1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château de Beaucastel, Rhone Valley

Appearance: deep purple-red, clear rim.

Nose: a little closed at first – in fact, the wine seemed to waft ‘in’ and ‘out’ of expression as it developed in the glass – but began to show lovely red and black fruits (mix of blackberry, red and black cherry, redcurrant etc.) with beautiful oak and some distinctive spicy notes (white pepper, black pepper, clove etc.).

Palate: angular fruit that is still young in expression, medium-high acidity, large alcohol but this is well-integrated with some tight ripe medium-high tannins. Very good length.

Conclusion: 1998 was a wonderful vintage in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Beaucastel will go on for some time and should age beautifully. Likely to be a classic.

Rating: 18/20 [will be higher with age]

Labels: 1998, Beaucastel, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France, Grenache, red, Rhone

15th December 2007: ASC invited Pierre Lurton, General Manager of both St. Emilion's Château Cheval Blanc and Sauternes's Château Yquem to give a specialist tasting and dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel, Beijing.

Before his arrival, Bertrand Carles, Buying Manager and Director of Bordeaux negociant Ginestet, gave a short introduction to the two properties, speculating on their markets in China. Carles had been travelling with Lurton throughout their tour of the country and was optimistic about the wines’ reception (hardly surprising, given the prestige of these propertites and Chinese consumers’ receptivity to French wines in general). As Carles joked, his problem is not one of selling top wines, but one of securing allocations in the increasingly competitive Bordeaux market.

Pierre Lurton first spoke about the diversity of soil types that characterize Cheval Blanc’s terroir (a mixture of gravel, sand, and clay). About 60% of the vineyard is given over to Cabernet Franc with Merlot making up the remainder. Lurton explained that in cooler vintages the early-ripening Merlot takes centre stage, but in hotter years Cabernet Franc plays more of a role. As Lurton put it, in warmer years, ‘Cabernet Franc invites Merlot for the long trip’, helping to produce wines that should have great longevity.

Whatever the assemblage, Lurton is adamant that Cheval Blanc's terroir dictates the style of the wine and its overall expression. He referred to Cheval Blanc's often silky tannins (or ‘cashmere’ tannins as Lurton put it); although this quality is presumably also achieved by care in the vineyard and limited extraction in the cellar. Cheval Blanc itself is made up from 25 different plots, all of which are vinified separately and then blended according to the nature of the year. Regular racking and fining are practised and the wine is unfiltered.

Here are our notes on the Cheval Blanc wines first. The notes on the 2004 and 1998 Château Yquem follow.

2004 Le Petit Cheval, St. Emilion

Appearance: medium purple-red, clear rim.

Nose: light red and black fruits (mix of plum and blackberry), fair bit of oak here, leather.

Palate: medium-bodied at most, good acidity, soft on tannins but these are definitely there. Not bad length.

Conclusion: 53% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Franc, this wine has some of the delicacy of the 2004 vintage. Although it could be approached now, it would be better to wait five years.

Rating: 17/20

2001 Le Petit Cheval, St. Emilion

Appearance: medium purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: shows much more tobacco on the nose than the 2004 Le Petit Cheval with similar fruit underneath (blackberry, plum etc.). Oak is less prevalent, but this is because it has settled down; plus the tobacco and leathery smell is traceable to the use of oak here anyway. Complex.

Palate: more structure and tannic backbone here than on the 2004 Le Petit Cheval and better length too; also features good acidity and impressive fruit.

Conclusion: 53% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Franc, this wine was more impressive than the 2004 Le Petit Cheval and should age for much longer.

Rating: 17.5/20

2004 Château Cheval Blanc, 1er Grand Cru Classé A, St. Emilion

Appearance: medium to deep purple-red, clear rim.

Nose: crushed berry fruits (red and black), very perfumed with some fragrant green pepper notes from the Cabernet Franc. Oak comes in later.

Palate: strong fruit, ripe coating tannins – smooth in texture, not chewy – lovely acidity with good length. Slightly tight and clearly very young at present.

