Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Margaret River Australia

Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 from the gravelly slopes of their Stevens Valley vineyard in Margaret River, Western Australia. This Bordeaux blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot has spent 24 months in oak,  50% new, 50% in 1yr old barrels.

 

This deep ruby wine with a mere hint of garnet has fresh elegant aromas of blackberry cassis, sweet spices, cedar which all follow through to the palate, here there are additional savoury notes all kept fresh by the edgy acidity which also helps to balance the alcohol ( 14%) which feels well integrated. The tannins are fine and silky with a good structure and a savouriness and agin well integrated. Great length with cassis all the way through. This is a well made beautifully matured wine with lots of character and interest and tasted balanced and left me wanting more after each mouthful - the sign of a good wine in my book.
This is a wine that will improve in bottle for 3-5 years and would be lovely with a hearty meal! It is available from Justerini & Brooks at a cost of £29.17 .
Score : 90



Margaret River

Located approximately three hours' drive south of Perth, the region was ‘discovered’ in the early 1970s after various pieces of research from Professor Harold Olmo and Dr John Gladstones identified it as a potentially great grape growing region. The Margaret River area includes the rolling hills of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, extending 90 kilometres north-south between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin, and is bounded to the west by the Indian Ocean. Highly regarded as a producer of powerful yet elegant Cabernet Sauvignon, the region has also forged a great reputation for its white wines notably Chardonnay and Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends. However, it is capable of producing all the classic varietal wines.

Margaret River wine region first saw European settlement as late as the 1830’s and has evolved from pioneer ‘outstation’, forestry, dairy, alternative life stylers who enjoyed the unique coast and its surfing, to an area dedicated to the pursuit of great vines and fine wine.

The climate is strongly maritime-influenced, as might be expected in a region surrounded by the ocean on three sides. With a mean annual temperature range of only 7.6°C (45.68°F), it has less than 25% of its annual rain falling between October and April. The low diurnal and seasonal temperature range means an unusually even accumulation of warmth. While spring frosts are very rare and highly localised, the lack of winter dormancy for the vines can cause problems that are unique to this region.

Château Sciando-Mallet 2004

Château Sciando-Mallet 2004 is a château not included in the 1855 Classification of the Medoc, and chose not to take part in the Cru Bourgeois in 1932 and the history of the property has been varied, but it is property that produces quality wines at a price that offers value. The property sits  in the commune of St.-Seurin de Cadourne, just to the north of St Estèphe, and the vineyard is densely planted  with high yields up to 80 hl/ha The varieties planted are 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, the remaining 5% are part Cabernet Franc and part Petit Verdot. Manual harvest, gentle crush and cold maceration for up to 3 weeks after a warm (33c) fermantation. Oak maturation is used, and up to 100%  oak for the top wines but 20% for the second wine and finally the wine is bottled without fining or filtration.

The wine has an elegance which only comes with good breeding and careful treatment, the aromas of black berry fruits, chocolate, cedar box and spice and the influence is continued through to the palate, here the tannins are soft, silky but supportive, the acidity offers an elegance and nerve to the wine while the alcohol supports the whole structure, the length - long and sweet black fruits and spice that adds multi level complexity. A fine wine with real pedigree - elegant, complex and generous fruit and accessible - great class!
Score : 94

Château Pey de la Tour 2008

Château Pey de la Tour 2008 from Berry Brothers and Rudd of London, is from the Entre-Deux-Mers in the Bordeaux region, the region between the two rivers and is made by Dourthe on this 140ha site.
It is a red wine made from a blend of 86% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, and as such is deep in colour, low intensity aromas of red and black fruits intermingle with spice, the tannin level is unexpectedly low, there is a lacking in concentration on both nose and palate but the length is long and fruit driven. The lack of concentration would lead me to believe that there is high yielding or poor vine maintenance and this may follow through to the winemaking. This wine due to the reduced tannin structure and flavour concentration should be drunk soon - and at the price of £11.75 seems good value.
Score : 88

Château Caronne Ste Gemme 2007 ( Cru Bourgeois Superior) Bordeaux is from the vineyard of Caronne Ste-Gemme is made up of 45 hectares in the central Médoc in the left bank of Bordeaux planted on a mound of gravel with a base of iron-rich sandstone. Plantings consist of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot and the average vine age is 25 years planted at a density of 10000 vines/ha. François Nony   has introduced green harvesting in the vineyard to reduce the yield and increase the quality of the resultant grapes, after fermentation the resultant wine is matured in oak ( 20% new) for 12 months, racked, and fined with egg whites before bottling.



