Wine Market Report on Russia Today from Top to Bottom Import to Export

Written by Vasily Raskov, editor of Simple Wine News, wine columnist at Kommersant.

Drinking wine in Russia is expensive. There are several reasons for this. Before I explain why, you need to know what takes place. Wines selling for 5 Euros in any Italian, French or Spanish supermarket costs between 20-25 Euros for the same bottle in Russia! The high price is not due to taxes and excise duties. All the government levies account for close to 50% of the producer’s price. The high price is also due to market imperfections and “bonuses.” This sum of money importer’s pay to supermarket chain manager’s and restaurant owners to make sure certain bottles are available on the top wine lists and stocked in the all the best Russian wine stores. These extra costs add between 20-30% of the importer’s official price. You call it nonsense. We call it Russia!

Two thirds of Russian wine consumption is covered by local wine production. But not many people are aware of Russian wine. In fact I myself have not experienced much Russian wine until recently. Wine geeks know about Georgian and Moldavian wines. They still have a lot to learn about Russian wine. We drank a lot of them in the Soviet époque. Today 70 million cases or so are being produced on the territory of the Russian Federation. Apparently we have some good terroir and local grape varieties with distinctive personality with the potential to produce good Russian wine.

Russia drinks 7.14 liters of wine per capita a year, and by the total volume of consumption remains inside the top ten – it amounts to about 100 million cases annually. Many of us enjoy the very idea of drinking wine – it is so romantic. Vino, dolce vita, Italia, Paris, art, culture and wealth are all interrelated. And no doubt wine is opposed to all this muscular, violent, cruel and crazy Russian reality where only vodka can be accepted. Wine in Russia is viewed by the laboring people as a drink for wimps.

Unfortunately, we do not have any functioning wine legislation. The lion’s share of quality Russian wine production is illegal, and this is only a drop in the bucket. On the one hand, we boast about a bunch of enthusiasts fighting the bureaucratic hurdles, which are generally quite high in Russia. When it comes to alcoholic products they become absolutely unconquerable.

On the other hand, there are huge Russian producers. The most forward-looking of the Russian winery owners expand their vineyards, the norm being between 3-4 thousand hectares. But many Russian wine producers choose to make wine without owning any vineyards. Less than a third of Russian wine is made from local grapes, the rest of the “wine material” (this is our special Russian term) is imported from Spain, Brazil, Argentina and other countries at a price of 25-35 cents per liter, before it is bottled and labeled in Cyrillic.

The figures constantly get so treacherously vague that the experts become totally mislead and do not understand what exactly the significant part of semisweet, semi-red, semi-Russian semi-wine is made from. Frankly speaking, the poor social groups in the capitalist Russia accounting for about two-thirds of the whole population, drink all sorts of unspeakable things, that is why the figure of 7.14 liters of wine per person each year should be perceived as a mere image.

The first guide on Russian wines released at the end of 2012 includes the description of a total of 55 wines from 13 wineries. The author explored the whole of the region thoroughly and chose as a lower threshold for acceptance into his guide the rating of 75 points using the 100 point scale. The top wines were all made from Russian grapes. The maximum of 92 points in the rating is given to only two wines: 2010 Vedernikov Krasnostop. Krasnostop is a local grape variety. Lefkadia Cuvee of Lefkadia winery, an expensive Russian wine is a blend of French, grape varieties made by Patrick Leon on Russian land. The grapes used to produce Lefkadia are; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Grenache and Malbec, along with a variety native to Russian wine producers, Tsimliansky Cherny.

What do the elite Russian wine tasters enjoy drinking? Special cuvees of the Russian wine giants like; Myskhako and Château Le Grand Vostok, half-underground wines of garagistes like Yanis Karakezidi, Gennadiy Oparin, Alexey Tolstoy and Valery Loghinov.

Russia is a land of extremes in their supreme manifestations. It sees one of the biggest discrepancies in incomes and, subsequently, one of the biggest gaps in wine consumption. The fine wine market, as we all know, correlates only with the number of billionaires. Moscow enjoys the second largest concentrations of Billionaires in the world. There are numerous Russian cellars filled with wines scoring 100 point wines from Robert Parker. They are stuffed with the best Bordeaux wines and other scarce collectibles. The Italian Ambassador to Russia told me it was in Russia that he first tried Masseto, Gaja and other high end Italian wines brought to him as a gift by his Russian wine loving fguests.

In fact, there is even a popular Russian song from the band Akvarium celebrating the famous First Growth from Pauillac with the lyrics, “Sometimes you travel by train and drink Château Lafite Rothschild straight from the bottle. There are urban legends like this; “So my lads and me took a bottle of Petrus, but didn’t like it, thought it sour and gave it to the girls to make mulled wine.” Is wine drinking for the wealthy nothing more than a status symbol? Of course not! Many collectors know all the Grand Cru wine of Burgundy and the top 1855 Classified Growths of the Medoc, along with the best wines from Pomerol and St. Emilion.

We strive for European food and European wine with the same passion as we strive for European political and social organization. The latter is beyond our grasp, but the wine is always near at hand. We are ready to pay extra money to get closer to the European illusion. The number of wine schools, wine clubs and wine boutiques is constantly growing. You can easily find the person to discuss the nuances of cold maceration, differences and similarities of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo and Xnomavro, surprising matching between Alsacian wine and Russian food. Everything Italian is hot in Russia. You can find an entire regiment of Italian chefs living in Russia. One of them has told me recently that in his native town Pesaro he cannot always find a whole set of Italian products of the same quality as in Moscow.

It’s an interesting time to be a wine lover in Russia.

The post Report on Russian Wine Market Today from Top to Bottom Import, Export appeared first on The Wine Cellar Insider.

This page offers tips for the best 2012 Bordeaux wines, the top values wines from the 2012 Bordeaux and should be used a buying guide on what are the 2012 Bordeaux wines that deserve to be seriously considered for buying. Each of the links brings you to a page filled with 2012 Bordeaux wine tasting notes, ratings, reviews and images. By clicking on any of the links in the pages, you can also access complete profiles of each chateaux and find links to buy the wines if you desire.

If you want to read detailed interviews from the top Bordeaux wine makers from every major appellation that offer detail and personal insight on the 2012 Bordeaux vintage: 2012 Bordeaux Harvest Reports, News, Interviews and Photographs

Most 2012 Bordeaux has been priced and is now offered for sale. While many wines are in my opinion priced too high to make them attractive as a future, there are wine worth looking at, that combine quality, character and price in all price ranges. If you have the disposable income, while they are not inexpensive, The First Growths are all fairly priced. There are few older vintages of any of those wines available for less in the market place. Haut Brion produced a strong wine that is worth considering. The same can be said for Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Margaux and Chateau Lafite Rothschild. Chateau Latour is no longer sold as a future.

The Left Bank is not nearly as successful as the Right Bank in 2012. Yet, there are wines worth considering. Chateau Rauzan Segla came out at an attractive price and the wine is one of the best 2012 Bordeaux wines. Chateau Pontet Canet is another wine worth buying. Theses are only a few examples with looking at. The list of names is not deep, but there are wines well worth considering from the Medoc and Pessac Leognan.

The Right Bank once again is the star of the vintage! At most estates, the Merlot was picked at an optimum of ripeness. That places Pomerol at the top of the 2012 Bordeaux quality pyramid. If you’re looking for value, check out Chateau Feytit Clinet. It could be the best wine they have produced yet. For other values, look at Chateau La Croix St Georges, Clos du Clocher and Latour a’Pomerol. If you want to take a chance on what could easily be the wine of the vintage, 2012 Chateau L’Eglise Clinet, which has not been priced yet, is the wine to buy. There are other Pomerol wines worth taking a serious look at.

