The Society’s ‘Bordeaux Oxygène’ tasting.
A breath of fresh air through a traditional and established region, the Bordeaux Oxygene
group (BO2 for short) represents a new and youthful wave of winemakers. Friends since
childhood, the group comprises 18 winemakers including Sylvie Courselle, Basaline
Despagne, Matthieu Cuvelier, Jean-Jacques Dubourdieu, Jean-Baptiste Bourotte and Jean
Triaud, who are all determined to develop the traditions of Bordeaux and ensure that the
region remains innovative and relevant in the 21st century.
The Society’s sweetness code:
White wines from bone dry [1] to lusciously sweet [9]
○ = white wine
⟡ = rosé wine
● = red wine
S = screwcap closure
Jean-Baptiste Bourotte
Clos du Clocher
Clos du Clocher is the property of the Bourotte family, one The Society has followed for
some years, and increasingly one to watch. Clocher in French means ‘bell tower’ and the
estate lies at the heart of the Pomerol plateau, with just 4.5 hectares under vine, planted
80% merlot and 20% cabernet franc, well situated next to the church, as its name implies.
The property is run by Jean-Baptiste Bourotte (whose family also owns Château Bonalgue),
while Michel Rolland and Christian Veyry are the well-known consultant oenologists.
1.
● Clos du Clocher, Pomerol 2012
Expressive Pomerol packed with red and black-fruit flavours, with a generous core of ripe
merlot with just 15% cabernet franc in the blend this year). Drink from next year to 2025.
14.5%
For tasting only
2.
● Clos du Clocher, Pomerol 2011
Lovely velvet-textured Pomerol from the Bourotte family, with the freshness and extra
fragrance coming from the addition of 30% cabernet franc, and fine, well-managed oak.
Drink now to 2025. 14%
For tasting only
Pomerol is a small but distinctive wine region located close to the town of Libourne. The
area is famous for producing opulent, velvety and glamorous red wines dominated by the
merlot grape. Viticulture was much abandoned during the 100 Years War and the
vineyards were not re-established until the 15th and 16th centuries. Up until the late 19th
century Pomerol was just seen as a satellite of its far larger and, at the time, more famous
Saint-Émilion until its reputation started to grow and it became the well-known region it is
today.
3.
● Clos du Clocher, Pomerol 2010
A big wine with great depth of flavour, and a great buy for the cellar. Part of the vineyard is
next to Vieux Certan and part next to Trotanoy, and the class shows in this excellent
vintage. Drink from 2018 to 2030. 14.5%
For tasting only
Sylvie Courselle
Château Thieuley
Francis Courselle was one of the first to show the Bordelais how to make dry white wine
that people want to drink. While teaching at Bordeaux University, he was putting his ideas
into practice with considerable success at his property Château Thieuley at La Sauve, in the
centre of Entre-Deux-Mers. His secret lies in harvesting high-quality fruit and preserving
its aroma and character in bottle. His two daughters have now followed in his footsteps
and are making better wine than ever at this excellent property.
4.
○ [1] Château Thieuley Blanc, Bordeaux 2015
Delicious and elegant classic white blend of semillon (50%) and sauvignons blanc (35%)
and gris (15%). Drink this year and next. 13%
ref BW5471
£8.50 bottle
£102 dozen
Entre-Deux-Mers is Bordeaux’s largest sub-region. Its name literally translates as ‘between
two seas’, although here the ‘seas’ in question are the Garonne and Dordogne rivers which
form the region’s southern and northern boundaries. Home to various appellations which
produce wine in a number of different styles, the regional Entre-Deux-Mers appellation
applies uniquely to dry white wines made from sauvignon blanc, semillon, muscadelle and
ugni blanc. Also of note are the sweet botrytised wines of Cadillac, Loupiac and SainteCroix-du-Mont, which offer excellent value. Interestingly the majority of wine produced in
the area is labelled as generic Bordeaux or Bordeaux Supérieur.
5.
○ [1] Château Thieuley Blanc, Bordeaux 2011
From the superb 2011 vintage this blend of sauvignon blanc, sauvignon gris and semillon
has exotic fruit flavours of pineapple, grapefruit and citrus with the added complexity that
a little bottle ageing brings. 12.5%
For tasting only
Matthieu Cuvelier
Clos Fourtet
Château Clos Fourtet is a Saint Emilion 1er Grand Cru Classé property located just outside
the entrance to the town, and is home to some of the most extensive underground cellars
in the region. Clos Fourtet has had several owners over the years and underwent a minirenaissance under the stewardship of the Lurtons in the latter half of the last century.
