I said at the end of the Day 6 post that there was a new tradition of tasting Pingus in Bordeaux, well one much older tradition for the C&B team is to spend a Saturday with the Moueix family. Almost always this starts with a tasting in their offices (but not just any office) in Libourne and then we go back to have a relaxed lunch. The format this year followed this pattern. The tasting is a line up of 2016s from the estates they either own or manage or in some cases distribute. This year it was the below. My comments are just that ,“jottings” rather than notes.
Barrail du Blanc – Known in house as “Barry White” this is an absolute star in 2016.
Pindefleurs – Well situated, arguably under appreciated, exciting.
La Serre – Often a little more modern in style but less so in 2016.
De Bel-Air, Lalande-de-Pomerol – Traditional but red fruited.
De Sales – More earthy but good.
Lagrange – If you want a proper Pomerol with great ageing potential and heritage at a good price this will be IT.
Plince – The label is so old school, the wine more full, a Pomerol equivalent of La Serre.
L’Hospitalet de Gazin – Traditional Pomerol, good depth, quite serious.
La Grave a Pomerol – Simply beautiful, red fruited, elegant, more approachable.
Bourgneuf – Slightly higher-octane, a little more forced.
Latour a Pomerol – A real favourite of mine and again in this line up, serious, savoury but with precise fruit, impressive.
Certan de May – Quite bold, tannins maybe need a little time, potential.
Gazin – Classy and bang on form here.
Hosanna – The finest Hosanna I can remember, precise and a little less extrovert than sometimes! Proper!
La Fleur-Petrus – Tasted twice, the first time I found it a little brooding, then 20 minutes later it was far more expressive and driven, excellent.
Trotanoy – Superb, brooding but showing fruit, red and then darker character. Promising a savoury edge, just what it should be.
Belair-Monange – More red and cranberry in fruit character, lifted and poised, good structure under it.
It was a hell of a line-up, encapsulating the character of the vintage, drive, freshness, energy and poise but with guts underneath.
With a more “everyday” hat on we then tasted a few older vintages of wines for the main C&B list, we came to something approaching consensus, more on those another time.
It was now time to head to lunch. We followed Edouard back to Chateau Belair-Monange in St.Emilion and had a lovely magnum of Bollinger NV in the sun. Over a relaxed lunch we had two wines, both from magnum – Belair 2005 (from before the Moueix family had the property) and Trotanoy 1998. The Belair was bright and vibrant with a medium weight, just drinking well now. The “Trot” is a more serious wine. The 1998 vintage is a fabled one the right-bank, the Merlot getting harvested nicely before the rains came. Trotanoy 1998 is a wine I have always loved.
Adam did an interview with Edouard which you will be able to see soon. Before we knew it thoughts turned to the airport which we got to in a rather convoluted fashion by going to Blaye first and then across on the ferry to Lamarque and down the airport to Merignac and home…what a week!
The final stats!
Wines tasted on the trip: 303
Wines drunk: 30