Conclusion: 55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot, this wine needs time. It is clearly sophisticated St. Emilion.

Rating: 18/20

2001 Château Cheval Blanc, 1er Grand Cru Classé A, St. Emilion

Appearance: deep purple-red, slight orange rim.

Nose: metallic first nose (iron, sanguineous kind of smell) followed by strong red and black fruits (chiefly plum and blackberry) along with integrated oak and considerable complexity.

Palate: ripe, silky and fully integrated tannins with excellent fruit, considerable length and fine acidity.

Conclusion: 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, according to Robert Parker (but we’ve seen all sorts of different percentages for the assemblage on the same vintages of Cheval Blanc wines on the web!). This is clearly very fine St. Emilion which still has a long way to go to reach maturity.

Rating: 18.5/20

Pierre Lurton then talked in some detail about the production of Sauternes and the qualities of Château Yquem specifically. He described Yquem as ‘an icon of wine’, referring to the property as ‘the story of the Lur-Saluces family’ (rather than discussing the controversy of how Yquem ceased to be under Lur-Saluces control).

Like Cheval Blanc, Yquem is also typified by a varied terroir incorporating 130 hectares of gravel, sand, clay and chalk soils. These soils do not contribute directly to wine flavours (if at all), but do have different drainage and obviously different exposure in the vineyard itself.

Yquem is typically a blend of 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc and Lurton explained the various risks inherent in Sauternes production, particularly given the need to wait for the right conditions over several trie (select harvests through the vineyard as noble rot develops). These separate pickings typically take place in the middle and end of September, the middle and end of October and conclude around the middle of November.

All in all, Lurton aims in Yquem to achieve a ‘clean, pure Sauternes with a good level of acidity’ to balance the natural residual sugar. It is certainly worth remembering that these are not particularly sweet wines (reaching about 130 g/l in sweeter years) - certainly alongside the likes of Ice Wine/Eiswein.

2004 Château Yquem, 1er Grand Cru Classé Exceptionnel, Sauternes

Appearance: medium-yellow gold.

Nose: very ‘fresh’ nose (with botrytis only suggested, really). Instead, there’s more evidence of fresh orange and other citrus aromas. Candied fruit with slight honey.

Palate: not super-concentrated. More of the delicate candied, citrus fruits with an excellent balance of medium residual sugar to high acidity. Good length.

Conclusion: a delicate vintage for Yquem (which is not a euphemism for ‘lacking concentration’ – this is just a different vintage). Will repay medium-term keeping.

Rating: 18/20

1998 Château Yquem, 1er Grand Cru Classé Exceptionnel, Sauternes

Appearance: distinct orange gold.

Nose: intense candied fruit, marked botrytis, spice and other complex aromas.

Palate: superb fruit, fantastic balance of robust residual sugar to delicate high acidity. The balance here really is very, very good! Excellent length.

Conclusion: this is a superb wine. Super-intense, but hardly cloying because of the fine acidity and amazing integration of the total wine. A brilliant Sauternes!

Rating: 19/20

There were limited opportunities for questions as Pierre Lurton and Bertrand Carles were coming to the end of a fairly arduous Chinese tour. But I did manage to ask Lurton if he uses different types of French oak when maturing Le Petit Cheval and Cheval Blanc respectively or whether the wines see similar oak treatment but for different periods. Lurton explained that he works with five different coopers, but didn’t divulge the types of oak used. Instead, he pointed out that Le Petit Cheval usually spends about 12 months in oak whereas Cheval Blanc would usually receive about 15-18 months.

Fongyee also managed to ask at what point the grapes for Yquem’s dry white (the ‘Y’) are generally picked each year. The blend for the ‘Y’ is quite different: 60% Sauvignon Blanc with 40% Semillon; and the grapes are usually harvested, we learnt, just before the end of the vintage.

