Pessac-Leognan Tasting at Wine Watch

“Friday 10th April 1663… Here we drank a sort of French wine, called Ho Bryan, that hath a good and most particular taste that I never met with”.

Samuel Pepys - The first wine critic (February 1633 –  May 1703)

We have a few incredible “once in a lifetime” tastings this summer and this one of for Bordeaux lovers will not want to miss.  The wines of Bordeaux are marked by this regions terroir and each of the major appellations has its own unique signatures of earth and minerality.  Our first of the major regions that we will study this summer is the Pessac Leognan region that lies on the left bank of the Gironde River just to the south of the city of Bordeaux. 

This region is unique as they produce both high quality white wines and high quality age worthy reds.  We have the one first growth on the table in both colors and from incredible vintages that should be drinking at their peak right now!  This is a vintage Bordeaux tasting that you don’t want to miss if you have these wines in your cellar a rare opportunity to taste the top wines of this appellation going back 40 years!!

Wine Watch Caterings Toni Lampasone will be making a special meal to accompany the tasting wines and the fee for this event is $295 + tax, there are only 14 seats available for this "Once in a lifetime event", for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Pessac-Leognan Tasting at Wine Watch
Friday, June 26, 2015
7:30 PM

1985 Chateau Haut Brion Blanc

(97 Points)  This has been a head turner since it was made. The 1985 is unbelievably rich, with a velvety, fat consistency oozing with herb, melon, and fig-like fruit. This voluptuously textured wine exhibits great length, richness, and character. It never closed up after bottling and remains an exceptionally full-bodied, intensely concentrated, yet well-delineated white Graves. If you have the income of a rock superstar, this would be worth having to fete the turn of the century. Anticipated maturity: Now-2020. Last tasted, 1/97 Bordeaux Book, 3rd Edition, Jan 1998

1998 Chateau Laville Haut Brion Blanc

(95 Points) A profound Laville-Haut-Brion, with a light yellow/green/gold color, the 1998 boasts a super bouquet of smoke, herbs, candle wax, passion fruit, honeysuckle, and white peaches. Full-bodied, with an unctuous texture yet zesty acidity for delineation as well as vibrancy, this majestic, multilayered, young, backward 1998 should age for many decades. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030. Last tasted, 1/03.   Bordeaux Book, 4th Edition, Jan 2003

1975 Chateau la Tour Haut Brion

(96 Points) The 1975 La Tour-Haut-Brion has consistently been a great wine. As many wine enthusiasts have done, I have made the mistake of drinking it too early. I have only two bottles (from a case and a half) remaining in my cellar. The wine is more developed than La Mission-Haut-Brion, exhibiting a huge, sweet, cedary, tobacco, mineral, chocolatey, smoky, cassis-scented nose and flavors. It is massive and full-bodied, with well-integrated tannin (because of the wine's sweet, jammy fruit). The wine exhibits good grip and that firm edge found in almost all the 1975s. It is a wine of extraordinary extract and aging potential that should drink well for another 20+ years. Last tasted 10/97   Bordeaux Book, 3rd Edition, Jan 1998

1975 Chateau Pape Clement

(87 Points) The 1975 is the best Pape-Clement of the seventies. The complex smoky, roasted-chestnut, earthy bouquet is intense. On the palate, this dark garnet-colored, medium bodied wine is lighter than many 1975s, but it has excellent concentration, a surprising suppleness, and a fine, spicy, mineral-flavored finish with a hint of truffles and charcoal. Do not expect all of the wine's tannin to ever fully melt away. Anticipated maturity: Now-2008. Last tasted, 10/97. Bordeaux Book, 3rd Edition, Jan 1998