Pierre Lurton was the winemaker who really established the property’s reputation as one
of the finest on the Saint Martin plateau. In January 2001, Clos Fourtet was bought by Paris
businessman Phillipe Cuvelier and the property has since gone from strength to strength.
Clos Fourtet has 19 hectares of vineyards planted with merlot (72%), cabernet franc
(22%) and cabernet sauvignon (6%). The wine is vinified traditionally and is aged in oak
barriques (60-70% new) for 18 months. It is bottled unfiltered.
6.
● Clos Fourtet, Saint Emilion 2010
Opulent richness, power and structure combine with real finesse and quality of a great
vineyard now emphatically back on form. Will age splendidly.
Drink from 2020 to 2040. 14.5%
ref CS8191
£97.00 bottle
£1164 dozen
7.
● Clos Fourtet, Saint Emilion 2009
Big, rich, generous claret from a wonderful property on the Côtes Saint Emilion which the
Cuvelier family have put back in the front rank in recent years.
Drink from next year to 2040. 14.5%
ref CS7331
£180.00 bottle
£2160 dozen
Saint-Emilion produces more wine than any other right bank appellation. Merlot
dominates here, giving the wines a sweet, ripe fruit character, along with cabernet franc
which adds perfume and freshness.
The 5,400 hectares of vineyard are generally divided into two soil types – those on the
côtes or hillsides below the town, and the gravelly limestone plateau to the west. More
than 3,000 hectares of the vineyards lie on the plain between the town and the plateau and
the river Dordogne. Here the soil is a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial deposits, making
lighter, less long-lived wines.
Most of the highly ranked properties, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé or Saint-Emillion 1er
Grand Cru Classé come from the steep clay-limestone hillsides immediately below the
town or the gravelly section of plateau 5km to the west.
Château Poujeaux
Winemaking began here in the 19th century, with the property passing through many
hands and being divided into different estates, until the Theil family purchased it and had
the good foresight to put Poujeaux back together. They breathed new life into the property,
before selling it to Philippe Cuvelier and his son Matthieu in January 2008. Since then, the
bar has been raised, and the wines have acquired new richness and polish.
The estate lies to the north-east of Moulis, with the 65 hectares of vines grouped together
in one single block, planted on the left bank’s famous Günz gravel on banks around the
village of Grand Poujeaux.
8.
● Château Poujeaux, Moulis 2012
Tasted on numerous occasions and good every time, this is a classic, well-structured claret
with lovely fresh attack. Drink from 2018 to 2027. 13%
ref CM16911
£23.00 bottle
£276 dozen
The smallest of the six Médoc communes, Moulis nevertheless boasts a wide variety of
terroir, its hilly terrain home to gravel, limestone and clay soils. These are sturdy wines,
the best capable of considerable longevity, with a perfumed character.
9.
● Château Poujeaux, Moulis 2010
There are some fine wines from Moulis in 2010, with depth of flavour and excellent
bouquet, and this will prove a shrewd buy for the cellar. Drink from next year to 2030. 14%
ref CM15121
£26.00 bottle
£312 dozen
Basaline Despagne
Château Mont-Pérat
Château Mont-Pérat was mentioned in the 1864 edition of the famous Féret Wine Guide to
the Wines of Bordeaux and is one of the jewels in the crown of the Premières Côtes de
Bordeaux appellation. This large estate was bought by the Despagne family in 1998. The
vineyards extend to 102 hectares and are planted with merlot, cabernet sauvignon,
cabernet franc, sauvignon blanc, semillon and muscadelle.
10.
○ [2] Château Mont-Pérat, Bordeaux Blanc 2012
A fine blend of 78% sauvignon, 20% semillon and 2% muscadelle in an excellent white
Bordeaux vintage. Half of this wine is fermented in French oak, with lees-stirring, giving
the wine excellent texture and depth. Drink now to 2018. 14%
ref BW4691
£12.95 bottle
£155 dozen
On the north bank of the Garonne, before it joins the Dordogne to form the mighty
Gironde, lie the Premières Côtes, a forty-odd mile strip of undulating and picturesque vine
country. The Côtes are in essence a collection of small communes, planted on diverse soils,
but enjoying, for the most part, perfect south-eastern exposure in this atypically hilly part
of Bordeaux.
11.
