We sat down with Master of Wine Andrew Caillard to talk through some of the highlights from the 2018 vintage.
Bordeaux is perhaps the most well-known wine region in the world, and as we explain in our Beginner's guide to Bordeaux, it also happens to be one of the more confusing. There are different classifications, ranking systems and hierarchies, some of which have been in place since 1855 yet continue to influence market prices of certain wines. Though it can be a lot to get your head around, it's well worth the effort because, as Andrew says, "Bordeaux wines are the reference point for fine wine around the world."
It's important to know that the wines of Bordeaux can be divided into two geographic areas, sitting on either side of the Gironde Estuary: Left Bank and Right Bank. "Wines from the Left Bank tend to be based on cabernet sauvignon, while the Right Bank generally produces merlot-dominant wines," says Andrew. Today we're covering a selection of Left Bank wines, but first, we asked Andrew to talk us through the 2018 vintage.
"This really was a terrific vintage," says Andrew. "There were very long periods of warm, dry conditions. It was sometimes hot, particularly over the summer, though there was enough rain to keep soil moisture and all that.
"I love cabernet sauvignon and Bordeaux is where the grape actually originates. If I'm trying to persuade someone to buy a cabernet sauvignon, it's much more of a risk choosing something from NSW than opting for a cabernet-based wine, from a classic vintage, from where it all began – Bordeaux. I've seen a lot of great wines this year from the Médoc, or Left Bank. One of the biggest problems with Bordeaux is that the prices are so high – the top tier of wines may cost you $3,000 or more – but with wines like these, which are $40–$150, you get real value."
"I've always had great regard for Château Beaumont. It's a very pretty estate located between Margaux and Saint-Julien and the wines are fairly classical. They're a well-regarded producer, though certainly not one of the big names, and the wine actually has more merlot (47%) than cabernet (45%). I thought the wine was terrific when I tasted it and scored it at 93+ points. I haven't tasted it since it was bottled, but at $35, I'll certainly be buying some as it really is astonishing value."
"This is a really well-known château, with the wine having been brought into Australia for many years now. I was selling the wine at auction during the 1980s and 90s and it's best known for producing terrific-value wines. It's located between Margaux and Bordeaux, at the gateway of the Médoc, but in a year like 2018, it doesn't really matter where you plant your vineyard. The wine is incredible value, particularly for people who like drinking cabernet-based wines, and has the concentration and depth of flavour to age really well."
"This is a really interesting château and 've been to this estate a few times. It's in a beautiful location in the Saint-Estèphe, which is the northernmost commune of the Médoc. The wines are generally renowned for being cabernet-dominant and quite vigorous, or muscular, and in 2018, the density and give makes them really quite generous and mouth-filling. It's great value, again, and has dark cherry, liquorice flavours and fine, plentiful tannins, finishing long, juicy and sweet."
"Phelen Segur has been very well known in Australia for a very long time, and again, this is primarily cabernet sauvignon (57%) with 43% merlot. I think the quality of their wines has really improved massively over the last 10 years as the maturity of the vines has increased. For me, they produce standout wines in a good year and they stand out because of the matrix of quality, price and reputation – all those things that make fine wine so compelling."
"Of all these châteaux, Batailley has to be my favourite. I've been there many, many times now and it fell under Napoleon's original 1855 classification as a 'Fifth-growth' estate. It's based in the commune of Pauillac, where the classic tasting note is intense blackcurrants and cedar aromas with fine-grained tannins. That's what this wine absolutely exemplifies, and it's what I love most about Batailley; it offers the Bordeaux experience at a great price, which is what I think gives the wine so much appeal."