2012 St. Emilion is more of a mixed bag. 2012 Bordeaux from St. Emilion requires consumers to look at each wine on a chateau by chateau basis as some estates did much better than others. 2012 Sauternes is the product of a very difficult vintage. Some estates, for example, Chateau d’Yquem declassified their entire harvest. Others followed their example. Things were much better in Barsac.

While much of the success found in 2012 came from producers at the top estates, with the money, technology and ability to declassify, as well as practice a ruthless selection process, interestingly, several Merlot dominated vineyards known for making fine Bordeaux wines also turned out good performances.

For details on what appellations and chateau produced the best wines, follow any of the links for detailed 2012 Bordeaux tasting notes, ratings and reviews.

2012 Pomerol Bordeaux Wine Tasting Notes in Barrel Ratings

2012 St. Emilion Bordeaux Wine Tasting Notes in Barrel Ratings

2012 Pauillac Bordeaux Wine Tasting Notes In Barrel Ratings

2012 St. Julien Bordeaux Wine Tasting Notes In Barrel Ratings

2012 Margaux Bordeaux Wine Tasting Notes In Barrel Ratings

2012 Pessac Leognan Wine Tasting Notes in Barrel Ratings

2012 St. Estephe Bordeaux Wine Tasting Notes in Barrel Tastings

2012 Haut Medoc Wine Tasting Notes, Ratings from Barrel Tastings

2012 Bordeaux Value Wine Tasting Notes in Barrel Ratings

If you want to read more about the 2012 Bordeaux vintage: 2012 Bordeaux Vintage Report and Harvest Summary

The post 2012 Bordeaux Tasting Notes Buying Guide for the Top 365 Best Wines appeared first on The Wine Cellar Insider.

We eat a lot a myriad of different types and styles of fish and seafood at home.  The variety of things to cook and the ways they can be prepared are endless. It’s healthy, easy to make and allows for a lot of fun in the kitchen.  And more importantly, depending on the desired results, fish works equally well with red wine, white wine or Champagne.

For any meal, especially fish, the key is buying high quality, fresh ingredients. The main reason fish is better at so many restaurants, aside from the lavish amount of butter they use, is they buy the best, freshest fish possible. Buying equally high quality ingredients allows every amateur chef the opportunity to make food as good or better than most of the restaurants you will ever eat in.

It’s important when reading any recipe, as well as something as simple as these articles, to look at everything as a suggestion.  In this dish I used shrimp, scallops and clams. If you do not like shrimp, use another type of fish, or skip it. If clams are not your thing, what about mussels? Or skip that as well. The same for Fava beans.  It does no good to slave over a dish using ingredients that don’t float your boat. Cooking and enjoying the fruits of your labor is about pleasure, not pain.

While some of the dishes I write about look complicated, trust me on this, they are all relatively easy to make.  Take the dish in the picture, which is probably what bright you here today.  It tastes better than it looks and it’s not that difficult to prepare.  Yet, when you’re finished making it, your guests will love it and think you are a rockstar in the kitchen!

I’ve been asked more times than I can count why don’t I offer specific measurements coupled with explicit instructions?  I wish I had a great answer. Perhaps everything is so exact, it would take too long. Or, this is a famous, old family history recipe that I’ve been sworn to secrecy over. Truthfully, I never use them.  Baking is an exact science.  Other than molecular gastronomy, cooking at our home is about touch, timing, taste and feeling.  If you like some ingredients over another, use more or less of it, depending on your personal taste.

For this dish, you need clams, shrimp, scallops, tomatoes, herbs, fish stock, Fava beans and of course, good wine, from any grape varietal of your choice. For this dish, we went with the recently delivered 2008 Marcassin Chardonnay.

The Fava Beans are the most time consuming part of the dish.  You need to remove the beans from the pod and the beans from the shells.  That is a lot of work as each bean must be peeled, else they will taste bitter.  The trick to doing this relative quickly is, take the beans from the pods, drop them in boiling salted water for 30 seconds, place them in an ice bath and squeeze them at their tips. This should cause the bean to shoot from the skin.

At some point earlier in the day, take extra virgin olive oil place it in a small dish.  Add slices of raw garlic and red chili flakes and allow them to sit together for a few hours.  Drain the olive oil so no garlic and not that many pepper flakes remain.

Get a non-stick pan piping hot, drizzle the olive oil and after seasoning your shrimp, place them in the pan until they change color. Using the same pan, add the scallops and cook until done. While all that is going on, in a large pan, add a bottle of wine white. Preferably not the Marcassin. Toss in the clams. Remove the clams when they are fully open.  The Fava beans can used raw, or cooked for a short period of time with some garlic and olive oil.

To bring all this together, which is where the money shot of flavor comes in, take the same pan that you cooked the shrimp and scallops in and add your stock, shrimp and scallops and let it cook together for a bit.  Take a deep bowl, place your seafood with some of the remaining juice, top with the Fava beans, chopped herbs, small tomatoes if you like and serve.

If you want the dish to be heartier, add spicy sausage, bacon or Pancetta. Pair with the wine of your choice and you have a perfect spring meal. Make sure your grill up some bread to soak up all the deep broth. I told you it was easy.

If you went with the sausage or Pancetta, which is what I wanted to do, but we had a vegetarian at dinner, you can easily pair this dish with Bordeaux, Rhone or other red wines. The earthy, smoky flavors will make a great wine, food pairing. You can also go with a white wine of your choice, in this case, we opened our first bottle of 2008 Marcassin Vineyard Chardonnay.

This wine is almost off the charts. Packed and stacked with layers of ripe citrus, lemon rind, vanilla, stone and flowers, this was is intense, mouth filling and rich. Yet, everything is in balance and focused. The long finish continues for at least 40 seconds. Popped and poured, the wine softened and came together with 30 minutes of air. At this stage, I prefer the 2007, but with another year or 2 in the bottle, the results could be quite different. 98 Pts

The post Seafood Fava Beans Chardonnay Perfect Spring and Wine Food Pairing appeared first on The Wine Cellar Insider.

While wines like the First Growths and the most famous wines of Pomerol and St Emilion garner most of the attention of the press, that does not paint the entire picture of Bordeaux wine. In fact, much of what the appellation does best, is produce, charming, character filled wines that offer value. 2012 Bordeaux value wines are going to be easy to find, especially from the various satellite regions, Bordeaux Superieur, Cotes de Castillon and other areas. Plus, because the wines are most often made in large quantities, they will be easy to buy, and 2012 Bordeaux value wines for the most part, will be drinkable on release. The one problem consumers need to be aware of in this vintage is estates that over extracted and used too much new oak in their wine. This report should help you find numerous 2012 Bordeaux value wines that as the title implies, sell for fair prices.

