Southwold 2008s – right bank
Wednesday 8 February 2012
Here are my notes on all of the right-bank wines tasted at this year's major blind tasting of Bordeaux's four-year-old vintage in the seaside town of Southwold (pictured). See Bordeaux 2008 – the last affordable vintage for my overview and a full description of the tasting.
See here for my notes on the even more numerous left-bank wines.
Wines are listed by group (Pomerol, St-Émilion and Côtes) and then alphabetically by producer. Note, incidentally, how well some of the Côtes wines showed. These are not ridiculously expensive either.
POMEROL
Blackish crimson. Very firm, aromatic Cabernet on the nose. Sweet and rich and juicy. Vibrant wine. A bit hard on the end. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2025
Very dark ruby. Sweet and easy and round and light. Simple wine. Closes down on the finish. Rather perfumed. The sort of wine you’d expect Derenoncourt to make (I wrote!) (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2026
Very rich and sweet and beguiling. Sweet, pruney start. Dusty dry finish. Layers and fun and true. A bit spiky. (JR)
Drink
2018
–
2028
Very dark crimson. Lively top note. Thick and sweet. Not the prettiest aspect of Pomerol but certainly not unappealing. Modern idiom. Needs lots of time. Sort of Clinet-esque. (JR)
Drink
2018
–
2030
Very dark indeed. Deep blackish. Intense. Interesting and concentrated with a hint of brett. Very slightly bitter on the end. Dry finish. Fades a little fast but there is lots of grunt here. Recommended only to traditionalists. Just a little bit raw on the end. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2027
Very dark ruby. Attractively fusty nose. Very savoury as opposed to sweet. Muscular. Sort of Figeac style of Pomerol! Just a bit drying on the end. (JR)
Drink
2018
–
2028
Less propitious bits sold off to Ch L'Évangile. Blackish ruby. Sweet and juicy and quite floral. Quite light. Racy and even lacy. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2024
Mid cherry red. Very sweet start. Some real energy here with a hint of spice. But it tails off pretty suddenly. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2023
Blackish crimson. Extremely ripe and succulent nose though it dries out a little on the palate. Seems rather simple, and certainly very embryonic. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2027
Bright viscous crimson. Some very sweet, almost obviously coconutty oak on the nose. Very rich and sweet. More than a hint of Iberia here! Lots of acidity and not much real grunt. Seems a bit tarty. Fades away a bit on the end. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2026
Dark ruby. Very subtle and layered and unmodern on the nose. Very rich start and gorgeously layered. Succulent and lovely. Can’t fault this! Already a huge pleasure. Reverberant yet wonderfully rich. Dry, very long finish. Fabissimo. Dense. Very sweet. (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2030
Savoury, earthy with great rich, luscious layers of ripe red fruits. Set for a very long, beguiling life somewhere between ancient and modern. Dry finish. Wait! (JR)
Drink
2018
–
2028
Very dark. Intense, liquorice nose. Dry finish. Really quite angular. Chewy end and very ambitious. Serious intent! (JR)
Drink
2020
–
2030
Dark ruby. Lots of life and warm currants on the nose. Sweet start and rather juicy. Not the densest nor the most serious but easy and transparent. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2024
Very dark crimson. Hugely intense nose. Very wild and open and gorgeous. Lovely delicacy. Dry finish but really true stuff. Hint of mushrooms. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2028
Mid cherry red. Light, quite simple cherry pastille notes on the nose. Not quite enough complexity; just sweetness and a bit of as-yet-unintegrated oak. (JR)
Drink
2018
–
2028
Ch Montviel 2008 Pomerol
15.5 +
Dark crimson. Fruitcake nose. Thick and very dry. Needs lots and lots of patience. Far from beguiling at the moment. (JR)
Drink
2020
–
2027
Very dark crimson. Rather sharp and New Worldy. Some almost raw red fruits on the nose. Hint of bitter coffee. Finishes very suddenly. (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2023
Mid ruby. Animal nose. Sweet start. Bit tough on the end. Just a bit sturdy and rustic but very honest and rewarding. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2026
Blackish ruby. Firm, clarety, Cabernet sort of nose. Pure and expressive. Rather cool on the finish and far from opulent but correct. Just a bit dry on the end. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2025
