2019, 2020 and 2021 tasting - 4 wines

[Claudius2]

Four wines tried with traditional French food:

Latour Martillac (Pessac L)
Pape Clement (Pessac L)
Trotte Vielle (St Emilion)
La Gaffeliere (St Emilion).

The wines were clearly too young to fully appreciate, though it did show the differences between the three vintages.

2019 showed very well. of the four wines, the consensus was that three were better in 2019, one better in 2020.
Maybe the respective age favoured 2019, which were at this stage, more complete and balanced.
2020 was fruity and darker, with a touch more sweetness and a lot of underlying structure, which needs time.
2021 was the least preferred, more acid and more savoury characters, but also decent fruit. Still pretty good overall.
On its on, they are less fruity and concentrated but sill quite interesting.

Latour Martillac
Not a wine I've had much experience with but of the four wines, this was the most open and ready to drink across the three vintages.
Yet it isn't particularly complex at this stage. Lower price however than the other wines.

2019
Nice dark red, black red core.
Nose showed tobacco, vanilla, smoky ok and red and black fruits.
Palate was medium weight, lowish acid and moderate tannins.
Some plums, dark fruit and a touch of sweet ripe red fruit.
Overall, a nice wine and improved with air.
Very good+

2020
Slightly brighter colour, bit darker in the centre.
Sweeter nose, slightly candied, more red fruits on the nose.
Palate showed black fruits, plums, moderate acidity and tannins, slightly sweeter than the 2019. Some savoury notes though less apparent than in 19 or 21.
The palate was less complete at this stage but there is more fruit intensity.
VG+ but I fractionally preferred the 2019. 2020 maybe in time.

2021
More purple colour at the rim. Not as bright.
Nose of plums, vanilla, dark fruits, more earthiness.
Palate was rather tightly wound, drier, with more acid and tannin. Some savoury characters. Leafy, dry green tobacco notes.
The tannins were a bit spiky initially. Opened with more air to show some soft fruit.
VG though I think the 19 and 20 are more omplete and interesting.

Overall, i liked these wines but they won't set the earth on fire. Better with food.

Pape Clement
I thought a step up in quality. All showed some typical Pessac/Graves earth and gravel, though with good fruit and a touch of mocha.

2019
Dark re/black, bright and dense.
Nose was very nice - lots of red and black fruit, plums, vanilla, earth, tobacco, chocolate.
Palate showed ripe, soft red and black fruit, some vanilla and cedary/pencilly oak, a touch of earthy characters and with a long aftertaste.
Medium acidity and firm but ripe tannins.
Excellent and may be higher rated with time.

2020
Bright dark red, red/black core.
Nose showed smoky, earthy dark fruit, seems sweeter than 2019.
Palate was similar with typical 2020 sweet fruit and firm structure, though with air, it offered sweet fruit and some savoury characters.
Not as earthy or as complex as 2019, but still a very drinkable wine. Moderate acidity and tannins. Nice finish with some mocha and dark fruit.
Rated excellent-. Good potential.

2021
Similar dark red/black, not as vivid as 20 or as dark as 19.
More savoury nose with some spicy, earthy characters, dark fruit and mocha oak.
Palate showed tobacco, vanilla, a touch of spice/pepper and good dark fruit.
A more linear wine without the core of fruit of 19 or 20, but very good+
Not sure how it will develop but sems to have serious potential for the vintage.

Trotte Vielle
More Cab Franc here. others raved about it; I was a bit less wowed.

2019
Dark red, not really vivid but good colour overall.
Nose was savoury, earthy, some spice and pepper, dark fruits, a touch of redcurrant.
Some alcohol on the nose as well.
Palate was medium bodied, moderate acidity and tannins.
A bit closed at first - needed some coaxing to strut its stuff.
Spicy dark fruit. Some tobacco, oak and savoury characters. Finish a little dry.
Yet later it opened up more with the fruit being brighter.
VG+
Needs time and at a slightly awkward age.