1982 Chateau Haut Brion

(95 Points)  - "I know Jean Delmas, whom I respect as one of the world's greatest wine producers, has always thought the 1982 Haut Brion was similar to the 1959, but I have yet to see that. It seems to me the 1989 is closer to the 1959, another perfect wine and one of the all-time great Haut Brions. While the 1982 is a beauty, it has never hit the highest notes this vintage or terroir can achieve. Complex aromatics of scorched earth, smoked herbs, and sweet red and black currants are followed by a full-bodied, silky-textured wine, but I have never felt this offering has possessed the concentration, texture, or multidimensional personality found in such vintages as 1989, 1990, and more recent years. Nevertheless, this is essentially splitting hairs as the 1982 remains a superb Haut Brion. Seemingly less evolved than the 1990, it is capable of another 20-30 years of longevity. Perhaps there is something in reserve that will reveal itself in the next decade. Drink now-2035." The Wine Advocate

1982 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion

(100 Points)   "A monumental wine, this historic La Mission-Haut-Brion was the last vintage made by the descendants of the Woltner family, who had owned this estate for decades prior to selling it to their neighbors, the Dillon family (the American owners of cross-street rival, Chateau Haut-Brion). The 1982 admirably demonstrates the magnificence of La Mission as well as the singularity of this amazing terroir. I had the good fortune of tasting it from barrel (where it was an enormous Graves fruit bomb) and watching it develop more nuances in bottle. At age 30, it remains a majestic, multidimensional, profound Bordeaux with another 20-30+ years of life ahead of it. It’s no secret that the great vintages of Bordeaux have levels of fruit extract and depth that go beyond other years. It is this fruit, often referred to as “fat” or “concentration,” that takes decades to dissipate and fade. As it does so, the extraordinary aromatic expression of the terroir asserts itself. Remarkably, the 1982 is still in late adolescence and has not yet reached its peak. Early in my career, much of my reputation was established on calling this vintage correctly, but I never in my wildest dreams thought the 1982s would mature as slowly and last as long as some seem capable of doing. One of the handful of perfect wines of the vintage, the La Mission still possesses a remarkably dense ruby/purple color with only a slight garnet and lightening at the edge. The fruit-dominated aromatics reveal lots of cassis, blueberry, scorched earth, black truffle, incense, graphite and high-class, unsmoked cigar tobacco-like notes. Still exhibiting remarkable concentration, enormous body, silky sweet tannin, and no perceptible acidity, the 1982 remains fresh, delineated and super-compelling. A massive La Mission made by the Dewravin family and their winemakers, all of whom were dismissed the following year when the estate was acquired by Haut-Brion, this modern day legend shows no signs of decline. In fact, it may not have yet reached its peak. Anticipated maturity: now-2060+."  The Wine Advocate

1982 Chateau La Tour Haut Brion

(96 points) Today, the fruit from this vineyard has been incorporated into the second wine of La Mission-Haut-Brion, so I hope readers do not forget how great many vintages of La Tour-Haut-Brion were. The superb 1982 ranks alongside their great 1949, 1955, 1959, 1961, and 1975. No wine since this 1982 ever achieved this level of quality. Its inky/purple hue is followed by classic aromas of scorched earth, plums, cassis, charcoal, and truffles, powerful, full-bodied flavors, superb concentration, and a boatload of tannin. The wine is so complex aromatically, and the attack is so impressive that I can’t resist drinking it. However, it should be even better in 5-8 years, and should last for another three decades. (RP) (6/2009) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

1982 Chateau Bahans Haut Brion

This wine was so easy to drink at age two that it is hard to believe it is still holding together. The color is medium ruby with amber at the edge. The nose is textbook Graves - minerals, spice, tobacco, and red and black fruits. (12/1995)  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Menu

Selection of cheese: Beemster Gouda, Parmesan Reggiano

Portobello Mushroom and beefsteak tomato Shortstack with basil and sundried tomato vinaigrette

Bordeaux Braised Short Rib with Lyonnais potatoes

A bit about Pessac Leognan

Pessac-Léognan is a wine growing area and Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, in the northern part of the Graves region of Bordeaux. Unlike most Bordeaux appellations, Pessac-Léognan is equally famous for both red and (dry) white wines, although red wine is still predominant.   It includes the only red-wine producer outside the Haut-Médoc classified in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, the premier cru Château Haut-Brion, and also includes all of the châteaux listed in the 1953/59 classification of Graves. These classed growths account for a third of the wine produced in Pessac-Léognan.