Dark crimson with some development. The fruit is a little overripe. But there is an attractive savoury edge to this wine which is clearly very complex. Lots of density but it just lacks a little bit of natural freshness. Very well done. (JR)
Drink
2018
–
2030
Not that dark, but a lustrous crimson. Very rich and heady. Gloriously opulent. With a refreshing skein of tea. Lovely freshness. Long. A great glass of (refreshing) hedonism. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2028
Very dark crimson. A bit modern and formulaic on the nose. Sweet and currant and perfectly impressive but without tantalising undercurrents. A bit dry on the end. (JR)
Drink
2018
–
2027
Dark crimson. Very full and exotically ripe. Hint of mocha. Very slightly formulaic but should be very satisfying for many tasters. Just a bit of cocoa. (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2024
Very deep colour. Super-ripe meaty nose. Glossy impact with lots of ripe fruit but a bit painful on the very end. Drying tannins and a bit exaggerated. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2024
Mid crimson. Subtle tea-leaf nose. Light and noticeably aromatic. Really lifted. Very focused ripe sweet black fruit. Quite gamey. Very distinctive and sinewy. Very youthful. Full marks for going its own way! (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2027
Very slightly stewed on the nose. Very firm and youthful. Pungent. Linear and chewy. One of the longest-term Pomerols I have come across. Slightly tarry finish. Really fascinating! (JR)
Drink
2020
–
2030
Nose not crystal clear. But lots of luscious fruit on the palate and not excessive oak or alcohol. Refreshing even if there is a little dry tannin on the end. (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2023
ST-ÉMILION
Very dark crimson. Very, very rich, exotic and intense. Coconut. Quite sweet and high toned – even slightly acetic. Dramatically spicy but not aggressive. Full and dense and so thick you feel you could stand a spoon up in it. Enveloping. Lots to titillate and satisfy the palate here. Satisfying and with some real tension. Neat finish. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2030
Mid to dark crimson. Toasty oak on the nose. Sweet and racy but some green too. Not quite complete. Was the fruit fully ripe or was it tarted up with oak and extraction? (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2021
Very dark crimson. Blackcurrant gums on the nose. Round and luscious on the palate. Easy and flattering even if not that ambitious. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2025
Blueish purple. Sweet and some macerated cereals on the nose – oat bran? Rather raw acidity – quite painful at the moment. Harsh. (JR)
Drink
2018
–
2025
Cabernet Franc on the nose – positively leafy, in both senses of the adverb. Polished and smooth even if far from dramatic and extracted. Very distinctive. (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2021
Fairly high VA. Rich start and then dry. Ambitious but the tannins are a bit too dominant for the slightly frail fruit. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2024
Blackish crimson. Attractive juicy fruit at first and nicely managed tannins. All in balance. Good density. Though not showy. And not that long. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2026
Sweet, spicy nose. A bit heavy and overripe. Could do with a bit more genuine freshness. Just a bit dull. No great persistence. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2024
The Pascal Delbeck property that used to be just Belair but has been rechristened by the Moueixs. Tea-leaf aromas. Quite dense and with some raciness and lots of juice. Mild and low key. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2026
Savoury and racy on the nose but sickly on the palate. Thick and sweet and really rather overdone. Not refreshing enough though the fruit was certainly ripe! (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2023
Some green vegetation on the nose. Then luscious, rather vivacious fruit on the palate but the finish is decidedly scrawny. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2023
Very dark ruby. Subtle, juicy nose. Round and very fruity and deep. It is certainly not over-made! Very satisfying and true. (JR)
Drink
2018
–
2030
Black to dark purple. Exceptionally dark colour. So ripe this is almost oxidised. Thick and a bit heavy. Chewy finish. All about mass rather than aroma or refinement. Bit brutal. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2025
Paler than some. Hint of green (the first wine, sixth tasted, to show this characteristic). Rather drying finish. Just not ripe enough. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2023
