Steven Spurrier’s wines of the month

From the cellar

Château Latour 2009

After three decades of being held at Adnams in Suffolk, the annual Southwold tastings have now moved to Farr Vintners’ offices in London. The Bordeaux châteaux supply two bottles. The spoilage rate being very low, the single bottles (of red and sweet wines only) that remain are kept to be tasted in their tenth year. The wines are served blind, and the same panel of tasters are present, knowing the wines in each flight but not the order. The opulent 2009 vintage carried itself well, the preference being for the Left Bank over Right, Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure responding magnificently with ripe depth of fruit. Sauternes showed superbly, Guiraud ahead of Rayne Vigneau and de Fargues. Outside the first growths, the first seven reds in the overall marking were Châteaux Canon, St-Emilion; Le Gay, Pomerol; Pape Clément, Pessac- Léognan; d’Issan, Margaux; Léoville Poyferré, St-Julien; Pichon Baron, Pauillac; and Montrose, St-Estèphe. Cheval Blanc was the top Right Bank first growth, but was outclassed by Château Latour (average mark 19.24/20pts). I scored it 19, tying with Château Margaux, and there were several perfect 20s. My simple note for Latour: ‘Dense young colour, superb floral nose, really beautiful expression of Cabernet with the 2009 richness. A wine of very great class. Drink 2025-2050.’

For the cellar

Château Ausone 2015

Over three days in late January 2019, Jancis Robinson MW, Neal Martin and myself, along with 16 trade tasters, sat down to assess 20 white, 217 red and 27 sweet wines from the 2015 vintage in Bordeaux. For the annual Southwold tastings – now known as ‘Southwold on Thames’ (see left) – the wines come directly from the châteaux and are tasted blind in flights of 12 within their appellations. In our ranking of vintages since 2000, the overall consensus placed 2015 fifth, behind 2010, 2009 and 2005 in joint second and 2000 fourth. The 2015 Pessac-Léognan whites and Sauternes were very fine and consistent, with Château Haut-Brion heading the former and Château d’Yquem the latter. For the reds, while Haut-Brion was the best Left Bank wine, it was St-Emilion’s Ausone that emerged with the highest ranking overall. Stephen Browett of Farr Vintners observed: ‘This outstanding wine had a particularly deep colour, exuding aromas of liquorice, incense and bramble fruits. The palate was pure cashmere, with ultra-refined tannins gently framing a powerful but tightly wound core of black fruit, which unfurled in the glass, standing up to the exotic spices from the oak and pushing through the rich tannin structure, finishing long with great drive and great potential for the future.’

The Spurrier Selection

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