Pessac-Léognan lies on the left bank of the Garonne. It is immediately south of the city of Bordeaux (with a small portion to the west): indeed some of the northern vineyards of Pessac-Léognan are completely surrounded by the housing estates of Bordeaux, as a result of the city's southward expansion.  It consists of 8 communes: (from north to south) Mérignac, Talence, Pessac, Gradignan, Villenave-d'Ornon, Cadaujac, Léognan and Martillac.   A significant part of the area is forested.  It includes 1580 hectares of vines.  The soil is very gravelly with the Médoc to the north, Cabernet Sauvignon is the predominant grape, but a somewhat greater proportion of Merlot is typically used in the blend. Cabernet Franc is also used, with small amounts of Petit Verdot and Malbec.  Styles vary more widely than in most Bordeaux AOCs, but typical flavors are blackcurrant and cedar, and the wines are often described as 'earthy'.

White wine

Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon are the grapes used, usually blended. The wine is typically fermented in barrels at a low temperature. Nectarine is a typical flavor when the wines are young, maturing (over 7–15 years) into flavors of nuts, honey and custard. They are said to be among France's greatest whites.

The rest of the Pessac- Leognan in the store:

2011 Chateau Ferran Blanc Pessac Leognan
Price: $30.00       Sale $26.40
Quantity in Stock: 7

A traditional Bordeaux blend of 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Semillon.  An excellent vintage for the whites of Bordeaux this wine has a good amount of pineapple citrus and ripe melon and pink grapefruit jolly rancher candy like fruit, very seductive and ripe bouquet of aromas, light gravelly mineral notes but the fruit here is gorgeous.  This wine has a nice richness to the palate with a smooth creamy texture, pineapple jolly rancher candy with, a nice honeyed and floral nuance to the finish, very long and layered finish, that gravelly minerality showing on the finish.  Finish 45+    Excellent +

2011 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc Pessac Leognan
Price: $180.00    Sale $158.40
Quantity in Stock: 9

(94 Points) Loaded with layers of blanched almond, white peach, yellow apple and Cavaillon melon fruit flavors, all backed by piercing chamomile, fleur de sel, citrus oil and green plum notes. The finish shows vivacious acidity. This is the rare dry white Bordeaux that actually needs cellaring. Best from 2015 through 2020. –JM  Wine Spectator

2011 Les Hauts de Smith Blanc Pessac Leognan
Price: $55.50       Sale $48.84
Quantity in Stock: 3

Les Hauts de Smith white 2011 is created during the blending process of the Grand Vin Château Smith Haut Lafitte white 2011. The different lots of with wines used to produce Les Hauts de Smith white 2011 were treated with just as much care as the lots of white wines that went into the Grand Vin.

2011 Chateau Cruzeau Pessac-Leognan
Price: $30.50       sale $26.84

A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvigon, 45 Merlot this wine has good grip on the tongue with a bitter tannic note at the end smoothing out nicely on the second day but still a bit light and Very Good

2010 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac Leognan
Price: $235.00    Sale $206.80
Quantity in Stock: 5

(98 Points) This is an extraordinary performance once again from the Cathiard family, the proprietors of Smith-Haut-Lafitte. They think the 2010 is even better than the 2009. (I disagree, but only slightly.) This wine has laser-like definition in its an remarkable nose of a subtle charcoal fire interwoven with spring flowers, creme de cassis, blueberry liqueur and spicy wood. Full-bodied, stunningly concentrated, long, rich and moderately tannic, this wine is set for an exceptionally long life of 30-40 years but can be drunk in 5-7.