Aromatic and quite subtle and succulent. Juicy and fluid. But not dramatic. Muscular finish. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2026
Mid crimson. Some real interest on the nose. Luscious fruit with real savour and interest. Dense and layered. Very intriguing and serious long-term wine. No ersatz sweetness nor oak though it’s a bit painful to drink at the moment. Just a bit inexpressive at the moment. Hugely uncommunicative – classic teenager? Very youthful. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2030
Very dark crimson. Light nose. Fresh palate attack. Very introvert and pretty tarry but it may well get there in the end. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2027
Quite evolved and malty on the nose. Some sweet oak and definite juice. Easy to like but certainly not very challenging. Reminds me of Giscours! (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2022
Not that deep crimson. Toasty and rich on the nose. Very sweet and dramatic. Quite long. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2029
Relatively pale. Some interesting terroir taste on the nose. Different from the rest – less forced, more natural. Juicy and appetising, as though it had been more exposed to oxygen. More relaxed. Even if quite forward. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2024
Not very dark. Attractive, lightly toasty nose. Racy and succulent. Not heavy – in fact on the distinctly light side for a St-Émilion but not overdone. (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2023
Rather dull crimson. Already some evolution. A bit tight and green on the end. (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2020
Some rather odd aromas on this. Then polished fruit but there is something a bit odd about it. And it turns in on itself on the finish. (JR)
Drink
2018
–
2027
Quite lively nose. A bit tart and definitely drying on the end. Hollow. (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2023
Blackish crimson. Rather raw edge to this; it is definitely in the modern idiom, setting its cap across the Atlantic. But very vital and broad on the palate. There is lots here: ripe fruit and real structure. Set for the long term. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2026
Lustrous blackish crimson. Oxidised nose. Picked too late? Unappetisingly sweet palate then drying tannins. A second bottle was initially fresher but still very unconvincing. (JR)
Drink
2014
–
2018
Dark crimson. Lightly peppery. Just a little chewy and murky. Pretty raw on the finish. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2026
Very ripe fruit plus some char on the nose. Then well-managed tannins and no excess greenness but pretty embryonic. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2024
Dark crimson. Dark chocolate on the nose. Racy. Nervy. Quite luscious fruit but a bit uncomfortably sweet. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2023
Savoury, mild nose. Very low key. Nothing out of place but nothing to get excited about either. At least it’s not too tart... Stolid. (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2022
Distinctly gassy on the palate and then a bit drying on the end. Really falls away on the finish. (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2023
Dark purple. Quite intense, harmonious nose. Sweet start and then rather marked tannins. Chunky. Charred note on the end. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2026
Very rich and sweet with some terroir influence. But very exotic and opulent. A little drying on the finish. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2026
Very intense. Smells like New World Cabernet! Sweet and luscious with a dry, so far unintegrated, finish. Hint of green on the end. (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2022
First bottle TCA. Second bottle not clean either. Stinky nose and a hard finish. (JR)
Drink
0
Lots of ripeness and energy on the nose – an appealing combo. Round and supple on the palate. Not for the long term but very appealing short-term wine. Not that long. (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2021
Distinctly floral nose. Fairly lightweight and a teensy bit tarty. Fresh and floral. Clean, lightish finish. (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2021
Dark and lustrous. Streak of green on the top of the aroma. Then very carefully worked luscious sweet fruit. Drying finish. Low key. (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2025
A bit of development, and real lift, on the nose. Just the right amount of freshness. Light bite of tannin on the end. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2025
Very deep crimson. Hint of wood shavings. Tight and taut – needs lots of aeration. Uncharming. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2023
