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Farr Vintners -  Major Bordeaux 2001 tasting: Some big surprises....... - Octobre October 2007

 

Last week Farr Vintners assembled a "dream team" line up of judges for a definitive tasting of the top red wines of Bordeaux in 2001. Every major Château's wine was represented with the 150 entrants being scored strictly "blind" in 15 flights served over two days. 

 
The judging panel included Jancis Robinson (The Financial Times/Jancisrobinson.com), Steven Spurrier (Decanter Magazine), James Suckling (Wine Spectator) and Neal Martin (erobertparker.com) along with wine trade professionals from Bordeaux, Germany and the UK - including three Masters of Wine.

 
The overall conclusion was that 2001 is a very good vintage but not truly great like 2000, 2003 (in the Medoc) and 2005. Most importantly for consumers, is the news that at six years of age many of the wines are ready to drink. There are plenty of bargains to be had in this vintage, which will always be overshadowed by 2000.  Many of the best 2001s are available at a fraction of the price of their counterparts in 2000 (e.g. La Mission Haut Brion and Pavie) and many at modest prices - Malescot St Exupery, Lagrange, Haut Bergey, Reserve de la Comtesse are around £20 per bottle.

 

Here is a selection of some great wines from the vintage that offer good value:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Size

 

Cs

 

£/cs

 

Score*

Sainte Colombe

-

BT

-

262

-

£60

-

13.88

Haut Bergey

-

BT

-

71

-

£180

-

15.56

Reserve de la Comtesse

-

BT

-

4

-

£190

-

16.00

Langoa Barton

-

BT

-

116

-

£210

-

15.91

Malescot Saint Exupery

-

BT

-

49

-

£220

-

15.71

Lagrange

-

BT

-

151

-

£285

-

16.71

Lagrange

 

MG

-

2

-

£295

-

16.71

Lagrange

 

DM

-

3

-

£100 ea

-

16.71

Lagrange

 

IM

-

3

-

£200 ea

-

16.71

Pontet Canet

-

BT

-

25

-

£295

-

16.32

Gruaud Larose

-

BT

-

1

-

£340

-

16.56

Pichon Baron

-

BT

-

47

-

£420

-

16.82

Pichon Baron

-

MG

-

3

-

£420

-

16.82

Pichon Baron

-

DM

-

1

-

£155

-

16.82

Cos d'Estournel

-

BT

-

1

-

£520

-

16.13

Conseillante

-

BT

-

94

-

£550

-

16.18

Conseillante

 

MG

-

7

-

£550

-

16.18

Mission Haut Brion

-

BT

-

8

-

£720

-

17.76

Pavie

-

BT

-

10

-

£780

-

18.03

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here follows a breakdown of those successes by commune:

 

Pauillac

There was a clear winner here with Pichon Baron winning not only this flight but having the highest score in the whole of the Médoc (apart from the First Growths). This is clearly a classic claret of huge proportions with a dense black colour. It is thick, ripe and very finely balanced - a "supersecond" on the coat-tails of the First in 2001. This magnificent wine scored only just behind the great Chateau Latour (£3100). It is therefore quite a bargain at £420. Also showing well in this flight, and in second place, was Pontet Canet which comfortably beat many far more expensive wines. The big upset of the flight was La Reserve de la Comtesse. Pichon Lalande's second label was only just behind the grand vin itself and was judged the best second wine of the entire tasting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wine

 

Size

 

Cs

 

£/cs

 

Score*

Pichon Baron

-

BT

-

47

-

£420

-

16.82

Pichon Baron

-

MG

-

3

-

£420

-

16.82

Pichon Baron

-

DM

-

1

-

£155

-

16.82

Pontet Canet

-

BT

-

3

-

£300

-

16.32

Reserve de la Comtesse

-

BT

-

4

-

£190

-

16.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Average score of all tasters

All stock offered in bond