On the nose, green pepper, black fruits and sweet spices mix contentedly with wood shavings, these follow through to the palate, with tannins ripe, but chewy, savoury and chalky, the alcohol is warming but well integrated, and the body feels settled with the fruit, this is a well structured wine, fruit jostles for space with the spice and leather, the length, long and sweet spicy fruits - a wine that tells you where it came from and that it has been made with care - thankyou!
£12.99 from when on offer Majestic, a good value wine which still has time to improve in bottle - but it is lovely now!

Cru Bourgeois  - what does this term mean.

In the 1855 classification of the Medoc, many properties ( Chateau) that were not included. In 1932 a selection of 444 properties were put forward for classification, and this was split into 3 seperate classifications Cru Bourgeois , Cru Bourgeois Superior and Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel.

In 2003 there was a shake-up of the whole Cru Bourgeois system with the numbers contained in the ranks reduced to 247, this was legally challenged and so annulled by some of those that had been relegated/demoted. The list was to be Exceptionnel (9 properties), Supérieurs (87 properties) and straight Bourgeois (151 properties).

In 2010 in response to the 2003 annulment a new certification adopting the term Label Cru Bourgeois, was created "not as a classification, but as a mark of quality" open to all Medoc wines, based on production and quality standards, and assessed by an independent body. It was to include 180 estates from the defunct 2003 ranking, along with 95 new entrants.

The revision demanded that estates adhere to a new set of production rules and independent quality testing in order to remain in the classification, and the terms Cru Bourgeois Supérieur or Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel would no longer be used. Of the 290 producers who applied for Cru Bourgeois status for their 2008 wine, 243 were successful. In September 2011, the 2009 classification was announced. Of 304 applicants, 246 were successful

Benvenuto de la Serna Trisagio 2006 Argentina

Benvenuto de la  Serna Trisagio 2006 is a wine that comes from the Uco Valley in the Mendoza region of Argentina, it is a cool region due in part to its altitude. There are 3 grapes used in this blend Petit Verdot, Tannat and Malbec  and each plays its part to produce  well structured and deep coloured wine. Red and black berry fruits intermingle with spices, vanilla and cinnamon, dried fruits  and smokey cigar box. The acidity help keep these fruits fresh, concentrated and full bodied while the structure provided by the savoury tannins which are ripe and silky in texture, is complimented by the alcohol which is in itself warming and sweet. This is a heavy hitting wine and one should proceed with caution. :-) This wine won the Argentine Wine Awards 2010 - and is amazing value at a price of £11.50, down from its normal £14.75, so buy now and enjoy at leisure.
Score : 88

Ornellaia Bolgheri Superior 2007

Ornellaia Bolgheri Superior 2007 

Produced by Tenuta dell Ornellaia, this is a Bordeaux grape blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot which was harested between August ( Merlot) and October for the Cabernet Sauvignon. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks for 1 week followed by maceration on the skins for 10-15 days.
The wine is a deep ruby with black tints, a small narrow rim, aromas of dark red fruits, spice and cedar fill the glass. Dark cherry is the pervading aroma and is again present on the palate matched with spicy vanilla, balsamic and a savoury edge, the tannins are fine, silky and ripe, they add structure and enjoyment to the balanced and silky wine, the acidity keeping the well ripened fruits fresh even after 5 years.
Oak ageing is a factor in its history (70% new oak and 30% used once) and Malolactic fermentation takes place within barrel. Aged in barrel for 18months, blended after the first 12, then aged in bottle for 12 months+. This wine has the complexity and structure to allow it to age for quite a few years.

