I can sum-up the 2011 vintage for Bordeaux quickly and easily: 2011 Bordeaux Vintage = Fresh and Balanced. Suffice to say, the feedback I received on the 2011's from colleagues who had been in Bordeaux a couple of weeks prior to my visit differed clearly and distinctly from my own. Where they found wines to be " thin " I found them to be classic, even complex in certain instances. The 2011 vintage is indeed a departure from both the 2009 and 2010 vintages but the 2011 vintage is exactly what needed to come out of Bordeaux on the heels of those noted vintages. It's a drinkers vintage, without question, and without casting a broad net in saying so, I wouldn't expect most of these wines to last beyond a decade. And if they do I wouldn't expect them to show anything more than they will five years past the vintage. The " classic " Bordeaux Chateaux did indeed make some notable wine (with one exception) where others did falter as a result of the trying climate (summer and spring decided to switch places in 2011 it seems) and weather obstacles (on the Left Bank) and it shows in the bottle. Yields and production were down across the board on the Left Bank while it should be noted that the Right Bank, in some instances, actually showed an increase in production in 2011. What did come out, which comes as no surprise, is the Left Bank showed power while the Right Bank showed finesse (and elegance). What struck me during our visit to the Right Bank was how uniform the wines were from the 2011 vintage as there with the single exception being that of Ausone, there was a clear and distinct theme running through these wines and it's a theme which I most certainly embrace. And on a rather serious side note, Chateau Clinet, for me, was not only the star of Pomerol but is most certainly the stand-out wine for the Right Bank from the 2011 vintage. Here's a summation of what made my tasting notes from my April 2011 visit to Bordeaux: 2011 La Dame de Montrose -  Floral, lots of Merlot coming over the top, but elegant and easy drinking, one to have around while you're figuring out what to drink next. Truly a great deal of fun! 

2011 Montrose- Well-balanced, fresh tannins, fresh fruit, good finish and middle, lovely nose. The " surprise of the vintage ", not what I was expecting but I'll take it! 

2011 Petit Mouton - Somewhat muted nose which becomes quite floral after some time in the glass. Very thin in the front and mid-palate but with huge notes of coffee throughout (hard to miss really). Smacking tart-tannins on a finish from which I am happy to move away. 

2011 D'armaillac - completely different nose than the Petit-Mouton. Chalk-rock with lots of earth on the nose. Ripe tomatoes and red fruit on the front palate and mid palate. Loads of tannins, which are sharp, on the mid palate and finish. Hard as nails. 

2011 Clerc-Milon: Rich and ripe on the nose, strawberry sweet tart in fact. Again, completely different than the prior two wines but a similar palate to the D'armaillac. More fresh tomato and slightly thin throughout, does not have tannins to go the distance but shows plenty of acid. 

2011 Mouton-Rothschild – a classic Mouton on the nose, lovely lilac and good perfume as well. A balanced, good palate which continues with fresh red fruit, earth spice, ripe tomatoes, hint of tobacco and smoke on the finish (after stepping away for 60 seconds). It's all here except the meat you'd expect from a Mouton. Not much tannin or acidity, I fear it will have a very short life.

2011 Gloria - nose very closed, not giving away anything. Slowly opening up, mostly earth and mineral after a bit. Somewhat thin on the front and middle but lots of tannins and acidity. Limited red fruit on the nose and palate. Hard and angular at times, there's nothing soft about this wine. Fresh-clean tannins and fruit but once again not one for the ages. 

2011 Chateau Saint-Pierre - A classic St. Julien nose, good balance of brick and rose and mineral....some light–brine mixed in as well. Balanced in the palate with loads of tannins on the front and back, however has a light mouth feel as do most of the 2011's (except Montrose). Well made and solid from start to finish. If you enjoy drinking young Bordeaux, this is the perfect wine. 

2011 Le Crock - Sweet jam fruit on the nose, dried fruit on the palate. Surprise of this visit to this producer. Quite good, balanced, easy to drink. One of my picks to drink. Big. Dense color dances around the glass. 