2012 20 Mille – From 100% Merlot, the wine is soft, fleshy, filled with dark cherries, forward and open. 87-89 Pts

2012 d’Aiguilhe – From a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the wine will be aged in 50% new French oak barrels. Ruby in color, plush, forward, and offering sweet black raspberries with fennel, drink this on the young side. 88-90 Pts

2012 d’Aiguilhe Querre – Medium-bodied and simple with red berries and some dryness in the finish. 86-88 Pts

2012 Alcee – The second vintage for Nicolas Thienpont was made from 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, the wine is a step up after the debut vintage. Licorice and dark berries provide a sweet, fleshy and jammy wine with freshness and minerality. 88-90 Pts

2012 Bad Boy – Sweet red berries, oak and smoke open to soft textures and a forward, round style. This medium-bodied, Merlot-based wine will drink well on release. 87-89 Pts

2012 Balthus – Deeply colored with licorice, chocolate, coffee bean and jammy berries, this wine offers lush, fat textures and a long, ripe, flashy, fruit-filled finish. 90-92 Pts

2012 Bolaire – This unique wine is produced with the highest percentage of Petit Verdot in Bordeaux, with more than 54% in the blend, and is packed with spicy, fresh red berries. 87-89 Pts

2012 du Bouscat Caduce – Medium-bodied with licorice and blackberries, the wine is round, simple and easy to quaff. For a wine that will sell for $10-12, this represents great value. 86-88 Pts

2012 du Bouscat La Gargone – Fennel, earth, black cherries and jam are produced from a blend that includes 20% Malbec. Made from low yields, the wine is fresh, lively and represents true value. 88-90 Pts

2012 du Bouscat Les Portes de l’Am – With deep color, floral, black raspberry and licorice notes, the wine is sweet, rich, round, concentrated with lush, ripe, fresh fruit. 89-91 Pts

2012 Clarisse – Ripe, sweet, round, forward, filled with licorice, this wine is open and forward in style. 87-89 Pts

2012 Chateau Clarisse Cuvee Vieilles Vignes – Smoky and floral with black raspberry, fresh herbs, round tannins and a sweet, chocolate-covered, black cherry finish. 88-90 Pts

2012 Clos Lunelles – Ruby in color with intense stone, oak and spicy black cherries and anise, the wine is medium-bodied with elegant, soft textures and a spicy, long and fresh finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 Croix de Justice – With fresh berries, chocolate and black cherries, this wine has lush, sexy textures, depth and minerality. What’s not to like? Bravo for its debut vintage. 89-91 Pts

2012 Croix Mouton – From 94% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, this forward, sweet and oaky wine will be best in its first few years of life. This crowd pleaser is a steal at this price. 86-88 Pts

2012 Le Conseiller – From 100% Merlot, the wine is filled with tobacco, oak, soft textures and a forward style. The finish displays oak, so it’s not for the oak averse. That being said, as long as youdrink this young, it’s one of the best Bordeax value wines available. 87-89 Pts

2012 Courteillac – The wine is medium-bodied, ripe, soft, oaky and slightly drying in the finish, from a blend of 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. 84-86 Pts

2012 Dalem – Medium-bodied with a crisp red berry and anise-filled personality, this will drink well on release. 87-89 Pts

2012 La Dauphine – Soft, silky, lush, and forward, this will make for delicious, early, uncomplicated, well-priced drinking. 89-91 Pts

2012 Domaine de l’A – Owned by renowned consultant Stephane Derenoncourt and Christine Derenoncourt. Produced from a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.5% alcohol and will be aged in 100% new French oak. Spicy red and dark fruits, coffee bean, and earthy notes are in the forefront. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, soft and delivers a mineral-driven, plummy finish. 88-90 Pts

2012 Domaine de Cambes – Not to be confused with Roc de Cambes, as this is parcel selection and not a second wine. This medium-bodied wine offers fresh herbs, spice and red berries. 87-89 Pts

2012 du Gaby – Light in color with a spicy, oak and berry note in the aroma, the medium-bodied wine is focused on sweet red cherries and will be drinkable on release. 86-88 Pts

2012 de Francs Les Cerisiers- Medium-bodied with fennel, cherries and herbs, the wine will be ready to enjoy on release. 87-89 Pts

2012 de Franc Infinity – This is the debut vintage for this 100% Merlot-based wine which is whole berry fermented in barrel and aged in 100% new French oak barrels. The production is small. Only 100 cases were produced. Cherries, minerality, oak and supple textures with medium body are the hallmarks of this wine. 89-91 Pts

2012 Fontenil – Oak, black and red fruits with fleshy textures and sweet, jammy cherries are found in this Michel and Dany Rolland-owned wine. 88-90 Pts

2012 G, which takes its name from the first letter of the famous owner’s last name Guinaudeau, who also owns Chateau Lafleur in Pomerol, was produced from a blend of 51% Merlot and 49% Cabernet Franc. Medium-bodied with sweet black raspberries and cherry sensations, the wine is soft, forward and approachable. 88-90 Pts

2012 Gigault Cuvee Viva – Simple, medium-bodied with a forward, spicy red berry finish. 86-88 Pts

2012 Grand Village – Blending 93% Merlot, harvested From September 24 through October 9, with 7% Cabernet Franc, picked October 12, the wine offers licorice, dark cherry and earthy scents. On the palate, this medium-bodied wine is filled with ripe cherries. 87-89 Pts

2012 Grand Village Blanc – 64% Sauvignon Blanc and 36% Semillon produced a white wine packed with honeydew, lemon, lime and orange. This is an easy-to-drink, accessible Bordeaux Blanc. 86-88 Pts.

2012 Grand Village Blanc “a Louima” – From 100% Sauvignon Blanc, the wine was harvested from 3-year-old vines from Sancerre clones. Lemon, honeysuckle, vanilla, orange and melon scents open to a sweet, fleshy, fresh, fun white wine. 88-90 Pts

2012 Les Grands Marechaux – Medium- bodied with wild strawberries and a light red berry finish, this is best drunk in its youth. 84-86 Pts

2012 Gree-Laroque – 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc produced a wine that reached 13.6% alcohol and offers earth, black cherries and fennel in a lighter style of wine. 87-89 Pts.

2012 La Grave Aubert – Easy-to-drink, crowd-pleasing style of wine that drinks best on release. 83-84 Pts

2012 Haut Carles – Spicy red and black fruits, sweet, ripe and rich in texture, the wine is packed with layers of ripe, fresh, jammy berries. 89-91 Pts

2012 Hostens Picant – Light and dominated by red berries, this medium-bodied wine ends with a red fruit finish. 3-85 Pts

2012 Hostens Picant Lucullus – The blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc reached 14% alcohol. The black cherry, licorice-centric wine offers soft textures and a medium-bodied cherry finish. 87-89 Pts

2012 I’sle Fort – 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon produced a medium-bodied wine with black and red fruits complicated by fresh herbs. 86-89 Pts

2012 Jean Faux – 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc produced an earthy, black raspberry- and licorice-filled wine with an open, easy-to-like personality. 87-89 Pts

2012 Joanin Becot – Soft and ripe with licorice and black raspberry, this delicious and round wine will drink on release. 88-90 Pts

2012 La Laurence – This soft, forward, crowd-pleasing and plump style of Merlot-based wine will be perfect to drink on release. This new wine is a joint venture between Hubert de Bouard and Philippe Nunes. 86-88 Pts

2012 l’Aurage – Fresh licorice and vanilla-coated berries with powerful tannins, good density and a long wild berry finish. 88-90 Pts

2012 Le Pin Beausoleil – With 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc in the blend, the wine is spicy and medium-bodied and ends with red berries and herbs. 85-87 Pts

2012 Marjosse – Light red berries, herbs, soft textures and forward personality make this a wine to drink in its first year or two years of life. 84-87 Pts

2012 Marjosee Blanc – With citrus and a touch of grapefruit, this fresh, bright, refreshing and well-priced Bordeaux Blanc is one of the better values from Entre deux Mers. 85-87 Pts

2012 Montlandrie – From 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, from clay and limestone soils, this wine opens with oak, licorice and dark berries and is fleshy, but dry in the finish, 85-87 Pts