2020
Darker and brighter colour. Bit "glossy" but I don't object to that.
Nose showed more fruit - red and black, a touch of plum. Some spice and savoury or forest floor characters. Good oak in the background.
Richer than the 19, more dark fruit on the palate, still with some earth and spice.
Medium intensity, firm tannins and moderate acidity.
Got better and better with time.
More richness and length than the 2019, and my preferred wine.
Excellent-
Should develop well.

2021
Slightly lighter colour, dark red and red/black core.
Nose was more savoury, herbs, forest floor, some spice, dark fruit, touch of oak.
Palate was medium bodied, but the fruit is quite closed for now.
There is earth, spice, a touch of pepper, slightly firm and dry tannins, a touch more acid than 19 or 20.
The spice and herbal characters overpower the fruit at this stage.
Needs time and I have no idea what will arrive. Othrs thought it will develop well and gain complexity.
Rated VG though others seemed to like it more than me.

La Gaffeliere.
More plummy Merlot here but some CF evident.

2019
Good dark red/black, dark rim.
Nose showed dark fruit, some earth, oak and spice.
Palate was medium bodied though a little closed. There is good acidity and firm tannins, though the fruit is shy and this wine needs time.
Some fruit showed through with time but not for short term consumption. Longish palate offering some interesting fruit and savoury flavours.
Good oak handling with a touch of cedar, vanilla and pencil lead.
I got a few shades of Merlot fruit but leave it for now.
VG+ but hopefully more will emerge with time. I'm confident it will develop complexity.

2020
Darker black/red colour, quite bright.
Nose was darker, some blackcurrant and plums, a bit of spice and earth. Good oak in the background.
The palate was a touch sweeter with medium intensity, lower acid and ripe tannins.
Yet it is still structural and firm. Finish a bit short and tannic.
I marginally preferred the 2019, but this wine sems to have more ageing ability.
VG+ but again, others rated it higher. It shows some glimpses of its potential.

2021
Lighter rim, good dark red core.
Nose was more overtly savoury, some spice and dark fruit. Touch of oak and tobacco.
The palate had more acid and less intensity. Seemed less ripe and the tannins were a little dry.
At this stage, lacks interest though may develop well.
Of the St Emilions, this was my least preferred.
So Good+ and no idea where it will go. There is some structure but not sure the fruit is dense enough for long term development.

My fav was the 2019 Pape, the group was split between that wine and the 2020 Trotte Vielle.
So the wines were all good, but despite decanting for 90 mins, they were pleasant but not ready.
The Latour Martillac was the most ready, though without the complexity of Pape Clement.

My ratings are conservative - I checked Suckling's scores and there were lots of high ratings - up to 99 points.
So that's why I get bored with 100 point scales.
One comment in the group was that in 2024, anything below 95 points from JS must be swill. Oh well. The wines were presented with various scores - the usual suspects, and consensus was that these scores are now virtually meaningless.

Cheers
Mark

[Comte Flaneur]

Interesting notes thanks Mark for posting them. I always found it difficult to evaluate Bordeaux at this kind of age, when the wines tend to have a fair bit of puppy fat.

Did you get the impression that Pape Clement has dialled things down a bit? Because 20 years ago, in Parker’s hey day, they were turning out over-extracted, oaky monsters.

I remember tasting the 2001 in 2005 next to the 1995, and the difference could not be starker. The 1995 was a lithe wine with plenty of Pessac terroir expression and the 2001 was an oaky mess. This observation on my part led to one of the biggest rows in the history of BWE.

[Nicklasss]

Thank you Mark for the very detailled report.

Trotte Vieille seems to be back on critics top score since a few vintage. I almost bought some 2023 based on critic reviews, but choke last minute as it isn’t me.

Pape Clément seems to perform mostly well, but i think that in recent vintages, Domaine de Chevalier is most improved.

