Early starts and first impressions

So the assessment of 2016 Bordeaux started yesterday morning. I had overnighted in St.Emilion but the core of the team (those that would do all 7 days) met at Bordeaux airport at 10am…a few having had 3am alarm calls.

The Bordeaux weather was bi-polar, hot sun one minute and grey showers the next…the Atlantic having its influence for sure. From the airport we headed north to a negociant tasting in Margaux. It is a great first chance to assess the vintage as a whole; wines from many communes and all in once place. Guy and myself “plonked” our laptops down and got typing, trying desperately not to forget (easy than you’d think) which wine we were tasting as we walked to the bottles and back to basecamp for the note making.

There can be a “first day of school” feeling about these tastings, same people, same place, same time of year.  Same conversations too – are the wines good? Who will buy? What will the prices be? The thing you don’t want is to taste 20+ wines and be thinking “oh no this is going to be a long hard week’ with the 2016s this will not be the case. Why? Well primarily because the wines appear to be easy to taste. The alcohols are not crazy at all, the acids good and the tannin is there but not aggressive. I was encouraged. You are almost not allowed to use the “damned with faint praise” phrase and say “classical” but it might be a good moniker.

One thing that has changed a lot these last few years is how people take notes (at all tastings but especially here) it was always a tasting book and pen, there are now: Dictaphones, Ipads, phones, cameras and laptops all being used. Is it progress? I guess it is just a different thing. From my standpoint at least typing means one doesn’t have to try and understand your own hand writing later!

After a good buffet lunch (must bring my own larger plate next year) we headed off in our chariot, Lucille at the helm, back to Bordeaux. Mr Marus was desperate to get his ironing done much to everyone’s bemusement. Marco had arrived from HK via Paris and would be ready for dinner later, we all needed a snooze. Dinner was Italian with Provence rose and two Italian reds…

A long week lies ahead but from these first tastings it shouldn’t be a hardship…many, many Chateaux to visit, wines to assess, miles to cover and interviews to do (oh and a bit of food to eat along the way)…bring it on

Scores

Wines tasted:           55

Wines drunk:           6

Wine of the day?      A close run thing but probably Calon Segur just ahead of Montrose

Topics of discussion at dinner:   Tattoos, piercings, watches, films, technology.

 

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