2012 Moulin Haut Laroque – The wine delivers chocolate-covered cherries, fennel and fresh herbs. Medium-bodied, the wine ends with a light, red cherry finish. 87-89 Pts

2012 Moulin Pey Labrie – Ripe and overripe, jammy fruits, licorice and earth notes are there, but the wine feels forced and over extracted, leaving a dry sensation in the finish. With luck, aging will bring this wine around. 84-86 Pts

2012 Pey La Tour – For consumers looking for value, this Bordeaux Superieur packs a lot of flesh, ripe jammy berries, flavor and silky textures for the money. 87-89 Pts

2012 Pezat – Zippy blackberries, licorice and a sweet, but slightly dry finish. 86-88 Pts

2012 La Prade – 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc – A kiss of oak touches dark red berries with an earthy, easy-to-like personality that will make this easy to drink on release. 87-88 Pts

2012 Puygueraud – 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec produced a wine with licorice, coffee and dark berries, rustic tannins and a sweet, chocolate-coated raspberry finish. 87-89 Pts

2012 Reignac – Medium/full-bodied, with an open personality, the wine is filed with oak, licorice and jammy berries. At the moment, the oak dominates the fruit in the finish. 88-90 Pts

2012 Roc des Cambes – 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon produced a wine with earthy plums, spice and sweet, tart cherries in the finish. 87-89 Pts

2012 La Riviere – Supple-textured, ripe and approachable, this early-drinking wine offers a lot of fleshy, sweet, jammy and fresh black and red fruits with a fun, fleshy personality. 88-90 Pts

2012 La Riviere Aria – Deep in color with licorice, flowers and jammy berries in the nose, the wine is rich, deep, ripe, jammy and full-bodied with a chocolate-covered, black cherry finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 La Roncheraie – This tiny vineyard more than doubled its size recently. It’s now a whopping 3.84 hectares! From a blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, the vines are planted in a layer of thin clay over serious limestone deposits. Floral, fresh berries, lush pleasures, ripe fruits with a sweet dark berry finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 La Rousselle – Blending 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc, the wine offers licorice, black cherry and earthy notes in the nose. Soft in texture, but short in the finish. 85-87 Pts

2012 Soleil – Licorice, coffee, black cherry and medium body opens into a light, cherry finish. 85-87 Pts

2012 Soleil Le Rival – Dominated by Merlot, the wine opens with coffee, black cherry, licorice and cocoa. Sweet, round and forward, this will be fun to drink young. 88-90 Pts

2012 Vieille Cure – Deep in color with licorice, espresso, smoke and jammy berries in the nose, the wine is packed with soft, sexy, supple-textured fruit that is already fun to drink. And it’s always available for a fair price. 89-91 Pts

2012 Virginie Thunevin – With oak and red fruits, this medium-bodied wine has a sweet and sharp red berry finish. 85-87 Pts

2012 Vrai Canon Bouche – Blending 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc created a wine with an earthy, black cherry nose and a fleshy, dark cherry finish. 87-89 Pts

The post 2012 Bordeaux Value Wine Tasting Notes in Barrel Ratings appeared first on The Wine Cellar Insider.

2012 St. Emilion lacks the level of consistency found in Pomerol, its Right Bank rival. But do not kid yourself, there are some very strong 2012 St. Emilion wines, but it’s on a property by property basis. At their best, the wines are stylish, sexy wines of character and quality for the most part, will drink well on release.

2012 Angelus – From a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc, the wine shows good depth of color. Smoke, truffle, espresso bean, blackberries, earth and spice create the aromatics. Medium bodied in density there is a core of dark spicy plums in the finish. Angelus is still in the middle of a complete renovation, which should be finished by the 2014 vintage. 92-94 Pts

2012 Le Carillon d’Angelus – Medium bodied, soft and already approachable, the wine delivers juicy plums and an easy to like personality. 85-88 Pts

2012 Les Asteries – Blending 83% Merlot with 17% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.55. A strong sense of minerality, dark berries and stone, the wine delivers blackberries, fennel and cocoa powder. Austere in style, the wine will be interesting to see it develop over the wines. 89-92 Pts

2012 Ausone – The Merlot was harvested on October 9, 11 and 12, while the Cabernet Franc was picked, October 13, 15 and 17, with yields of 32 hectoliters per hectare. The assemblage is 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot and will be aged in 85% new, French oak for 18 months. Floral, stone, licorice and black cherries create the aromatics. Supple, rich, mineral driven, polished black cherry and raspberries end with the one do the richest, most opulent finishes of the vintage. 94-97 Pts

2012 Chapelle d’Ausone – From a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, (Cabernet Sauvignon is never included in the Grand Vin) the wine will be aged in 85% new, French oak for 20 months. Oak, fennel and plummy notes, soft tannins, and a long, fresh, black raspberry finish are what you’ll find in this wine. It’s hard to believe this is the product of a second wine. 90-92 Pts

2012 Badette – Sweet, jammy berries, soft tannins, licorice, chocolate and black cherries are found in the wine. 88-90 Pts

2012 Balestard La Tonnelle Oak, licorice, caramel, round, soft, black raspberries, chocolate covered cherries. 90-92 Pts

2012 Barde Haut Packed with luscious, sweet, ripe, polished berries, the wine is rich, flashy, fleshy, forward and fun, finishing with licorice coated black cherries. 91-93 Pts

2012 Beau-Sejour Becot – This is the first vintage using the new cellar with the inverted, stainless steel vats for vinification. The wine is filled with the essence of minerals, licorice and juicy plums with fresh, blackberries, vanilla and fennel in the finish. Using 75 % Merlot, 20% Cabernet and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine reached 14% alcohol. 90-93 Pts

2012 Beausejour Duffau-Lagreosse – Showing a lot of depth in the color, fresh, dark, smoky, jammy berries, fleshy, rich, opulent textures and a velvet textured, full bodied, mineralistic, rich, concentrated finish are the hallmarks of this wine. This is the fourth strong vintage in a row for Beausejour Duffau! 94-96 Pts

2012 Belair-Monange - Floral, earth, licorice and stone scents create the perfume. The palate is plush, polished and perky, with minerality, supple, refined textured and ripe dark berries in the finish. 92-94 Pts

2012 Bel Air Ouy – Light ruby in color, hints of earth, licorice and dark cherries emerge. Medium bodied with a core of birth, sweet and tart berries. 86-88 Pts

2012 Bellefont-Belcier – Medium bodied, licorice, black cherry liqueur and licorice finish produced a successful debut vintage for its new owners. 89-91 Pts

2012 Bellevue – With its typical blend of 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the wine pops with licorice, blackberry jam, truffle and stone aromatics. Ripe, sweet, lush and polished, with good depth of flavor and a sweet, jammy black personality, due to its high Merlot content, the wine is quite successful this year. 92-94 Pts

2012 Bellevue Mondotte – With a deep shade of ruby, the wine is packed with fennel, crushed stone, flowers, espresso and ripe dark and red berries. Concentrated, rich and supple, the wine ends with ripe, juicy, sweet, polished plums and oak. 93-95 Pts

2012 Berliquet – With a blend from 65% Merlot with 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon shows a deep, ruby color, dark red berries and a cocoa and cherry finish. 87-89 Pts

2012 La Bienfaisance – 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc produced a wine with coffee bean, fennel and black plums. Soft, forward and round, the wine ends with sweet cherries and strawberry. 89-91 Pts

2012 Cadet Bon – Licorice, earth, jammy blackberries, polished, sweet, round and forward, with a short, black cherry finish. 88-90 Pts