[DavidG]

Very nice report Mark. I’m tempted to pick up some ‘19 Pape Clement.

[stefan]

Nice tasting you had, Mark. That's a lot of wines to keep track of. Are you buy any of these for laying down?

The only 2020 I have tasted was La Croix du Casse. It is an excellent value at $32, but it will take quite some time for the oak to integrate with the powerful blackberries. If I could project living past 100 I would buy 2020 Bdx.

[JimHow]

Quite a report indeed. 2019 is an epic vintage.

[JeanFred]

Thanks you Marc

Very interesting your report! Always good to get comment on the comparison of 3 recent vintage.

JeanFred

[dstgolf]

Thanks for taking the time to share your notes on this recent comparative tasting. I'm not drinking much these days but appreciated your review. Somewhere in the cellar sits a case of 2019 Latour Martiallac. I bought it on futures after having a memorable 2005 in a French Michelin star restaurant in Tokyo of all places. I had never had this chateau before this and hopefully your tasting will bode well for earlier drinking from your description. Maybe I'll pop one soon to see. I'm too old to think about having the others in my cellar. I thought you had said a while back that you weren't buying anymore either but I may be mistaken.

[Claudius2]

Guys
Thanks for your kind words - I am of course trying to support the economy of Bordeaux these days!

I have just had the following wines from 2020 delivered:
Ch Berliquet St Emilion
Clos De Marquis St Julien
St Pierre St Julien
De Ferrand St Emilion
Gloria St Julien (never bought this before other than one bottle on vacation)
La Lagune Haut Medoc (now have 15 bottles but better not say anything....)

The De Ferrand (12xOWC) came with a free magnum of 2023 Chablis 1er Cru. Just happily took it.
Well having said that, in the last few decades, Chablis is largely off my buy list as it often disappoints me.

On their way:
Pape Clement 2019 and 2020 (mixed case, bought from the importer who put on the wine dinner last Friday).
Brane Cantenac 2020 (well, I usually don't buy this but it has received must critical acclaim lately - it better be good).
GPL 2020 (I already had 3, now have 9).

I got very good deals on all the above wines and the importers are now saying that they are having a hard time shifting stocks.
Much of the 2020s were bought on a late En Primeur sale. So clearly, the courtisans and negociants in Bordeaux are holding a lot of wine.
The crazy part of this is that 2018, 2019 and 2020 are all top vintages - even if I personally are less enamored with 2018.
Since 2014, Bordeaux has had lots of vintages that are very good to exceptional and they are still struggling.
I am getting numerous offers from importers here every DAY - literally - offering me deals on back vintages from 2014 onward.
Okay, I ignore the offers on 2013....

So now I have wines from 19 estates from 2020, and around the same for 2019.
Should be 20 for 2020, as the Rauzan Segla turned out to be 2021 and I have asked the importer to replace it.

A few years ago I said I will not buy more EP stock or retail orders of young Bordeaux.
Well, that didn't quite work out and I've also got wine from 16 Chateaux (3 to 6 each) from 2023 on EP which will turn up later.

C'est la vie.
Mark

[Claudius2]

Interesting notes thanks Mark for posting them. I always found it difficult to evaluate Bordeaux at this kind of age, when the wines tend to have a fair bit of puppy fat.

Did you get the impression that Pape Clement has dialled things down a bit? Because 20 years ago, in Parker’s hey day, they were turning out over-extracted, oaky monsters.

I remember tasting the 2001 in 2005 next to the 1995, and the difference could not be starker. The 1995 was a lithe wine with plenty of Pessac terroir expression and the 2001 was an oaky mess. This observation on my part led to one of the biggest rows in the history of BWE.

Ian
Yes I agree.
We are just looking at a window in time, and I am generally cautious when I write notes, which is why I have never liked the 100-point scale - it implies some mathematical precision and ignores the numerous variables (including time) inherent in tasting wines, particularly in their youth.
At this stage, I'm looking for the style of the wines and trying to guess what they will be like in the future.