2011 Moulin Riche - Red fruit and plum on the nose. Hard as nails, big as a foot, queer nose. Not my cup of tea. Slightly dense color but beyond that, not much to talk about  here. 

2011 Leoville-Poyferre - Classic St. Julien nose, not as thick or full as the Le Crock. Delicate, elegant, dark, with notes of vanilla, fresh raspberries, and aged casis on the nose. Get more sense of the Merlot than the Cabernet Sauvignon. Big but lean, beautiful color coming off this wine, dead-center in the crossroads between new world and old world.

2011 Pauillac by Latour: Big, tannic, bites back. Classic noses with notes of chalk-rose, a truly lovely wine. 

2011 Les Forts de Latour: MASSIVE, powerful, tanic, a big boy for sure. So big and tannic it's hard to taste anything else but some purple-red fruit does pique-out just a tad. Nose differs from Latour, more muted, less classic. Good structure and balance. 

2011 Latour - strong, direct nose, hard to get a handle on what it wants to do but it's there and it wants you to know it. Equally massive to 2011 LFDL……just bigger, stronger, powerful in all the right places. Classic nose for Latour and Paulliac. Classic structure and backbone, a perfect wine, maybe the wine of the 2011 vintage. 

2011 Lynch Bages: With the exception of the 2011 white wine from Lynch Bages, this vintage was a complete " miss " from this producer, in fact I'd go as far as to say their wines from this vintage are poor at best. 2011 Lynch Bages White - quite good, nose jumps out of the glass. Quince and fresh lime, orange, tangerine, and citrus. 2011 Alter Ego - lovely nose, somewhat muted-Margaux traditional nose, deep-dark rich color, fresh, soft tannins and red fruit. Softer acid and tannin than anything else tried to date. Alcohol is down, limited sweetness. Won't be approachable quickly, needs time. 

2011 Palmer - slightly vegetal initially on the nose which is a surprise for Margaux however the perfume you'd expect does show-up rather quickly after a bit of time in the glass (lovely in fact) as the nose grows on you. As with the Ego, color is deep, dark, and concentrated. Lots of acid and sharp tannin, this too will take time to show what it can do however it has serious potential. Pretty big for Margaux but that's Palmer for you. Has the power of 2010 without the alcohol, acidity and fruit of the 2006. The wine of the day at the start of Day 2…….and still the wine of the day at the end of Day 2. Latour, Palmer, and Clinet are my wines of this vintage. 

2011 Ducru-Beaucaillou & Croix de Beaucaillou - I liked the Croix better than the Ducru. The Ducru is a little thin on the front, tannic in the middle, acidic on the finish, not one I care to revisit any time soon. It's all over the place really. Not one I would hang onto and a bit of a disappointment if I'm honest (and others in the room tasting with me seem to agree). 

2011 Pontet Canet - Somewhat thin and a true disappointment coming off the stellar 2009 and 2010 from this producer. Smells and looks like Pontet-Canet and misses in places but classic Pontet throughout. One to revisit and could be quite good though my initial hunch is this wine won't last for any length (by Pontet's standards that is) that I can see from this tasting. Will revisit this wine…….

2011 Cos D'Estournel: Across the board, pretty darn good which came as a surprise to me given I didn't like their 2010 one bit. Rich, full, packing plenty of tannin, dark fruit, and balance. This wine is NOT " thin " as advertised, better than Pontet (or at least it's showing better right now), most certainly one to watch, and their white wine is quite good as well, nicely done C D'E! 

2011 Pavillon-Rouge: Classic PV nose and quite good I do think but quite different from Margaux. This is a complicated vintage I am discovering, there's really character here but its not as obvious as in prior vintages. Very good.