2012 Canon – Earth, stone, fresh red berries, medium bodied, soft and fresh, this is a forward style for Canon, making it one of the vintages tasters can enjoy young. 90-92 Pts

2012 Canon La Gaffeliere – Harvested over a four week period from October 10, through November 10, the wine is produced from a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc that is 50/50. On the nose, the wine opens with flowers, licorice, coffee, spice and blackberries. On the palate, the medium bodied, silky wine is soft with fresh black raspberries and a cherry filled finish. 91-93 Pts

2012 Le Carre – Blending 85% Merlot with 15% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.35% alcohol with a pH 3.35. Deep in color, with boysenberry, coffee and licorice, with a sweetness to the dark berries, freshness and a taught, mineral driven finish. 89-92 Pts

2012 Cheval Blanc 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.9% alcohol with a pH of 3.78. One of the keys to the vintage at Cheval Blanc was the extensive green harvesting needed, due to the extended time needed for flowering. In the perfume, the wine pops with flowers, licorice, earth, caramel and ripe, sweet blackberries. On the palate, the wine displays sweet, black and red fruits, spice and a fresh, purity of sweet fruit. The tannins are silky, the wine is fresh and long in the finish, complicated by an herbal, tapenade note buried in the fresh, ripe fruit. This really displays a a beautiful purity of fruit in its expression. 94-96 Pts

2012 Le Petit Cheval – 75% Cabernet Franc with 25% Merlot create the blend. Flowers, licorice, red berries and elegant textures dominated by fresh red plums and cherries are the hallmark of this wine. 90-92 Pts

2012 Chauvin – Earth, spice, licorice, red berries, medium bodied, dry finish. 86-88 Pts

2012 Clos Badon Thunevin –Showing depth of color, the wine is earthy, with dark berries and w wild strawberry and dark chocolate finish. 87-89 Pts

2012 Clos de Sarpe – With smoke, stone, plum and coffee notes the wine offers a structured, powerful, mineral driven, tannic finish. This is one of the more structured wines of the vintage. 89-92 Pts

2012 Clos Dubreuil – The first vintage to include fruit from the recently purchased vines was produced from a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Jammy black cherries and licorice notes lead to fleshy, sweet, licorice and berry filled wine. 90-92 Pts

2012 Clos des Jacobins – Coffee, licorice, dark red berries, round, oaky, slightly dry finish. 88-90 Pts

2012 Clos Fourtet – With 86% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.7. The wine will be aged in 60%, new, French oak barrels for 18 months. Deep in color, with floral, licorice, dark red berries and earth in the nose, the wine is rich, lush and deep, with soft tannins the wine ends with sweet, licorice and chocolate covered berries. To produce the wine in this difficult vintage, Chateau Clos Fourtet performed 3 green harvests during the growing season. 93-95 Pts

2012 Clos de l’Oratoire – From 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the wine will be aged in 60% new, French oak. Licorice, earth and cherries, round textures, medium bodied and a sweet, red cherry finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 Clos La Madeleine – Minerals, flowers, earth, plum, vanilla and licorice open to a ripe, round, polished, dark, red berry driven wine. 90-92 Pts

2012 Clos Romanile – Dark in color, with oak, licorice, vanilla and blackberry aromas. Medium bodied, with a tart blackberry finish. 85-88 Pts

2012 Clos St. Julien – Stone and truffle with fresh berries and an austere, mineral driven finish. 87-90 Ptss

2012 Clos St. Martin – Blending 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine reached 14% alcohol, with a pH of 3.76. Coffee bean, licorice and jammy cherries open to a silky, sensuous, lush, black cherry filled, spicy wine. The final vintage made by Sophie Fourcade. 91-93 Pts

2012 La Clotte -A nice perfume of licorice, cocoa, flowers and cherries opens to a medium bodied, fresh wine with a focus on peppy, dark, red berries. 88-90 Pts

2012 La Commanderie – Chalky, showing a bit too much oak and extraction at this stage, it should improve with age. 84-86 Pts

2012 La Confession 76% Merlot with 24% Cabernet Franc produced a wine packed with jammy plums, earth and spice with and lush textures with a bit of chalk in the finish. 88-91 Pts

2012 Cote de Baleau – 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon create the blend. Medium bodied, earthy red berries, light red fruit filled finish. 85-87 Pts

2012 Corbin – From 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.5% alcohol. With a nose of licorice and fresh black raspberry jam, the medium bodied wine is soft, smooth and forward, ending with dark berries and hint of dust in the finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 Couspaude - From a blend that resembles the plantings at 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine is deep in color. With a nose of coffee bean, licorice, smoke, and jammy blackberries, the wine is lush, fat, forward and filled with vanilla tinged, spicy plums. 88-89 Pts

2012 Couvent des Jacobins – Medium bodied, simple, red berries with a chalky finish. 85-87 Pts

2012 Croix de Labrie – Produced from small parcel of 100% old vine Merlot, the wine pops with rich scents of chocolate covered cherries, licorice and coffee. This medium bodied wine is forward, round, soft and sweet. 91-93 Pts

2012 Dassault – Medium bodied, dominated by juicy, ripe, red berries, anise and spice, this will drink well on release. 89-91 Pts

2012 Daugay – Light cherry tones, medium body and a soft, ready to drink red berry finish. 86-88 Pts

2012 Destieux – Light in color, with red berries, espresso bean, medium bodied with a dry finish. 87-88 Pts

2012 Le Dome – With a lot of Cabernet Franc for the vintage at 80%, the remainder taken up by 20% Merlot, the wine reached 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.72. Fresh flowers, black raspberries and espresso bean, polished, strong tannins and a fresh, black raspberry, structured, stern, mineral dominated finish. 92-94 Pts

2012 La Dominique – Licorice, jammy cherries, espresso, spice box and floral notes open to medium bodied, spicy, red berry filled wine. 89-91 Pts

2012 Edmus – 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc produced a medium bodied, soft wine a black cherry filled finish. 87-89 Pts

2012 Faurie de Souchard – Herbs, dark red fruits, round tannins and a spicy red berry finish are found in this wine. 88-90 Pts

2012 de Ferrand – Simple, short, crowd pleasing wine. 85-87 Pts

2012 Figeac – From a blend of blend of 40% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a different style for Figeac. Much of the credit goes to the bringing in Michel Rolland and Valmy Nicolas from Chateau La Conseillante in Pomerol. This is the first vintage where Michel Rolland was involved in the blending. Notes of truffle, earth, coffee bean, licorice and spicy berry notes opened to a silky, round, supple textured, elegant wine, filled with ripe, sweet, plums and black raspberries. 92-94 Pts

2012 Fleur Cardinale – Truffle, earth, spice, blackberry, plum and cocoa scents open to a full bodied, sweet, round wine with character and ripeness. 92-94 Pts

2012 Croix Cardinale – Lush, sweet, fleshy, ripe and over ripe berries, with licorice, dark chocolate and black cherry liqueur. 90-92 Pts

2012 Secret de Cardinale – From 100% Merlot, the wine is supple textured, soft, round and filled with jammy, chocolate covered cherries. This is perfect for early drinking. 89-91 Pts

2012 Fonbel – Blending 60% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and 5% Carmenere, the wine is aged in 30% new French oak. Soft in texture, with spice, cherry and herbal notes, the wine ends with spicy blackberries. 87-88 Pts

2012 Fombrauge – Packed with licorice, black cherry, cocoa, coffee bean and lush textures, this round, fat, forward styled wine delivers a fleshy, chocolate covered black cherry finish. 90-92 Pts