Labels: 1998, 2001, 2004, ASC, Cabernet Franc, Cheval Blanc, Featured Tastings, Ginestet, Le Petit Cheval, Merlot, Pierre Lurton, Sauternes, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, St. Emilion, Yquem

Here are a selection of some of the other wines we particularly enjoyed at the Torres China 'Taste of the Nations' event (see Taste of the Nations Part I: Torres China Grand Tasting)

2004 Amherst ‘Dunn’s Paddock’ Shiraz, Pyrenees, Victoria

Appearance: dark purple-black, clear rim.

Nose: concentrated dark fruits with a very ‘Christmas cake’ nose (i.e. candied fruits, spices like cinnamon and clove). Strong oak here which balances with the robust fruit well (probably American oak by the smell of things).

Palate: intense fruit, more ‘Christmas cake’ aromas, ripe chewy and big tannins but with enough acidity here to lift the wine. Decent length.

Conclusion: interesting to try some Shiraz from Victoria. Well-made and very enjoyable. Retail 224RMB.

Rating: 18/20

2003 Amherst ‘Chinese Gardens’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Pyrenees, Victoria

Appearance: dark purple to black, clear rim.

Nose: immensely fruity blackcurrant nose with similar ‘Christmas cake’ aromas to those on the above Dunn’s Paddock Shiraz. Strong oak, but this seems to match well with the concentrated fruit here.

Palate: big fruit, very large chewy tannins and pretty good length. Acidity is there.

Conclusion: This didn’t seem as balanced as the Dunn’s Paddock Shiraz, but is still clearly a good wine. Retail 224RMB.

Rating: 17.5/20

1998 Marimar Torres Chardonnay, California

Appearance: medium gold.

Nose: developed, aged Chardonnay with lingering citrus, nutty aromas and some other oxidized smells (from the mellowing oak).

Palate: concentrated palate with more nutty citrus fruits (fruits that were quite ‘warm’ originally). Decent acidity lifts this, though. Good length.

Conclusion: impressive aged Californian Chardonnay. Retail 385RMB.

Rating: 18/20

2000 Marimar Torres Pinot Noir, California

Appearance: medium red-purple, orange rim.

Nose: sweet Pinot fruit (red cherry, strawberry), perfumed but with some development (slight barnyard aromas).

Palate: typical high acidity but this has mellowed and integrated with the rich Pinot fruit. Light on tannins, but they are there and slightly chewy. Good length.

Conclusion: obviously decent quality Californian Pinot Noir. Ready to drink. Retail 441RMB.

Rating: 18.5/20

2006 Hess Collection Chardonnay, California

Appearance: medium green-gold.

Nose: attractive mixture of citrus and melon fruit (‘warm’ and ‘cool’ in expression), light on oak.

Palate: generous fruit, but this is restrained and there’s acidity there.

Conclusion: good quality Monterey Chardonnay. A good deal at 170RMB.

Rating: 17/20

The other Hess wines on show (the Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon) are also worth trying.

Labels: 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006, Amherst, Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Chardonnay, Featured Tastings, Hess, Marimar Torres, Pinot Noir, Pyrenees, red, Shiraz, Torres China, white

Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo, Vertical Tasting

Presenting his wines at Aria restaurant in a tasting organized by ASC, Michele Chiarlo revealed that the family owns some 6 hectares of the Cerequio vineyard or about 40% of the total (with the likes of Angelo Gaja, Roberto Voerzio and Aldo Conterno controlling the rest of the vineyard).

The yield is generally at 35 hl/ha. He affirmed the care taken in extracting the better tannins from Nebbiolo before the bitter tannins take over: something the grape can easily show in less carefully made examples. 33% of production is sold in Italy with the rest going overseas, principally to the US and UK.

2003 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: deepish purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: Very ripe red cherry, some ‘heat’ from the alcohol here, but there are still Nebbiolo characters coming through with some tar aromas. Oak is not over-dominant and with most of these notes I’ve hardly talked about oak because it’s well-integrated and almost hidden as Nebbiolo takes over.

Palate: big fruit, tight and close but ripe tannins; has impressive acidity for such a difficult vintage, some almond character and also peppermint and clove.