2011 Margaux: A somewhat classic Margaux nose, combination of " fruits and flowers " however there's more spice and less perfume than I am used to here. Clean and classic but needs time to show what it can do. This is a very good wine but a complete departure from the 2009 and 2010 vintage. Great balance, acidity, and finish.....beautiful to look at as well. Not the wine of this vintage but a very good, classic wine from Chateau Margaux.  

2011 Clinet: Easily the best wine from the Right Bank and lands in my Top 3 wines from the 2011 vintage along with Latour and Palmer. Striking color and gorgeous nose, showing a true balance between red fruit and earth with an accompanying finish to match. Elegant and lovely on the palate, from start to finish, with balance between the fruit, tannin, and acidity. The nose matches the palate as well, showcases the most " Burgundy-like " Bordeaux wine I've come across in my career. I think this is not only a wine to drink but one to hold over the coming years to see where it will take you. 

2011 Château Pichon Longueville Baron: Another standout from the 2011 vintage, I am happy to see what's happening at this estate, they have truly solidified their position in the wine world, surpassing the wines of their neighbor across the road with a slightly similar name. Powerful and bold but with a true sense of finesse and elegance. Good show! 

2011 Beausejour Becot: A seemingly interesting vintage for this producer as their wines were somewhat muddled and just didn't show very well (in my opinion).  A lovely nose but lacking a mid palate and follows with a somewhat off-putting acidic finish. Given their location, I would like to revisit to try them again once they've settled down a bit. 


2011  Clos Fourtet: A lovely color but a bit " chunky " in the palate as this wine seems to lack focus. I would say this producer is still trying to find its style and the 2011 vintage isn't doing much to help them with that, maybe in 2012? 

2011 Troplong Mondot – Truly a lovely wine made by truly lovely people. Elegant, balanced, easy to drink, lovely color as well. Based upon tastings of Troplong from similar past vintages, this one is a keeper and should show well for 15-20 years. A true drinkers wine to be enjoyed now but I would like to revisit in 6 months (and again in a year) as I believe there's more to this wine than it's showing currently. 

2011 Ausone – This is the only " Parker wine " I've come across during this visit to Bordeaux, show-casing everything Mr. Parker likes and looks for in a wine from Bordeaux. Too ripe, too extracted, too expensive. Pass. 

2011 Canon – along with the Troglong Mondot and Clinet, a true stand-out from the Right Bank. Classic Canon with power, balance, and finesse. Bold yet fresh in the nose and palate, serious but well-balanced acidity and tannin. This wine will go the distance and I'm not so sure in 5 (or so) years this wine doesn't get revisited and receive higher marks than any wine on the Right Bank (including Ausone). 

2011 Canon La Gaffeliere – If ever a wine demonstrated a theme, it's the wines from Canon La Gaffeliere. A remarkable accomplishment to make so many wines stand alone, on their own, yet with a " common thread " running through them. Bravo to Stephan von Neipperg! He's done well in 2011 and I'd buy/drink all their wines from this vintage.

Overall, I found the vintage to be surprisingly good!  These are not like the 2009s or 2010s where cellaring is a must, but they can be consumed while we wait for the previous two vintages to mature.  There were clear winners and they tend to be the ones that spent the time in the vineyards cropping back and vigorously selecting/sorting.  I also think that by waiting an extra week to go taste, it let the wines come together better than those that tasted 2-4 weeks earlier and reviewed accordingly.  I am compelled and will go back in June or July to re taste as I truly believe that in another few months these wines will continue to improve.  If there is a left bank appellation that outperformed it is St. Julien.  I think the right bank was better on the whole at this stage.  Without further ado, here are my notes:

Dame de Montrose - Not bad actually. A bit hard but not relentless. Should open up and be a nice drinking wine by delivery. Very lovely. 

Montrose - Beautiful floral nose. Very dry and hard on the pallet. Not thin in the least. Started to open up and show a bit with air. Will be interesting to see what the next 6-12 months bring, but I have hope for this one. This is very interesting. 

Petit Mouton - Nice nose. Very soft tannin. Petit Mouton keeps getting better. This will be a lovely drink on release. A little thin on fruit. 