2012 Fonplegade – 95% Merlot and 5% and Cabernet Franc produced the blend. Deep in color, with a stony, black raspberry filled nose. On the palate, the wine offers sweet, black cherries and a dark chocolate, black plum, round finish. 90-92 Pts

2012 Fleur de Fonplegade – Easy drinking, red berry dominated, nice restaurant wine. 83-85 Pts

2012 Franc Mayne – Coffee cake, licorice, caramel and plum notes pair with soft, silky textures that end with a dusty red berry finish. 88-90 Pts

2012 La Gaffeliere – Blending 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.8% alcohol. On the palate, the mineral driven, oaky, blackberry filled wine is well made, but it lacks excitement. 89-91 Pts

2012 Guadet – This blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc showed a bit too much oak and over extraction, perhaps it will improve during the aging. 84-86 Pts

2012 Godeau – The first vintage for the new owners produced a wine made from 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, reaching 13.8% alcohol. Cherry blossom, licorice and oak scents open to a wine of finesse ending with sweet red berries and a touch of oak in the finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 Gracia – Sandalwood, licorice, blackberry and cocoa notes, fleshy, sweet, ripe, blackberries with cocoa are found in the finish. 91-93 Pts

2012 Les Angelots Gracia – Incense, coffee and blackberry notes open to spicy, dark berries and a saline, dark chocolate and blackberry finish. 88-90 Pts

2012 Grand Corbin Despagne – Medium bodied, black cherry fruits, soft tannins, drying finish 87-89 Pts

2012 Grand Corbin Manuel – Medium bodied, with ample notes of licorice, cherry and strawberry wines, the wine ends with sweet and tart, fresh cherries in the finish. 86-89 Pts

2012 Grandes Murailles  – From 100% Merlot, the wine reached 13.5% alcohol. Licorice, kirsch, black raspberry liqueur, flowers and oak scents create the aromatics. On the palate the wine is silky, medium bodied and ends with fresh, black raspberries. 89-91 Pts

2012 Grand Mayne = Licorice, black raspberries, truffle and spice notes, soft tannins, medium bodied, silky textured and a chocolate, fennel, raspberry filled finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 Haut Brisson – Oak, bright cherry fruit and chocolate covered cherry, round finish. 87-89 Pts

2012 Haut Brisson Reserve – From 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the wine offers red berries, silky tannins and a forward, dill, oak and cherry finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 Haut Simard – From a typical Right Bank blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Merlot, the wine will be aged in 50% new, French oak for 12 months. Spicy black raspberries, coffee bean and earth lead to soft, medium bodied wine that ends with sharp cassis and cherry notes. 87-89 Pts

2012 Jean Faure – Smoke, red fruits, medium bodied with a chalky finish. 84-86 Pts

2012 La Fleur Morange Mathilde – Smoke, vanilla, soft fruits, ripe jammy berries, but a touch dryness in the finish. 86-88 Pts

2012 La Fleur Morange – With a good depth of color for the vintage, the wine displays licorice, fennel, earth, coffee and plum notes. Rich, with depth of flavor and roundness, there is a lot to like in this wine. 90-93 Pts

2012 Laforge – Blending 92% Merlot with 8% Cabernet Franc, the wine opens with black cherry, cocoa and fennel. Medium bodied, short, mineral driven, blackberry finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 Larcis Ducasse – 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc created a wine pops with crushed stone, flowers and dark berries. Round in texture, the wines ends with a sweet, licorice and cherry sensation. 91-94 Pts

2012 Larmande – Herbs, licorice, dark red berries and coffee bean scents, medium full bodied, ending with a short, oaky, sweet, red berry finish. 87-89 Pts.

2012 Laroze – Bright red fruits, oak, medium bodied with a touch of dryness to the tannins in the finish. 84-86 Pts

2012 Louis – 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc produced a wine with coffee licorice and earth. There is a sense of minerality in the soft, red berry finish. 88-90 Pts

2012 Lucia – From a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the wine opens with licorice, black cherry and earth. Medium bodied, soft and forward in style, the wine end with black cherry and fennel notes. 88-90 Pts

2012 Lusseau –Light ruby, with smoky red berries and spice, the wine is filled with sweet, jammy red berries and should be fun to drink on release. 87-89 Pts

2012 Lynsolence – Black cherry, spice, licorice, lush textures and a nice, chocolate covered black berry finish are the hallmarks of this wine. 90-92 Pts

2012 Magrez Fombrauge – Inky in color and just as concentrated on the palate with layers of chocolate covered blackberries and cherries, the wine is sexy and intense. 92-94 Pts

2012 Monbousquet – Coffee bean, licorice, smoke, spice and jammy black raspberries make up the perfume. On the palate, the wine is approachable, soft, polished and round, ending with an oaky, sweet, kirsch finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 Monbousquet Blanc – Fresh aromas of grapefruit, lemon, orange, honeysuckle and vanilla pair well with fleshy texture and fresh, citrus finish. This is an interesting wine as it features the highest percentage of Sauvignon Gris in Bordeaux at close to 33%. 90 Pts

2012 La Mondotte – Earth, broken stone, espresso bean, dark berries, supple tannins, there is a sense of purity of fruit, with only a hint of green in the finish. From a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the wine, will be aged in 100% new, French oak barrels. 94-95 Pts

2012 Montlabert – Medium bodied, lighter, fresh style of St. Emilion with fresh cherries and chocolate. 87-90 Pts

2012 Moulin St. Georges  – The blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc will be aged in 85% new, French oak for 18 months. Espresso bean, licorice and lush cherries, round textures and a sweet, plum finish are found in this wine. 89-91 Pts

2012 du Parc – With a ruby color, oak, licorice, coffee, spice and black raspberries are up front with little effort. On the palate, the wine is ripe, sweet, soft, and filled with ripe black cherries. 88-90 Pts

2012 Pavie – With the color of a deep ruby gem, the wine pops with spice, incense, fresh brewed espresso, plum, cherry and blackberry. Smooth, polished and silky, there is a beautiful, sweet core of ripe red, white and black cherries. Pavie is in the midst of a complete, top to bottom renovation that believe it or not, will be finished by the start of Vinepo in June! 93-95 Pts

2012 Pavie Decesse – Licorice, spice, earth, plum, black cherry and stone notes are made more interesting by the soft, sexy, polished textures, polished tannins and long, spicy, silky finish. 92-94 Pts

2012 Esprit Pavie – The wine is light in color, with a soft, plush, spicy, red fruit dominated, forward personality. 86-88 Pts

2012 Pavie Macquin – 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and a dab of Cabernet Sauvignon produced the blend. Licorice, flowers, coffee bean and juicy ripe plums, with silky tannins and a sweet, fresh, black cherry finish are found in this wine. 93-95 Pts

2012 Peby Faugeres – Fleshy, rich, chocolate covered black and blue fruits, espresso, jam and licorice notes lead to a sensuous, plush, fat wine, with a sweet, opulent, ripe, fruit driven finish. 93-95 Pts

2012 Petit Gravet Aine – Broken stone, herbs, floral and forest scents, plum, expressive, powerful, structured. Unique expression of St. Emilion. 88-90 Pts

2012 Pierre de Lune – Minerality, smoke, earth and fresh berries, round textures, jammy, cocoa and a berry filled finish are found in the wine. 89-91 Pts

2012 de Pressac – Earthy, spicy, oaky, medium bodied, red plums and cherries. 88-90 Pts

2012 Le Prieure – Medium bodied, black and red fruit, soft, dry in the finish. 87-89 Pts

2012 Puy Blanquet – Hints of fennel and black raspberry, with a sweet and tart, red berry finish. More interesting on the nose than the palate. 84-86 Pts