● Château Mont Perat, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux 2009
Generously fruity, rich flavour with finesse and backbone. This is Thibault and Basaline
Despagne’s home property and one of the finest wines of its district. This is a blend of 80%
merlot, 10% cabernet franc and 10% cabernet sauvignon. Drink now to 2020. 14%
ref CB3341
£16.00 bottle
£192 dozen
Château Bel-Air Perponcher
Bel-Air Perponcher is the home property of Basaline Despagne at Naujan-et-Postiac.
Vignobles Despagne is responsible for six Bordeaux properties spanning 300 hectares, and
is known for taking more care of its vines than some classed growths. In 1990, the family
acquired Château Bel-Air Perponcher, which has developed as high a reputation for its
whites as its reds. The vines, which are immaculately tended, comprise sauvignon blanc,
semillon and muscadelle for the whites and merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc
for the reds and rosé.
12.
⟡ [2] Château Bel Air Perponcher Réserve, Bordeaux Rosé 2015
Cabernet sauvignon and merlot grapes provide the blend for this delicate pink, fragrant
rosé with red-berry character. Drink this year and next. 12% S
ref BR291
£8.50 bottle
£102 dozen
The most common way of making rosé is by drawing off the juice once the fermentation of
black grapes is underway – after six to 48 hours, depending on the depth of colour desired,
whilst the saigné method, where the black grapes are crushed and pressed in the same way
as a white, produces the most delicate styles of rosé. Inexpensive new world rosés are often
made by adding some red wine into white wine. However this is not permitted in the EU,
with the notable exception of rosé Champagne.
Jean-Jacques Dubourdieu
Château Reynon
Château Reynon is the home property of Denis and Florence Dubourdieu, and is situated
on a perfect south-facing slope at Béguey in the Entre-deux-Mers. Denis is a noted
professor of oenology at Bordeaux University specialising in white wines, and now advises
many prestigious estates, including Yquem and Batailley in Bordeaux and Jaboulet and
Grillet in the Rhône. They treat their vines with as much care as they do in their Sauternes
vineyards, picking by hand at the point of perfect ripeness. For the last couple of years a
proportion of this wine has been vinified in large oak vats, to round out the palate without
losing freshness or imparting any oak flavour.
Jean-Jacques and Fabrice Dubourdieu, the next generation, are now closely involved with
the family business.
13.
● Château Reynon, Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux 2012
Denis Dubourdieu, oenologist par excellence and owner of this château, described the 2012
Reynon as probably the best he has made. The wine is predominantly merlot, which gives
it its perfume and supple fruit texture, but also contains 12% petit verdot which lends
colour and a hint of spice. Drink now to 2020. 13.5%
ref CB4221
£12.50 bottle
£150 dozen
14.
● Château Reynon, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux 2009
An excellent claret from the generous 2009 vintage. A blend of 88% merlot, with 8%
cabernet sauvignon and 4% petit verdot adding structure and spice.
Drink this year and next. 14%
ref CB3301
£12.50 bottle
£150 dozen
Clos Floridène
Clos Floridène is a 31-hectare estate mostly located on the calcareous plateau of Pujols sur
Ciron, near Barsac, in the Graves appellation. A few plots are also located on the pebbly
terraces of Illats.
Denis and Florence Dubourdieu have supervised the replanting of the vineyard since 1982,
and indeed the name of the property amalgamates the first names of its founders: Denis
and Florence.
15.
○ [1] Clos Floridène Blanc, Graves 2012
One of the most individual white wines in Bordeaux, and a star of the Graves appellation.
The blend is roughly 60% sauvignon blanc and 40% old-vine semillon grown on limestone
subsoils that provide backbone and finesse. The concentration of fruit and discreet touch
of oak will delight fans of the classic white Graves style. Drink now to 2018. 13%
ref BW4701
£19.00 bottle
£228 dozen
Extending 50km south-east of the city of Bordeaux along the left bank of the Garonne,
Graves is famous for both its red and white wines. The vines are grown on varied gravel
terraces, with the mineral, cabernet sauvignon-dominated reds offering good value for
money. Some serious, barrel-fermented or oak-aged, dry whites are also made from
sauvignon blanc and semillon.
16.
● Clos Floridène Rouge, Graves 2012
A resounding success for the Dubourdieu family, the 2012 is a blend of 50% cabernet
sauvignon, 45% merlot and 5% cabernet franc, and the wine shows real charm and
refinement, with plummy fruit character and silky tannins. Drink now to 2022. 12.5%
ref CM16801
£16.00 bottle
£192 dozen
17.