D'Armaillhac - Almost Eucaliptessy on the nose. Builds on the pallet with okayfruit and has a surprising balance of tannin and acidity. Quite a long finish. Not a complicated wine but a very nice drink. Simple. 

Clerc Milon - Cherried nose. Bigger, rounder than D'Armailhac. More fruit (dark). Well balanced again. Nice finish but a little short at this stage. 

Mouton Rothschild - This has a deep complicated nose. This is a massive, rich wine. Solid but not over powering tannin. Lovely acidity. Has the Mouton meat to it. However, compared to its peers, this is a disappointing one to me. 

Gloria - Beautiful floral nose. Huge mouthful of fruit. Soft tannin beautiful acidity. This a very complete wine and another successful Gloria for sure.  As a side note, the Gloria wines have been getting better and better and represent an incredible value. 

St Pierre - This is quite big and currently reserved. That said, nothing wrong. Nice nose, great dark fruit. Bigger, rounder tannin and still the great acidity. This is quite good yet again. Like Gloria, the Triaud family is really on a roll.  St. Pierre might be the best classified value in the Medoc. Any collector and drinker must be buying these wines.

Moulin Riche (Poyferre) - Great fruit/tannin balance. Builds on the pallet long finish. Great value. No young vines. Will be a good, inexpensive drinking wine.

Leoville Poyferre - Whoa! Can't believe this is a 2011. Has it all. Power, integration, fruit, tannin, acidity. Long finish. Just complete. Winner again! 

On an absolute roll. This will be one of the longer lived 11s. Monstrous yet with the class of Poyferre.  I've said it before and must reiterate it again, this estate is now at the top of the game and it should be purchased in earnest before the prices catch up!

Pauillac (Latour) - Big open floral nose. Explosive fruit with very soft tannin and acidity. It is a pleasure but don't wait. Drink away with pleasure.

Les Forts de Latour - Much more complex florals on the nose. Big LFDL. Ripe fruit, ripe tannin nice acidity. Smokin'!

Latour - Tight on the nose but the essence is there. Big beast, complex and ripe on the pallet and long finish. This one needs time and should show more accordingly. Big buggar. This is a champion on the vintage.

Reserve de la Comtesse - Something very specific on the nose I can't peg. Good fruit and acidity with softer tannins. Pleasant and fine value but I think there are others for the money. 

Pichon Lalande - Dark spicy nose. Round dark fruit spice box pallet. Nice, not too soft but not huge tannin. Decent acidity. Given my disappointment relative to the vintage in 09 and 10, this is quite good. A bit short on the finish but that may change.  Very typical Lalande as far as elegance.

Ormes de Pez - Big surprise!  Big ripe, extracted wine with lush tannin and acidity. Good finish. I don't usually have any special feel for this wine but this stands out.  Very impressive.


Echo de Lynch Bages - A bit sour really. Not horrible but certainly nothing special.  I will taste again but am quite disappointed.

Lynch Bages - The best grapes went here. Big and rich. A bit tannin heavy but nice acidity and good finish. Dark fruit for sure. 

Lynch Bages blanc - Very tropical nose that explodes from the glass. Fresh and white peach like fruit and acidity. Delicious!


Day 2:



Alter Ego - Deep concentrated wine. Dark, dark fruit. Good balance. Quite tannic at this point against the fruit but just needs a bit of time. 

Palmer - Dark colour, purple ruby. Dark fruit nose. Reserved at this point on the nose. Beautiful, concentrated fruit which you can chew on. Again, heavy tannin but balances with acidity. This will be a great wine but require time for sure. I would say too tannic but every time I think it the fruit explodes through. Tiny yields. Lowest in 50 years. Clearly another champion of the vintage.  Shame there will be so little available.

Croix de Beaucaillou - Deep floral nose and follows through on the pallet. Not a massive wine and very fine tannin. A bit thin but nice early drink. 