2012 Quinault L’Enclos – For the first time, the blend did not use any Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. More Merlot was added, making the assemblage 89% Merlot with 19% Cabernet Franc. a Fresh strawberries and licorice open to a soft, light, expression of the estate, with fresh, bright, clean, light red berries. 88-90 Pts

2012 Quintus – Bright, fresh, spicy red berries lead to a zippy, very fresh, spicy mouthful of red berries. 88-90 Pts

2012 Rol Valentin – Medium bodied, with a refined character, licorice, coffee bean nad blackberries, the wine is soft, but a bit light in the finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 Sanctus de La Bienfaisance – Sanctus reached one of the higher degrees of ripeness in the vintage at 14.37. Blending the 70% Merlot with 30% Cabernet Franc, the wine has silky tannins, sweet, dark red berries and a soft, cherry filled finish. 90-92 Pts

2012 Sansonnet – Deep ruby in color, with coffee bean and black cherry notes in the nose, this medium bodied, round, supple wine ends with a fresh, spicy black cherries. 89-91 Pts

2012 Saintayme – From 100% Merlot, aged in 30% new, French oak, the wine is focused on cherries, black raspberry, stone and spice, ending with sweet, dark red berries and black cherry. 87-89 Pts

2012 La Serre – With a light kiss of oak, the wine offers fresh cherries, medium body and a light, fresh, clean, red berry finish. 86-88 Pts

2012 Simard – 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc produced a wine with earth and raspberry notes with a medium body and a light, sweet and tart red cherry finish. 84-86 Pts

2012 Soutard – Coffee bean, jammy cherries, licorice, truffle and blackberry notes open to a round, dark cherry, stone and licorice filled wine with a sweet, kirsch and finish. 87-90 Pts

2012 Tertre Roteboeuf – Always a fun place to taste, I was told pick the barrel I wanted to choose from and went with lucky number 7. From a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 14%. The fruit, harvested in a single day, October 8 sings with licorice, spicy raspberries and earth. Fresh, pure raspberries, silky tannins and lush textures end with ripe, sweet cherries. 94-95 Pts

2012 Teyssier – Coffee bean, fennel and black raspberries, medium bodied, easy to drink, dark cherry finish. From a blend of 70% Merlot with 30% Cabernet Franc. 87-89 Pts

2012 Trimoulet – From a typical Right Bank blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, this is the second vintage for Nicolas Thienpont at Trimoulet. Medium bodied, simple, dry green and over oaked. 85-87 Pts

2012 Trotte Vieille – Blending 49% Merlot, 48% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine opens with earth, spice and black raspberries. Medium bodied and fresh, in a classic style, the wine ends with soft cherry fruits and a bright finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 La Tour Figeac – Deep in color, with stone, coffee, licorice and black raspberries, the wine is soft in texture with ripe and over ripe cherries in the oaky finish. 88-90 Pts

2012 Tour Saint Christophe – From 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the wine is whole berry fermented in barrel. Licorice, coffee, cherry liqueur, round, polished, spicy, red raspberry filled finish. 87-89 Pts

2012 Troplong Mondot – From a blend of 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, the will come in at close to 14.5% alcohol. Dark in color, with Licorice, jam, earth, dark chocolate, coffee and smoke aromas open to a silky, plush, polished, rich textured wine filled with sweet, jammy blackberries, dark chocolate and black raspberry. Thick, lush and rich, this is a wine for hedonists. 93-95 Pts

2012 Valandraud – Murielle Andraud has been in charge of the Bordeaux wine making at the property since 2007. She is clearly on a roll! One of the deepest colored wines of the vintage, truffle, spicy oak, chocolate and black raspberry jam notes are impossible not to notice. Lush, rich and sexy, with an opulent, flashy, personality, this is one of the top wines from St. Emilion in 2012. Look for a new, updated label with 2012 Valandraud that marks the estates Grand Cru Classe’ status. 94-96 Pts

2012 Valandraud 3 de Valandruad – Light ruby in color, with wine opens with earth cherry scents, medium body and a light, red berry finish. 87-89 Pts

2012 Virginie de Valandraud – Oak, vanilla and red with black fruits, round textures, tannic with some dryness in the finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 Vieux Chateau Mazerat – According to Jonathan Maltus, the final blend is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, which produced a wine that reached 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.79. Very spicy in this vintage, with a structured, floral, firm, mineral driven style, the wine offers a lot fennel, coffee and black jammy raspberries in the finish. 91-93 Pts

2012 Villemaurine – The debut vintage for consultant Hubert de Bouard, the wine is medium bodied, soft, round, supple red cherries, licorice, coffee, spice and freshness are found in this wine. 90-92 Pts

The post 2012 St. Emilion Bordeaux Wine Tasting Notes in Barrel Ratings appeared first on The Wine Cellar Insider.

2012 Pomerol are wines to be taken seriously. At their best, 2012 Pomerol wines can be rich, plummy, silky, opulent and fresh. Many chateaux produced very strong wines close to the level of quality found in 1998. Some of the smaller, less heralded properties made the best wine in their history! This is great news for consumers seeking stylish, quality wines at fair prices from Pomerol. While 2012 Pomerol produced the majority of the stars found in the vintage, this is not a year where consumers can purchase blindly as some estates clearly did better than others.

2012 Bonalgaue – Flowers, cocoa and raspberries with medium body and fresh style, the wine ends with a red berry- and herb-dominated finish. 86-88 Pts

2012 Bon Pasteur – Black cherries, truffle, oak and floral notes open to a soft Pomerol with sweet cherries and bitter chocolate in the finish. Close to 30% of the harvest was whole cluster fermented in barrel. 90-92 Pts

2012 Bourgneuf – Light in color with coffee, red berries and earth, the wine is light and dominated by the red fruit side of the style range. 85-87 Pts

2012 Certan de May – Flowers, earth, licorice, oak and cherry liqueur create the complex aromatics. On the palate the wine is plush, polished and round with spicy red berries in the finish. 90-92 Pts

2012 La Clemence – Rich in color with spicy berries, licorice and wood scents open to a lush, silky and polished wine that ends with fat, ripe cherries and liqueur. 89-91 Pts

2012 Clinet – Blending 90% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc, reaching 13.2% alcohol, the wine will be aged in 50% new French oak. From low yields of 34 hectoliters per hectare, the wine opens with licorice, earth, plums and herbal scents, followed by sensuous, fresh and spicy fennel, black raspberry and cherry. Lighter in style than 2008, 2009 and 2010, the wine ends with layers of sweet kirsch, cocoa and plum notes. 91-93 Pts

2012 Le Clos de Beau Pere – Oak, truffle, earth and plums lead to a tart plum finish. 84-87 Pts

2012 Clos du Clocher – Coffee bean and a mélange of fresh juicy plums open to a sweet mouthful of fresh black raspberries, while cocoa, spice and cherry liqueur add up to a delicious, well-priced Pomerol. 91-93 Pts

2012 Clos L’Eglise – Concentrated, dense, fleshy, rich, fat and flashy, this sexy Pomerol is packed with oak, ripe, riper and overripe plums, cherries and chocolate. Lush in texture, this is a decadent style of Pomerol. 92-95 Pts

2012 Clos Rene – This medium-bodied wine is filled with black cherries and cocoa raspberry with soft, easy-to-like textures and an oaky finish. 87-89 Pts