I noticed that the 2020's were less puppy-fat like than in the Union tastings put on in Singapore in late 2022.
The 2019s were also very nice when young, and even when tasting the same wines a year or two later, they had largely closed down, the structure showing more than the fruit. Yet at this tasting, the 2019's were more open than 2020 - I somehow expected the dense fruit of 2020 to show through though they were not as open as the 19's at this point. Yet I'm confident both will turn out well. 2021 reminded me a bit of 2014 when young, though I have not tasted enough wines from that vintage to get a clearer view.

Regarding Pape Clement, I have never bought a lot of Graves/Pessac wines over the years.
I've had some absolute stunners (eg, 82 83 and 90 HB and LMHB) though I've had a lot of disappointments beyond the very top wines.
I have only one other vintage of Pape Clement - 1998. It is a pleasant, light to medium bodied wine, though disappointing given its fame and price.

I am not sure about Domaine de Chevalier. I liked the wines from the 80's though less so the 90's or 2000's I've tried. Ian McLean, the eccentric and now ageing owner of Yarra Yarra Vineyard, worked there in the 90's and wasn't that impressed with their attention to detail nor their viticultural practices. Ian is exacting and obsessively detailed in how he makes wines and argued that Dom de Chevalier isn't. In (I think) 2002 or 2003, he opened for a bunch of guys I used to drink with in Australia, and we opened several vintages of Dom de Chevalier he had from the 90's. Some were very disappointing and frankly, I did not buy it again until the 2010 vintage. Even better vintages (e.g., 95, 96) were disappointing, let alone the lesser vintages. So I now have cases of it from 2010, 2016 and 2019, and I hope the praise it has received is justified.

The 2019, 20 and 21 PC's were not overtly oaky, and I think the oak handling was judicious, there being some vanilla and cedar though it wasn't dominant. The fruit was excellent. It surprised me how softly fruity it was and showed good balance and structure. On the other hand, I did a Rioja tasting the previous week, and some showed so much vanilla and coconut, that I thought they would go well with ice cream. Oh well. I gave up taking notes after 2-3 wines. Not sure if you ever drink Wolf Blass wines, but my experience with the Black label (a quite expensive wine). based on a few verticals, are likewise.

I'm also trying hard to cast off some of my long standing biases. I keep thinking of the old Mott de Hoople song: "Once bitten, twice shy". I bought Brane Cantenac 2020 yesterday, and I have not bought it since 1976, and in some tastings, I simply ignored it. Yes, the 76 really WAS that bad. But it was admittedly a long time ago.

cheers
Mark

[Nicklasss]

On Domaine de Chevalier, i think that the last changes (or improvements) started around 2012…

I bought/ taste the 2014 that convinced me that it was back on what Pessac Léognan is all about. The 2015 was also one of the best Pessac from the vintage (only taste at UGC tasting). After reading what many wrote about the 2016, and how much i like the vintage, i bought a few 2016. First bottle opened last April or May convinced me that this is a very great wine. I encourage everyone here to find a bottle of 2016 to try. Than, the 2018 is excellent but want it or not, it suffers from the vintage characteristics (ripe, concentrated, lightly roasted).

A final dumb comment : give me 2016 Domaine de Chevalier anytime, as i think it will enter in my top 20 best Bordeaux listing soon, if the next bottles are as the first one.

[Comte Flaneur]

Thanks Mark for your detailed reply

Like Nic I also found your comments on DDC interesting as I have generally had good experiences with this wine from the late 70s to the early 00s, where clearly there was a stylistic change towards a more Parker friendly style. I don’t think the estate really returned from the dark side of the moon until quite recently. I know you Nic love the 2016. When I tried it I found it to be slick but a bit soulless whereas the 2020 is DDC at its best imho.