Conclusion: a very good wine for such a demanding vintage. Sensibly, they did not de-leaf in this vintage knowing that the grapes hardly needed much exposure to the sun in the fierce 2003 heat. Good, but it will never be a great Barolo year, not even from this vineyard and this producer.

Rating: 17.5/20

2001 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: Medium to medium-deep purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: toasty first nose, a lot more immediately perfumed than the 2003 with a gamey aroma and beautiful red fruits (cherry, redcurrants, even cranberry).

Palate: has ripe large grainy tannins, excellent acidity and considerable finesse. There’s a great balance here on the palate with delicacy, freshness and lovely length.

Conclusion: Very good. A lovely expression of Barolo in a fine year.

Rating: 18.5/20

2000 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: Deep purple-red (deeper colour than the 2001 certainly), slightly orange rim.

Nose: More tar on the first nose than perfume. Lavish fruit: more black cherry here than the red fruits you’d normally expect from most Piemonte Nebbiolos (at least those that haven’t had a bit of Barbera added!).

Palate: tannins are ripe and chunky. Considerable black fruits, but there isn’t the staying power here of the 2001 and there’s a slight problem with the palate. It’s not that the wine is short in length: there’s a gap between the generosity of the nose and a palate that gives a little less.

Conclusion: the palate notes here sound overly critical; but I can see why Chiarlo himself has more time for his 2001. This won’t last as well as the 2001 and will be an attractive earlier drinker, still of impressive quality.

Rating: 18/20

1999 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: Medium to medium-deep purple-red, orange rim (similar in colour to the 2001).

Nose: Very perfumed indeed – in that way that Nebbiolo at this level is indescribably perfumed, just like great Pinot Noir. Very concentrated ripe red fruits.

Palate: has the feel of ‘sweet’ fruit on the palate, excellent acidity and gripping, ‘angular’ tannins (whereas the tannins on the 2000 were chunky and chewy).

Conclusion: very, very good indeed and, along with the 1997 and 1990, probably my favourite (with the 2001 being a close contender).

Rating: 19/20

1998 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: dark purple-red, orange rim (but orange rim is less extensive than that on the 1999).

Nose: has an immediate clove nose with tar, pepper and ripe cherry fruit.

Palate: tannins are chunky here and the palate is very much like the 2000 but with a better overall structure, i.e. the ripe cherry fruit is more integrated and there’s a better balance between fruit, tannin, acidity and alcohol.

Conclusion: very interesting to taste comparatively. Obviously similar to the 2000 in style, but better overall. Although the below rating is the same as the 2001, I think I prefer the 2001 to the 1998, at least in this tasting.

Rating: 18.5/20

1997 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: Medium to dark purple-red (I know this sounds strange, but these wines are a real mix of colours and hues)

Nose: first nose has lots of violets, perfume and also rose petal. Throughout, there is the ‘sweet’, ripe red fruits of the 1999 vintage.

Palate: similar to the 1999 with ripe red fruits and perfume, but the tannins are bigger here. Excellent length.

Conclusion: the 1999 is more ‘delicate’ or lighter on the nose and palate than the 1997, but the 1997, with its relative burliness, might last longer. There are both wonderful vintages, however, and point-for-point, this and the 1990 were my top wines.

Rating: 19.5/20

1996 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: dark purple core with a real spread of red to orange in the rim.

Nose: shows a very clove and tarry nose – like the 2000 and the 1998 – with concentrated, even closed, red and black cherry fruit.

Palate: fruit is riper and ‘sweeter’ on the palate than expected with very big, chunky tannins and good acidity.

Conclusion: this wine will need a lot of time. Could do 10-20 more years and may well be superb eventually.

Rating: 18.5/20 [but could be higher with further age]

1995 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: deep purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: lots of peppermint, tar and perfume with a mixture of red and black cherry fruit.

Palate: has ‘dusty’ big fruit, hefty and chunky tannins, acidity that seems higher here than on other vintages (or is more noticeable).

Conclusion: obviously impressive, but not as conversation-stopping as some of the other wines. Still very good, however.

Rating: 18.5/20

1993 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: deep purple-red, orange rim.