2010 Petit Haut Lafitte Pessac Leognan
Price: $47.25       Sale $41.58
Quantity in Stock: 14

2010 Domaine De Chevalier Rouge Pessac Leognan
Price: $135.00    Sale $118.80
Quantity in Stock: 2

(95 points)  This is one of my all-time favorite wines from Domaine de Chevalier, a silky, rather classic Pessac-Leognan with notes of scorched earth, tobacco leaf and black and red currants, but no hard edges. Fragrant, complex aromatics are followed by a savory, expansively flavored wine made from a final blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The wine hit 13.5% natural alcohol, which must certainly be among the highest they have ever achieved, even eclipsing the 2009. An opulent, precocious style of wine that seems much more developed, complex and delicious than I thought from barrel, this beauty can be drunk in 5-6 years or cellared for 20 or more.  Wine Advocate #205 Feb 2013

2009 L'Abeille de Fieuzal Pessac Leognan Fieuzal Pessac Leognan
Price: $45.00       Sale $39.60
Quantity in Stock: 2

(92+ points)  A terrific, classic Graves with notes of subtle smoke, black raspberries, black currants, graphite and unsmoked cigar tobacco, this full-bodied, deep, concentrated de Fieuzal is far more generous and deep than most vintages of the past. There is also a wonderful freshness and length to this somewhat oversized de Fieuzal while it still maintains its elegance and class. Drink it over the next 20-25 years.  Wine Advocate #199, Feb 2012

2009 Haut Bergey Pessac Leognan
Price: $59.00       Sale $51.92
Quantity in Stock: 12

(94 points) A blend of just over 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Merlot (last year I mistakenly wrote that the balance was Cabernet Franc), the opaque ruby/purple-colored 2009 reveals notes of scorched earth/burning embers/charcoal, black currants, ripe cherries and lead pencil shavings. Full-bodied and pure with sweet tannin, this is an under-the-radar, high quality claret to drink over the next 20-25 years.

As powerful and rich as the 2000 and 2010, Haut-Bergey’s 2009 is another of the over-achieving, value-priced Bordeaux that are increasingly difficult to find. The estate, which is owned by Helene Garcin (who also owns Clos l’Eglise and Barde-Haut, and makes the cult wine, Branon, from a vineyard adjacent to Haut-Bergey), is situated near Malartic Lagraviere and Domaine de Chevalier.  Wine Advocate #199, Feb 2012

2003 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc Pessac Leognan
Price: $92.50       Sale $81.40
Quantity in Stock: 8

2002 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan
Price: $420.00    Sale $369.60
Quantity in Stock: 1

(93 Points) Complex aromas of blackberries, tobacco and cedar follow through to a full-bodied palate, with ripe, velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. Very beautiful. Best after 2009. “JS Wine Spectator Issue: Mar 31, 2005

2001 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion Pessac Leognan
Price: $278.00    Sale $244.64
Quantity in Stock: 3

(92 points)  The 2001’s juicy, peppery, meaty bouquet reveals notions of black currants, black cherries, tobacco leaf, and smoky barbecue. This expressive, medium-bodied, seductive La Mission has shed most of its tannin, revealing a gentle roundness. The wine builds incrementally in the mouth, finishing with impressive purity and length. Neither the biggest nor most flamboyant La Mission-Haut-Brion, it is a classic example to drink over the next 10-15 years while waiting for the bombastic, massive 2000 to evolve.  Wine Advocate #202, Aug 2012

2000 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan
Price: $975.00    Sale $858.00
Quantity in Stock: 6

(98 Points) It will always be tempting to compare the 2000 Haut-Brion with the perfect 2000 La Mission Haut-Brion. However, it is not as fat, unctuous, flamboyant, or voluminous as La Mission. Yet, like a great diplomat, it is a wine of intensity, authority, and measured restraint. A supremely elegant offering, its dense ruby/purple color, and burgeoning perfume of scorched earth, liquid minerals, plums, black currants, cherries, lead pencil, and subtle spicy oak are followed by a delicate yet powerfully flavorful, multi-layered, highly nuanced, and extraordinarily pure and seamless wine. There have been so many recent classics from Haut-Brion, it is premature to suggest the 2000 is better than the 1998, 1995, 1990, or 1989, but it is certainly a prodigious wine of dazzling persistence, length, and complexity. A blend of 51% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Cabernet Franc, it should prove to be uncommonly long-lived, even by the standards of Haut-Brion. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2040. Wine Advocate # 146, Apr 2003