○ [8] The Society’s Exhibition Sauternes 2010
This lovely sweet wine comes from the excellent Château Cantegril. Cantegril is an
enclosed 20-hectare vineyard planted in one piece on the limestone plateau of Haut Barsac.
It is planted 75% semillon, 20% sauvignon and 5% muscadelle. Drink now to 2020. 13.5%
ref BW4181
£18.00 bottle
£216 dozen
Sauternes is one of the most famous sweet wines in the world and is a style that has come
about as a result of noble rot. Noble rot is the benevolent form of botrytis bunch rot in
which the fungus attacks ripe, undamaged white wine grapes and, given the right weather
(misty mornings, followed by sunny, warm afternoons), concentrates the sugars which
results in extremely sweet grapes. Whilst they look disgusting (like moist raisins covered
in a sort of grey ash), the grapes have undergone an extremely complex transformation,
and are capable of producing arguably the world’s finest, and longest-living, sweet wines.
Jean Triaud
Château Saint-Pierre
The property’s records date back to the sixteenth century, after which the property was
bought by the Baron de Saint Pierre in 1767, during the reign of Louis XV. It was inherited
by the Baron’s two daughters in 1832, and granted fourth-growth status in the Médoc
classification of 1855. In the late 19th century the estate was broken up, but eventually
reunited by Belgian merchants in 1922, and finally, by Henri Martin in 1982, returning land
and buildings to the same ownership. Still family-owned, this 17-hectare property is now
run by Françoise and Jean-Louis Triaud (who also own the Bordeaux football club, Les
Girondins). The vineyard, planted 75% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot and 10% cabernet
franc, is well located right behind the town of Beychevelle Saint-Julien, with a high
percentage of old vines.
18.
● Château Saint-Pierre, Saint-Julien 2012
Muscular yet elegantly balanced claret with 78% cabernet sauvignon and 22% merlot.
Drink from 2020 to 2032. 13.5%
ref CM17111
£42.00 bottle
£504 dozen
Very low stock
19.
● Château Saint-Pierre, Saint-Julien 2008
With lovely bloom to the bouquet, this is a beautifully balanced stylish elegant claret which
stood out in a blind tasting of 2008 crus classés. Drink from 2018 to 2030. 13%
ref CM15471
£42.00 bottle
£504 dozen
Very low stock
With only 900 hectares, Saint-Julien is the smallest of the Médoc’s famous appellations. It
tends to be one of the most homogenous and reliable of the communes and with graveldominated soils and subsoils, produces traditionally styled red wines for the most part,
which are balanced and have quite subtle fruit flavours.
Château Gloria
Château Gloria in Saint-Julien is a property that was not classified in 1855, but produces
clarets that are equal in quality to those from the more prestigious classed growths. Henri
Martin, a cooper by upbringing, took over the property in 1942 and began purchasing plots
of vineyards from classed growth properties such as Gruaud-Larose, Talbot, Lagrange and
Léoville-Barton. By the mid-1960s he had 50 hectares spread across the appellation. In
1982 he purchased Château St-Pierre and thus realised his lifetime ambition of owning a
Grand Cru Classé property. Henri Martin died in 1991 and Gloria is now run by his son-inlaw Jean-Louis Triaud.
20.
● Château Gloria, Saint-Julien 2010
Bigger-bodied than usual in 2010 but retaining the immediate charm and appeal of the
best wines of this property. In the same ownership as new star Saint-Pierre with the
advantage of being ready to drink sooner. Drink now to 2025. 13.5%
ref CM15351
£36.00 bottle
£432 dozen
21.
● Château Gloria, Saint-Julien 2009
This is a charmer with seductively fragrant, ripe fruit and rounded palate. A claret to give
pleasure without the need to wait too long. Drink now to 2024. 13.5%
ref CM14401
£34.00 bottle
£408 dozen
The most famous wine classification in the world was drawn up after a request in 1855
from the organisers of the Paris Universal Exhibition for a list of Bordeaux’s best wines,
which were to be sent to be shown in Paris. The selection was based simply on those wines
selling for the most money at that particular time and only included the top wines of the
Médoc, except for the inclusion of Château Haut-Brion from the Graves region. The top
châteaux were divided into five classifications, known as ‘growths’. The classification, based
on the track record of the individual château going back some 200 years, has shown
astonishing resilience – the only change in the classification since that time has been the
elevation of Château Mouton-Rothschild in 1973 from second growth to first growth status.