Expect to pay£130+

Chateau Lafon-Rochet 2003 St Estephe Bordeaux

Chateau Lafon-Rochet 2003 a fourth growth from the 1855 classification of the the Medoc in Bordeaux is from St Estephe  with the vines planted at Chateau Lafon-Rochet are 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, this should mean that this is the percantage in the wine itself - but this could be weather dependant. It is a Claret which had good depth of colour especially considering its age, a garnet narrow rim indicates it.
2003 was a very, very hot year, St Estephe is not as hot as other areas in Bordeaux, and due to a bad year the yield was low ( so promises great concentration of flavours in some cases). The pick was early - about 1 month early, in August and the resulting wine had firm acidity and enrobing alcohol, warming but well integrated. The tannins are obvious, grainy and drying - I would also say savoury. The rich fruit flavours on nose and palate are concentrated, of black fruits predominantly and cedar box  all parcelled up with a sweet spices and encompassed by a lovely velvety texture. This is a juicy fruit driven wine ( and 9 years old!) which still has alot of time that it could remain improving in bottle due to the obvious tannins, freshening acidty and concentrated fruits and amazing structure given by these 3 elements.

Chateau Brown 2004 in Bordeaux

2004 was the first vintage overseen by Yvon Mau at Chateau Brown  in Pessac Leognan in Bordeaux and is made up of Cabernet Sauvignon 55%, Merlot 43%, Petit Verdot 2%. The deep ruby is fading to garnet and invites you in, the aromas were of sweet spices fading into cedar cigar box aromas and one can only say 'perfumed'. On the palate there are red and black fruits good preserving acidity and well integrated alcohol, the tannins are ripe and obvious and all this gives a good length with a slightly bitter finish. This comes in at about £25

Chateau Angludet Margaux 2008 and 2004

Chateau Angludet Margaux 2008 and 2004
Margaux - an area that all wine lovers will have heard of, many will have tasted wines from this area in Bordeaux and some may have visited, the Sichel family bought this property in 1961( devastated by the 1956 frost and only 5ha under vine when purchased and Cru Bourgeois Exceptional, moving to Cru Exceptional Superior in 2003) and after much renovation now makes wine under the watchful eye of Benjamin Sichel ( son of Peter Sichel). The 32ha estate of gravelly soil with vines ( 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot ) 25 years old are machine picked and then vinified in old cement vats for 20-30 days, and after malolactic fermentation are barrel aged for 12-14 months 25% are new oak, then fined traditionally with egg whites and gently filtered before bottling.
Ch Angludet 2008

A deep garnet ruby red with narrow rim has thick coloured legs. Aromas of farmyard and, spice, smoke is enrobed with black fruits and is perfumed, layered complexity and fine tuned. In the mouth one is immediately aware of the silky texture, black fruits, vanilla, spices, and the ripe grippy tannins, great body, well balanced acidity and the alcohol though not high is structural enriching the experience, a truly pleasurable wine that still has some maturing time that will improve it further. The price is £24.

Ch Angludet 2004

Deep garnet with coloured legs and narrow garnet rim. Promises much on the nose, vanilla is still present but seems more integrated and the fruit is sweeter and softer and mainly black fruits. On the palate one is entranced, the sweet fruits blended well with the spices and elegant and structured well. The tannins are softer than the 2008 and silky but still with some grip. The length is long and a delight to the end, finishing with gentle spices and black fruits which have mellowed with age and a hint of liquorice, great finesse and balanced throughout. An elegant wine with structure under a soft exterior. This wine though a delight will with some more ageing reach its peak - worth the wait! Priced at £36.

Chateau Fourcas Dumont Listrac 2006

Chateau Fourcas Dumont Listrac 2006 is from an amalgamation of 2 chateau, Clos du Fourcas and Moulin du Bourg and is now called Chateau Fourcas-Borie located in the north of the Listrac area in the Medoc, Bordeaux. The vineyard is 30ha but 18ha is used for this wine and has grapes which are about 30 years old, 50% Merlot ( for fruit and fullness), 40% Cabernet Sauvignon (for structure and body) and 10% Petit Verdot ( colour, structure and tannins) and yields of about 35-40hl/ha are expected. Production stands at 200 000 bottles pa.

Fermentation, cold maceration  malolactic fermentation take place in stainless steel tanks and then 12 months maturation in oak barrels with regular rackings producing a smooth silky red wine with great structure.

A deep ruby wine with garnet tints and garnet in the rim, aromas of black and red fruits along with vanilla and smoke, perfumed and elegant with black pepper and fruitcake. The texture is velvety and mouth coating, ripe tannins are rich and structural as is the well integrated alcohol and good acidity.Flavours of red and black fruit are enrobed in spice and elegant smoke, a wine to be savoured and may improve in bottle if kept for another few years. The long spicy finish has fruit and smoke edges and is delicate through and through.