malbec normally are found on the warmer gravely-sand soils.
Cabernets and Merlots give colour, fruit, spices and structure while fine Merlot contributes with elegance, silkiness and perfume. Plain Blaye (that’s the one without the prefix Premières Côtes) comes from denser plantings and yields are lower it is aged for at least 18 months. Most wines in this tasting had the typical character of a modern winemaking style yet retaining finesse and elegance. Only a few bottles were overtly oaky, green or over extracted. Without any doubt the Côtes de Blaye wines are great Bordeaux’s to really affordable prices.


Château La Rose Bellevue
The colour is very dense and dark ruby, the nose is expressive with elegant dark fruits – black currants, plums with freshly ground coffee and leather, the palate is nicely structured with ripe tannins, dark fruit and a well integrated acidity, it has an excellent length.
Charming and modern, yet classically structured with layers of nice dark fruit.

Château Pérenne
Intense dark ruby with a nose that evokes earth, minerals, wild berries and dark truffles, very sophisticated with nice fruit and supple tannins on the palate,
magnificent length as well.

Château Ferthis
Dark ruby red with an approaching maturity, the nose is profound with layers of dark blackberries, cherries, plums intermingled with minerals and spices, the palate has a nice tannic backbone and enjoyable fruit with a long persistence, elegant.



Château Les Bertrands
Intense, dark ruby red colour, the nose is complex with a fine spiciness, wild berries, minerals and a floral touch, the palate has refined tannins and a good freshness, elegant fruit and a long persistence. Very elegant.

Château Les Ricards
Very dense and dark ruby red colour, a complex nose offers minerals, wild berries, spices and a discreet smokiness, the palate is nicely balanced with velvety tannins and a fresh fruitiness that lingers on the long finish. Well built and enjoyable.

Château Dubraud
Medium to deep ruby red colour, the nose has a nice earthiness to it with hints of minerals, wild berries and a compelling spiciness, the palate is elegant with good fruit, integrated tannins and a long spicy aftertaste.

Château Cantinot
Very intense ruby red, the nose is pronounced and open with hints of vanilla, wood, dark berries and liquorice, medium to full on the palate with firm, ripe tannins and a good length.


Château Haut Canteloup Prestige
Intensely dark ruby red colour, the nose offers ripe dark berries, oak and roasted coffee and vanilla very ”modern” but yet elegant, the palate is very rich with a nice tannic backbone, good fruit and a long fruity persistence. Good potential.

Château Bois Vert
Dark ruby colour, the nose is spicy with ground dry spices, the fruitiness is fine with hints of sweet wild berries, the palate is well balanced between succulent fruit and austere albeit ripe tannins, elegant with a fine freshness and long aftertaste.

Château Corps de Loup
Medium deep ruby red colour, the nose is very elegant with hints of red flowers, wild raspberries and minerals, the palate is very silky with elegant fruit and
a suave finish.

Château Petis Arnauds
Dark ruby red, the nose is very rich with aromas of dark plums, cassis, leather and a touch of oak, nice palate with integrated tannins and pronounced fruit,
good freshness and length.

Château Cailleteau Bergeron
Intense and dark ruby red colour, the nose is nicely developed and offers a slight smokiness, dark plums and leather, the palate has a nice freshness, red fruits and well built tannins, good persistence. Classic freshness.

Château Fontarabie
The colour is medium deep ruby red, the nose is generous with sweet red berries, cloves and orange peel - almost burgundy like, the palate is light with red fruit, a good spiciness and elegant finish.

Château Pinet La Roquette
Intense and dark ruby red, the nose is compelling with elegant undertones of wood, spices, sweet red berries and spices, the palate has a classical freshness to it, red fruits, integrated tannins and a medium-long finish.
Fresh and elegant.



Château Haut Colombier
Very inky almost opaque colour, the nose is very pronounced with aromas of dark fruits, leather, vanilla and oak, the palate is slightly on the tannic side now but will probably soften with some ageing, good concentration with nice dark fruits and a fine length indeed.


Château Grillet Beauséjour
Very inky – almost opaque, the nose is a little bit shy at first but then reveals a multitude of dark blackberries, smoke, leather, spices and coffee, the palate is very dense with high quality fruit, cassis, mint, spices with smooth tannins and a splendid length. Still young and closed it needs time but it is very promising indeed.

Château Haut Colombier
Intense dark ruby red, the nose is at this stage slightly dominted by wood and vanilla but beneath this there´s some nice dark fruits, the palate is very full with an impeccable balance between tannin-fruit-acidity, well made with a very fine length indeed.


Château Les Jonqueyres
Intense, inky and dark purple-ruby, the nose is very forward albeit elegant with hints of earth,
minerals, dark plums, cassis and tobacco, the palate
is well structured with good and ripe tannins,
dark fresh fruit and a magnificently long persistence.