1990 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan Magnum
Price: $2600.00  Sale $2288.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

1990 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan
Price: $1400.00    Sale Price: $1190.00
Quantity in Stock: 5

(96 Points) Haut-Brion has been the most consistent first-growth over the last decade, producing top-notch wines, even in such tough years as 1987, 1993, and 1994. I have had a tendency to forget just how exceptional the 1990 Haut-Brion is because of the huge shadow cast by the 1989. However, in this blind tasting, the 1990 proved itself to be a great wine. Its price has not risen nearly as much as one might expect given its quality. The 1990 is a decadently ripe wine with much more evolution to its fragrant cassis, mineral, smoked-herb, hot rocks, tobacco, sweet, toasty nose. Fat, rich, and medium to full-bodied, this superbly-concentrated, forward, awesomely-endowed wine requires 4-6 years of cellaring; it is capable of lasting for 20-25 years. It is an unheralded, underrated 1990 that deserves more attention. Wine Advocate # 109, February 1997

1998 Bahans Haut Brion Pessac Leognan
Price: $180.00    Sale $158.40
Quantity in Stock: 3

(88 Points) Readers looking for the taste of Haut-Brion for about one-third the price should check out the 1998 Bahans-Haut-Brion. It possesses a scorched earth, mineral, smoky, red and black currant-scented bouquet, terrific complexity, purity and elegance, and a harmonious palate. Tannin in the finish suggests 1-2 years of cellaring may be required, but this is a serious effort that should age well for 15 years. Wine Advocate #134, Apr 2001

1989 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan 3 LITER
Price: $10000.00    Sale Price: $8000.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

(100 Points) Haut-Brion has been the most consistent first-growth over the last decade, producing top-notch wines, even in such tough years as 1987, 1993, and 1994. The 1989 is one of a handful of truly profound wines from a vintage that tends to be overrated, save for the Pomerols, a few St.-Emilions, and some overachievers in the Medoc. However, 1989 was an extraordinary success for Jean Delmas, the administrator of Haut-Brion and La Mission-Haut-Brion. The prodigious 1989 Haut-Brion is one of the greatest first-growths I have ever tasted. It has always reminded me of what the 1959 must have tasted like in its youth, but it is even richer and more compelling aromatically. The wine exhibits an opaque ruby/purple color, as well as a sweet nose of jammy fruit, tobacco, spicy oak, minerals, and smoke. Fabulously concentrated, with huge levels of fruit, extract, and glycerin, this wine is nearly viscous because of its thickness and richness. Low acidity gives the wine even more appeal and adds to its precociousness. The wine has not budged in development since it was first bottled, although it has always provided thrilling drinking because of its voluptuous texture. It needs another 5-6 years of bottle age before it will begin to develop Haut-Brion's fabulous fragrance. Expect it to hit its plateau of maturity around 2003-2005 and drink well for 15-25 years. Wine Advocate # 109, Feb 1997

1983 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan
Price: $835.00    Sale Price: $695.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

1982 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan (3- Liter)
Price: $10000.00                Sale $8800.00
Quantity in Stock: 1

1982 Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan
Price: $1250.00  Sale $1100
Quantity in Stock: 1

(95 points) I know Jean Delmas, whom I respect as one of the world's greatest wine producers, has always thought the 1982 Haut Brion was similar to the 1959, but I have yet to see that. It seems to me the 1989 is closer to the 1959, another perfect wine and one of the all-time great Haut Brions. While the 1982 is a beauty, it has never hit the highest notes this vintage or terroir can achieve. Complex aromatics of scorched earth, smoked herbs, and sweet red and black currants are followed by a full-bodied, silky-textured wine, but I have never felt this offering has possessed the concentration, texture, or multidimensional personality found in such vintages as 1989, 1990, and more recent years. Nevertheless, this is essentially splitting hairs as the 1982 remains a superb Haut Brion. Seemingly less evolved than the 1990, it is capable of another 20-30 years of longevity. Perhaps there is something in reserve that will reveal itself in the next decade. Drink now-2035. Wine Advocate #183 Jun 2009