High toned and lightly reminiscent of port in aroma even though very dry and refreshingly clarety on the palate. Drying finish. (JR)
Drink
2014
–
2019
Some development at the rim. Smells a bit of pickled beetroot. Not heavy or stewed. But very sweet at first. Macerated raisins. Then light tannins. Not very long. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2025
Quite focused Cabernet-like aromas. Very sweet start – purple berries. Drying tannins on the end. Very cool and a little lacking richness on the end. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2025
Very ripe and full and sweet. Solid and dramatic and almost more like a 2009 than a 2008! Some tannin on the finish but lots of fruit beforehand. Ambitious. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2026
Blackish purple. Lightly charry note. Very sweet start. Pretty exaggerated with simple mulberry fruit. Not very refreshing. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2024
Blackish ruby. Rather raw, porty nose. Silky and polished and racy. Some real vitality on the finish though. Drying finish with more than a hint of green. (JR)
Drink
2018
–
2030
Rather inky nose. A bit tart on the finish. Bitter and extreme. Lots of green on the end. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2025
Very impressive depth of colour – glamorously polished dark purple. Obvious oak on the nose. Very sickly and exaggerated. Too ripe. Not enough natural freshness. Green on the finish. Painful to taste now. (JR)
Drink
2018
–
2025
Blackish purple. Meaty/savoury Marmite kind of nose. Very thick. It almost reminds me of the structure of a Ribera del Duero. Thick and dusty on the end. Very tough finish. Lots of sucky-stony quality. Bitter finish. (JR)
Drink
2022
–
2035
Blackish purple. Raw slightly greenish fruit at first and then just a tad raw and sudden on the finish. A rather uncomfortable embryonic drink. Very drying finish. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2030
From 2010, much improved apparently. High toned and high VA. Then ripe, sweet fruit. No greenness but not that refreshing either. Short. (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2025
Bright, dark crimson. Exotic aromas – leather and old ladies’ handbags? Quite interesting! Lots of energetic fruit. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2026
Notably dark crimson. Sweet, porty nose with a streak of green. I don’t find the balance here convincing at all. Sweet and sour. Green tannins on the end. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2023
Just bought by Haut-Brion. Deep crimson. Some interesting evolution on the nose. Relatively light and tart but with some integrity. A bit skinny overall though. (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2021
Interesting nose with hints of curry spices. Very sweet start and then very opulent. But good tannin management. No excessive dryness. Really quite flashy and appealing. Long and fleshy. Massively alcoholic but reasonably well balanced. Some freshness on the finish. (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2030
Warm and spicy nose. Round and sweet but not very subtle. Rather metallic finish. (JR)
Drink
2014
–
2018
Massively deep purple. Complex nose draws you in. Very rich and sweet and seductive with excellent oak management. This is pure right-bank seduction with some hint of cordite on the finish. Finishes dry. Good stuff. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2032
Very dark crimson. Lift, scented, thick and polished. A little sour on the finish but some quite luscious fruit before then. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2023
Dark crimson. Very Cabernet nose. Bit dry on the end but convincingly claret-like. A bit simple but well balanced. Lively finish. (JR)
Drink
2016
–
2025
Blackish purple. Lightly toasty nose. Very dramatic and certainly tastes fully ripe. Rather beguilingly fruity, which is a rare tasting note for a 2008 St-Émilion. Not an attention-grabber but very respectable. Dense and rich with a confident savoury note on the finish. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2030
Very dark crimson. Showily so. Really quite luscious and ripe and exotic on the nose. Luscious and very well balanced. Sweeter than most but with some transparency. Long, refreshing and well balanced. (JR)
Drink
2014
–
2021
CÔTES
Very dark crimson. Zesty and vital nose. Just a tad raisiny and pretty severe on the finish. Needs lots of time to mellow. (JR)
Drink
2017
–
2025
Aromatic and quite fine boned. Refreshing and succulent. (JR)
Drink
2015
–
2022
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