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Cellar Favorite: 1890, 1990, 2005 & 2015 Branaire-Ducru
France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Nov 2023
Proprietor François-Xavier Maroteaux whipped out a quartet of vintages on a recent visit to Branaire-Ducru. Nothing new there. However, this quartet spanned 125 years. I recall Maroteaux mentioning in passing about a handful of ancient bottles from a collector. So, to clarify, the bottle of 1890 had not laid undisturbed in the château’s cellars since birth. Instead, it resided in a private cellar until “coming home”.
Poetic License: Siran 1920-1929
featured, France: Bordeaux
, Oct 2023
In a change to our regular programming, Vinous presents readers with a Tuesday poem about century-old bottles of Siran. We will revert back to normal prose straight after.
Cellar Favorite: 1981 Petrus
France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Oct 2023
Given my rather desultory score for the 1981 Petrus, a bottle that had a tincture of TCA, I was able to order a pristine bottle in London that had been acquired directly from the château, thereby giving me a chance to re-evaluate.
Margaux Focus 3: Château Margaux
featured, France: Bordeaux, Verticals & Retrospectives
, Sep 2023
Château Margaux is blessed with one of the most iconic facades in Bordeaux, one befitting a First Growth. After spending a day with the team earlier this year, this article examines the estate from vine to wine and revisits vintages throughout the years.
Margaux Focus 2: Château Palmer
featured, France: Bordeaux, Verticals & Retrospectives
, Aug 2023
Palmer is one of Bordeaux’s leading estates. It is a fulcrum of innovation that perhaps it is not given due credit for. This in-depth article unearths its storied history, vineyard and winemaking minutiae gleaned from spending a day with CEO Thomas Duroux, plus the obligatory slew of tasting notes from both illustrious and esoteric vintages.
Margaux Focus 1: Château Durfort-Vivens
featured, France: Bordeaux, Verticals & Retrospectives
, Aug 2023
Durfort-Vivens is a Margaux estate with a lower profile than others, yet it is one château that has furrowed its own path and perhaps has discovered its identity. This article looks at its elliptical history and innovations implemented by proprietor Gonzague Lurton.
A Century of Bordeaux: The Threes
featured, France: Bordeaux
, Aug 2023
As I do every year, in this article I take a look back at Bordeaux vintages ending in the same digit. This year, the “magic number” is three. I re-examine the disparaged 2013s and 1973s, feted 1953s and war veteran 1943s, all the way back to long-forgotten 1923s.
Cellar Favorite: 1865 Giscours
France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Aug 2023
I don’t know the record for the oldest bottle in Cellar Favorites, but this must be a contender. It certainly ranks as one of the oldest bottles of Claret that I have drunk, and I should point out that it was drunk, not tasted.
Passing the Baton: Lynch-Bages 1945-2018
featured, France: Bordeaux, Verticals & Retrospectives
, Jul 2023
This article looks at the father-to-son ownership of Lynch-Bages over the last century. Jean-Michel Cazes’s recent passing marked the end of an era. But as we shall see, he had the foresight to ensure the next generation, not least his son Jean-Charles, would continue to build on his immense achievements.
Cellar Favorite: 1989 Doisy-Védrines
France: Bordeaux, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Jul 2023
I have a long association with this Barsac estate. Proprietor Olivier Castèja must have done something terrible in a previous life because he was burdened with guiding me through my first en primeur samples in the salad days of my career. Doisy-Védrines tends to be overshadowed by its neighbor, Doisy-Daëne, which is often more unctuous in style, even though both wines contain around the same percentages of Sémillon (85%).