Nose: has a very ‘Christmas cake’ first nose with clove, cinnamon and candied fruit.

Palate: shows more peppermint on the palate with lovely red fruits, decent marked acidity and ripe ‘fresh’, i.e. light, tannins (no doubt mellowed with age).

Conclusion: Ready to drink, although will still improve. A lighter, attractive vintage.

Rating: 18/20

1990 Barolo Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo

Appearance: medium purple-red, orange rim (still has considerable colour but has a wider gradation of orange rim than the other wines)

Nose: white truffle nose – the first wine to have this truffle quality – also other mushrooms, red fruits and some perfume.

Palate: mellowed but still lean tannins with generous fruit, complex truffle flavours and great acidity.

Conclusion: this wine still needs time in my book. It’s obviously a massive vintage and it would certainly be better to drink the 1993 before this wine. Stupendous and extremely generous of Michele Chiarlo to bring this over from his personal cellar.

Rating: 19.5/20

Labels: 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, ASC, Barolo Cerequio, Featured Tastings, Italy, Michele Chiarlo, Piemonte, red, white

1998 Langhe Vignaserra, Roberto Voerzio, Piemonte

Appearance: dark purple red, clear rim.

Nose: beautiful black and red cherry fruit, slight tar, non-intrusive and integrated oak. Complex savoury aromas.

Palate: lovely fruit, impeccable balance of acidity to oak to alcohol to fruit to tannin. That acidity is lively, but the wine is modern in style (or, better still, a 'blend' of modern and old-style influences). Great length.

Conclusion: Roberto Voerzio is clearly a great wine-maker. His Baroli and single-vineyard Barbera are basically unaffordable, but look out for all of his other wines. This Langhe (with strong evidence of Nebbiolo and Barbera in the mix) was superb and only just starting to drink.

Rating: 18.5/20

Labels: 1998, Barbera, Italy, Langhe, Nebbiolo, Piemonte, red, Roberto Voerzio

1998 Castello di Brolio Chianti Classico, Barone Ricasoli

Appearance: deep purple-red, slightly orange rim.

Nose: gorgeous sweet and sour cherry fruit, deep and ripe enough to balance superbly with the oak here (this wine is kept, as Nicolas Belfrage notes, for up to 18 months in barrique which is a long time really).

Palate: supple, surprisingly lowish tannins, excellent acidity and great fruit with a decent balance of fruit to alcohol. Very long.

Conclusion: top draw Chianti in a modern but not too modernist style. Very good and capable of further ageing.

Rating: 18.5/20

Labels: 1998, Barone Ricasoli, Chianti, Italy, red, Sangiovese, Tuscany

1998 Savigny-Les-Beaune (Vieilles Vignes/Old Vines), Domaine C. Maréchal, Burgundy

Appearance: light red purple, slight tinge of age.

Nose: beautiful Pinot nose featuring red cherry and strawberries (rather than raspberries), French oak, slight oxidation but not very vegetal just yet.

Palate: good fruit, excellent medium-high acid and balanced alcohol, soft and silky tannins although with enough structure for further ageing.

Conclusion: Maréchal is a decent producer situated in Bligny-Les-Beaune, only a few minutes south of Beaune itself in the heart of the Côte de Beaune. This was a lovely example of Burgundian Pinot Noir at this level. Very good.

Rating: 17.5/20

Labels: 1998, Burgundy, Cote de Beaune, Domaine C. Marechal, France, Pinot Noir, red, Savigny-Les-Beaune

1998 Riesling Jubilee, Hugel, Alsace, France

Appearance: deepish yellow green gold.

Nose: some kerosene, plus slightly aged qualities: honey and cheese. Beautiful Alsatian nose with decaying spiced apple notes.

Palate: excellent acidity, basically bone dry, powerful but not huge alcohol, some good honeyed fruit, very sophisticated.

Conclusion: a brilliant wine. We love the Hugel Jubilee range which is still good value for money and very age-worthy, usually.

Rating: 18.5/20

Labels: 1998, Alsace, France, Hugel et Fils, Jubilee, Riesling, white