Château Bel Air La Royère
Very intense and dark ruby, the nose is verypronounced with tones of minerals, dark berries, spices and some nicely balanced new oak, the palate has a good grip with chewy tannins, rich dark fruitand a
very long finish.
Still young but with good potential.


- Classy, elegant and silky wines -
A truly great tasting showed the remarkable quality of this region’s wines which doubtlessly are of superb quality. 3 000 hectares are planted with 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon spread out over soil types ranging from alluvial and gravel closer to the river, then sand and clay with more limestone as we approache the hillock.
This gives versatility in wine styles not unlike that of its illustrious neighbour Saint-Emilion. The wines vary from superbly fruity and charming to highly complex and mineral.
In this tasting most wines were made in a modern way albeit showing finesse and character with firm tannins and delicate fruit. 2004 is overall a nice vintage with elegant and balanced wines without extravaganzas whilst the samples of 2005 showed more intensity and concentration and should hold a great future potential.


Château Cadet
Intense ruby red, dense with a slight rim, the nose is very forward, packed with fruit, dark berries, currants, slightly smoky, the palate is finely balanced with ripe fruit and chewy tannins, nice freshness and a polished finish.

Clos Puy Arnaud
Medium to deep ruby red colour, the nose is forward and charming with some amount of oak, although balanced by plenty of dark berries and minerals, a very full palate is showing good fruit with ripe tannins, structure and freshness, very fine length.

Domaine de l´A
The core is dense and ruby, a very compelling nose offers a multitude of dark fruits and spices with discreet undertones of oak, on the palate one gets a nice mouth feel, quiet full, the tannins are marked but ripe and show good potential, very fine length.

Château Lapeyronie
Medium to deep ruby red, the nose is very complex and displays wild raspberries, red flowers and spices, the palate is dense with well built tannins, balanced with a long aftertaste.

Château Hyot Cuvée Prestige
A dense ruby red colour, the nose is floral and fruity with a nice perfume of flowers and wild berries, the palate is very suave with layers of fruit, spices and a nice backbone of ripe tannins, a good freshness and nice persistence.


Clos Louie
Intense and deep ruby red, the nose is very elegant with hints of smoke, minerals and dark fruits, the palate has some marked albeit balanced tannins, a good freshness and fine fruit, well balanced and long aftertaste, still fairly young but with good potential.

Château Veyry
Very dense, dark ruby red colour, the nose is compelling, smoky with elegant undertones of wood and a nice fruitiness with dark, wild berries, the palate is full with a nice balance between (slightly marked) tannins, fruit and freshness, well structured with a
medium-long aftertaste. I also liked.

Château Chainchon Cuvée Prestige
Intense and young ruby red, a complex nose evokes aromas of dark cherries and blackberries with a discreet smokiness and slight spiciness, the palate is very structured with integrated tannins, elegant fruit and a long, spicy finish.

Château Fontbaude
The colour is medium to deep with a ruby tinge, the nose is floral and displays elegant red fruits, the palate is well balanced with good fruit, chewy tannins and a fresh and elegant finish.

Valmy Dubourdieu Lange
Dense ruby red with an approaching maturity, the nose is slightly more Cabernet like with leafy black currant aromas intermingled with some elegant aromas of wood, spices and vanilla, the palate is fairly austere with marked tannins and a fine freshness, good length with a well defined fruit.


Château Bellevue Vieilles Vignes
Deep ruby red, the nose is on the floral side with a rose petal – raspberry – spice perfume, the palate is very smooth with velvety tannins, elegant and polished with
a suave finish.

Château d´Arce
Medium to deep ruby red, the nose is elegant and displays some earthy aromas of minerals and wild berries, the palate has a nice structure with a good tannic backbone, elegant fruit and a long finish.


Domaine de l´A
Immense purple-black colour, the nose is very intense and is displaying a plethora of young fruit, blackberries, cherries, liquorice and spices but also some elegant mineral tones, the palate is still young but very promising with layers of dark fruits, perfectly integrated tannins, a remarkably fine and fresh aftertaste, very fine indeed. Superb potential.

Clos Puy Arnaud
The colour is intense and bright deep purple, a very complex nose is displaying dark cherry-plum-blackberry fruit with hints of integrated new oak and a refined spiciness, a nice complexity, the palate has a very nice balance between dense young modern fruit and a classical mineral-freshness, polished tannins and a very fine aftertaste, superb stuff.

Château Roque le Mayne
The colour is massively purple-black, the nose has a nice complexity and is displaying some smoky, earthy truffle notes intermingled with ripe dark berries, the palate is still young with marked tannins but very promising with excellent length and luscious fruit.