Ducru Beaucaillou -  A bit thin on the start. Full of dark fruit and builds on the pallet. Plenty on tannin and acidity but totally balanced with the fruit. Only a couple of years to age and should be lovely to drink. Prefer Poyferre and St Pierre. Overall I'm disappointed, especially given that the St. Julien appelation was the best in the Medoc.

Pibran (Pichon Baron) - Rose nose. Nice wine again. Just a pleasant drinker. I've really come to enjoy this wine.

Pichon Baron - Big floral dark nose. Smells like Baron. Dark berry. Lovely, lovely wine. Has that Baron punch vs the Lalande elegance. Nice finish. Winning wine!

Pontet Canet - Has the rich Pontet nose. Lush dark berry fruit. Full and balanced with a nice finish. Truly Pontet. Not like 09/10 but a very good wine for 11. This will be an exciting wine for early consumption, but expect a much lighter version of the same profiles.

Cos d'Estournel - Big blackberry fruit pallet. NOT thin. Big rich lush. A little short on the finish. Very good actually. I'm very surprised.  This is one of my big surprise wines of the vintage.  As a side note the Pagodes and Goulee are also really good.

Haut Batailley - Nice but a bit light. Still nice fruit/tannin/acidity. Nice early drink.

Grand Puy Lacoste - Very nice ripe wine all around. As always, value for the money. GPL is consistently making great wine at a fraction of the cost of their contemporaries.

Pavillon Rouge - Nice rich nose. Deeply concentrated and powerful Pav. Layers of fruit with great balance. Nice finish. 

Margaux - Very strange (not skunky) nose. May blow off. Super concentrated fruit with soft/pleasant tannin and beautiful acidity/freshness. Black fruit. This is very good.


Day 3:



Clinet - Almost black in colour. Dark fruit, ripe plum nose. Huge bouquet and very serious. Big, ripe, rich, black fruit with round tannin and great freshness and acidity. Long, large finish yet the Clinet elegance. Very good again. 

Beausejour Becot - Spice box nose. Ripe fruit with that spicy punch from the cab franc with a nice sweetness. Very integrated tannin and real freshness on the finish. So dark and concentrated. 

Clos Fourtet - Super dark and concentrated. Big ripe, black fruit. Lovely minerality. Soft round tannin. Nice but not long finish. Very good overall.  I look forward to re tasting in a couple of months as I believe this will start to stand out. 

Troplong Mondot - Deep rose florals. Typical massive Troplong. Very very big but very together. Builds and builds as air draws. Ripe tannin and incredible freshness and acidity. 

Chapelle d'Ausone - Funky on nose to me. Powerful red fruits. Round tannin. Very fresh. 

Ausone - Almost a smoked meat with dark nose. Explosive red fruits and roses. Very rounded tannin but extremely elegant. Super finish and long. Very impressive and makes me think that the Chapelle will come along.

Canon - Plums and fig. Blackberry, goose berry. Berry in general with floral and and lovely floral finish. On the lighter side but elegant.  As a side note, the 2010 was opened for us after the 2011 and it was just amazing!  I literally started dancing in the Chateau (which I'm sure was quite a sight!).

La Mondotte - Floral. Sweet fruit and elegant. Very. Soft smooth tannin. Nice acidity.  A lovely wine. 

Canon La Gaffeliere - Violet nose. Beautiful florals and red fruit. Soft, elegant round tannin and a lovely finish. The spice of cab franc.  This is often over looked yet I have not been able to figure out why.  Try a bottle for yourself and decide would be my suggestion. 

Carillon Angelus - Floral/violet nose. Beautiful bouquet pallet and great finish. Cab Franc very evident. 

Bellevue - Sweet cherry/strawberry nose. Limestone shows through and red fruit follows. Really good overall. 

Angelus - Red roses. Spice box and dark fruit. Really lovely and layered. Elegant supple tannins. Very fresh.  Angelus keeps making their case to be upgraded in the forthcoming reclassifications in St. Emilion.