Château Hyot Cuvée Prestige
Very intense purple-ruby almost opaque colour, the nose is forward with a nice spiciness, dark blackberries, and cherry liquor, the palate is very young but impeccably balanced with silky tannins and an exemplary persistence, very fine indeed.

Château Bellevue Vieilles Vignes
Very massive dark purple colour, a complex nose is showing a nice spiciness, wild berries, black truffles and leather, the palate is well structured with fairly young tannins, finely balanced fruit-spiciness and the length is very good indeed.


Château Lapeyronie
The wine shows a very intense dark purple colour, the nose is fairly “modern” with good doses of new oak; still it has a nice elegance with fine spices and wild berries, the palate offers a juicy fruit being backed up by ripe tannins and a nice acidity, very long aftertaste.

Château Chainchon Cuvée de Prestige
A dense purple-ruby colour, the nose is pronounced with a plethora of dark fruits – cherries, plums, blackberries, full-bodied palate with chewy tannins, a fine freshness that lingers on the long finish.

Château Côte Montpezat
A dark purple-ruby colour, the nose is young and very packed with dark berries, spices and some new oak, the palate is young but very potent, superb fruit, ripe tannins and a very long finish.


Château D´Arce
Dark purple ruby, the nose is young and offers aromas of dark berries, some oak and spices, the palate is full with a good tannic structure, nice fruit and a long finish.

Valmy Dubourdieu Lange
Very dense purple-ruby, the nose is “modern” packed with dark fruit and some amounts of new oak, the palate is however well balanced with good structure, fine fruit and a long, lingering aftertaste.

Château Fontbaude
Intense purple ruby colour, the nose displays masses of young dark fruits with some undertones of wood and spices; the palate has a classic freshness integrated with nice fruit, nice long aftertaste.


CÔTES DE FRANCS
- Classical freshness, spice and grip -
This is a rather small appellation with some 500 hectares planted, however I found the wines very good. They are the style classical claret drinkers appreciate, with firm tannins, red fruits not too opulent, showing fine mineral character and plenty of elegance. On these clay-limestone soils Merlot is the key player but I found a lot of the wines showing a nice spiciness that I associate with Cabernet Franc.
Again, 2004 displays classically structured and elegant wines, while a few were on the greenish side most others were elegant and lacking traces of excessive tannins or lavish oak. The few samples of 2005 were very promising and showed a nice combination of dark ripe fruit with silky tannins combined with classical freshness.


L´Eden de Lapeyronie
A dark and attractive ruby red colour, the nose is fairly complex with floral, fruity and spicy notes, it evokes dark wild berries, roses, and tobacco, the palate is silky and supple with a marked freshness, attractive drinking for a classical palate.

Georges de Puygueraud
Deep ruby red colour, the nose is nuanced and elegant with hints of flowers wild berries and some mineral notes, the palate is elegant with a classical freshness and marked tannins, good persistence.

Château Le Puy Barthélémy
Medium deep ruby red, the nose (a touch of cardboard), is showing autumn fruit, raspberries, and some smokiness, the palate offers elegant fruit and a discreet spiciness, fine freshness and a good persistence,elegant.

Château Puygueraud
Medium to deep ruby red colour, the nose is very elegant with autumn fruit, some minerals, and a discreet smokiness, the palate is well structured with ripe tannins, a good freshness and elegant fruit, a long aftertaste.

Château Puyfromage
A medium deep ruby red colour, the nose is elegant with hints of plums, herbs and dry spices,the palate is elegant with red fruits, a good freshness and a good length.

Château Nardou
Medium to deep ruby red, the nose is generous with hints of oak, spices and wild berries, on the palate the wine has got a nice freshness, a tannic backbone and elegant fruit, medium to long finish.

Moulin La Pitie
Medium deep ruby red, the nose is slightly more Cabernet like with some currants, leafs and herbs, the palate is more on the austere side, with a high acidity and polished tannins, medium to long finish, for the classical palate.


Château Godard Bellevue
The colour is very deep purple-black, the nose is pronounced and offers some new oak, dark blackberries and plums underlined by a discreet smokiness, the palate has a nice balance between ripe dark fruit and a classy mineral-freshness, elegant with a well refined and long persistence.

Château Marsau
Intense ruby-purple colour, the nose is slightly introverted but with fine hints of dark plums, blackberries, some oak, discreet vanilla and dry spices, the palate is finely structured with elegant fruit, minerals
and good freshness, fine length.

L´Eden de Lapeyronie
A very deep purple-ruby nuance, the nose is very expressive with a multitude of dark fruits underlined by some new oak and freshly ground spices, it shows a nice structure, still young with fairly marked tannins but good potential, very nice fruit and good persistence.

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