2012 La Conseillante – For the 2012 vintage, Michel Rolland was involved in the blending. In subsequent vintages, Rolland will work closer with Jean Michel Laporte in the vineyards as well as in the cellars. 2012 set a record for the highest percentage of Merlot used in the blend at La Conseillante, taking up 89% of the blend, 11% Cabernet Franc was also included. The wine reached 14.2% alcohol with a pH of 3.67. The wine will be aged in 70% new French oak. Truffles, earth, wood, floral and black raspberry notes open the wine, but the fireworks start when the wine hits the palate. There is depth, purity of fruit, sweetness and silky, sexy tannins with a long, velvety-textured, fresh, spicy and black cherry-filled finish. 94-96 Pts

2012 La Conseillante Duo – With earth, spice and black raspberries, this medium-bodied wine is open and forward. 85-87 Pts

2012 Cornaline – The debut vintage of this new Pomerol estate was produced from 100% Merlot, whole berry fermented fruit in barrel. The vineyard is a small 5 hectare parcel on clay terroir, located in front of Chateau Clinet. Coffee, licorice, truffle and black cherry notes create the perfume. The wine is plush, opulent and silky, with a lot of oak in the chocolate, plummy finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 La Croix du Casse – Blending 93% Merlot with 7% Cabernet Franc produced a light, ruby-colored Pomerol with raspberry and earthy notes that ends with a dusty, tart cherry finish. 84-87 Pts

2012 La Croix St. Georges  - 94.5% Merlot blended with 5.5% Cabernet Franc produced a wine with espresso, jammy plums and earth. On the palate, the wine is soft, round and fat, ending in a fleshy, plum and oak-filled finish. 90-92 Pts

2012 Domaine de l’Eglise – 89% Merlot with 11% Cabernet Franc created a wine with a spicy black raspberry personality and drying tannins. 86-88 Pts

2012 L’Eglise Clinet – One of the deepest colored wines from Pomerol in this vintage, the wine screams with oak, truffle, floral, plums, smoke and charcoal. Full-bodied, rich and packed with licorice, fresh black cherry, plum and dark chocolate, the wine is pure, sweet, concentrated, polished and rich. The silky, polished textures lead to a long, opulent, sexy, rich finish. According to Denis Durantou, part of the success of the 2012 vintage was the willingness to wait to pick the old vine Cabernet Franc and Merlot on a parcel-by-parcel basis. 95-98 Pts

2012 Petite Eglise – Fleshy black and red cherries with licorice and spice. 88-90 Pts

2012 L’Enclos - This vintage shows an increase in the use of micro vinification with 45% of the harvest undergoing the whole berry fermentation technique. Truffle, incense, floral and black plum notes open to an oaky, plum-filled finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 L’Evangile The Merlot was picked from September 20 through October 9. The Cabernet Franc was harvested over 2 days, October 6 and October 8. From a blend of 93% Merlot with 7% Cabernet Franc, this is one of the highest percentages of Merlot in the estate’s history. However, this was not due to the lack of ripeness in the Cabernet Franc. Much of the Cabernet Franc was replanted starting in 2006. It is expected that the estate will be using closer to 20% Cabernet Franc in the blend starting in 2020. The wine reached 14.4% alcohol with a pH of 3.7. Yields were low at 31 hectoliters per hectare. Deep ruby in color, the wine exudes truffle, chocolate, plum liqueur, tobacco, smoke, roses and cherries. On the palate, the wine is pure silk and velvet in texture with volume, depth and length. Picture chocolate-covered cherries that you can eat, or drink, your choice. 94-96 Pts

2012  Fayat – Flowers, cherries and cocoa scents open to a medium-bodied Pomerol with ample soft textures and sweet red cherries in the finish. 88-90 Pts

2012 Feytit Clinet – Chocolate-covered cherries, spice and truffle with kirsch liqueur, fresh black raspberries, supple, sensuous textures and generous amounts of ripe, jammy berries make this wine a hit. This the best value in Pomerol today. 91-93 Pts

2012 La Fleur Petrus Truffle, tobacco, dark red berries and even darker chocolate scents with silky, polished textures and a refined, elegant cocoa and cherry finish that gains in the mouth. 93-95 Pts

2012 Le Gay – For the 2012 vintage, the wine of Chateau Le Gay was produced using the same methods as they employ at La Violette. 90% of the fruit was vinified in barrel. From a blend that is the same as the plantings at 90% Merlot at 10% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.5% alcohol. Deep ruby in color, the wine offers licorice, oak, earth, jammy black raspberry, chocolate and floral notes. On the palate, the wine is rich, round, supple and lush. Each sip is packed with ripe and overripe black cherries, licorice and dark chocolate. The tannins are ripe while the finish expands, moving from cherry to black raspberry and spice. Sadly, Catherine Pere Verge, the grand woman of Pomerol passed away the day before she was going to present her wines at a dinner for friends and members of the press. She will be missed. 93-95 Pts

2012 Manoir de Gay was produced from 100% Merlot, producing a black raspberry-dominated wine with a medium body, soft textures and a forward personality. 87-89 Pts

2012 Gazin – Deep ruby in color, black cherry liqueur and cocoa notes open to a rich, supple, round and fresh black cherry-filled wine with hints of chocolate in the finish. 90-93 Pts

2012 La Grave a Pomerol – Light earth, licorice and fresh red berries can be discerned in the nose. Medium-bodied with a light and sweet cherry-dominated finish. 86-88 Pts

2012 Hosanna – Good concentration of flavor with ripe black cherries, truffle and earth, the wine is sweet, long, fresh and sensuous with a long, complex finish. 93-95 Pts

2012 La Fleur de Gay – The medium-bodied wine is filled with jammy black raspberries, soft, silky textures and a round, dark chocolate- and cherry-filled finish. 90-92 Pts

2012 Lafleur – From 54% Cabernet Franc, picked October 6, and 46% Merlot, harvested September 23, the wine is deeply colored. Earth, mint, spice box, fennel and plum notes create the perfume. On the palate, the wine is medium/full-bodied with luscious black raspberries, plum liqueur, spice and fresh thyme, ending in a long, fresh and opulent finish. 94-96 Pts

2012 Pensees de Lafleur – Produced from 54% Merlot and 46% Cabernet Franc, the wine is filled with sweet, ripe, soft and round black raspberries, cherries, spice and herbs. 88-90 Pts

2012 Lafleur-Gazin  – With cherry blossom and earthy notes, this medium-bodied wine is simple, soft, sweet and sour with dark cherry and hints of cocoa found in the finish. 86-88 Pts

2012 Latour A’ Pomerol - Floral, earth and fresh black raspberry scents open to a polished, soft and silky wine with an earthy, sweet, chocolate-covered cherry personality. This is a very high quality Pomerol that is available for a fair price, It’s well worth looking into. 92-94 Pts

2012 Montviel – From a 4 hectare parcel, the wine was produced from a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. The wine reached 13.5% alcohol and will be aged in 30% new French oak barrels. Earthy cherries, licorice and truffle scents open to a lighter, charming, early-drinking style of Pomerol. 87-90 Pts

2012 Le Moulin – With a floral, black raspberry, jammy, cocoa and coffee-scented nose, the wine is rich, fleshy, ripe and sweet. 89- 91 Pts

2012 Nenin – Blending 70% Merlot with 30% Cabernet Franc, the reached 14.62% alcohol and a pH of 3.42. The wine will be aged in 25% new French oak. Fresh flowers, cherries, vanilla bean, cocoa powder and truffle notes lead to a sweet and round black cherry-dominated wine with supple textures and freshness. 90-92 Pts

2012 Fugue de Nenin – Chocolate, cocoa and black raspberry jam notes with just a hint of oak open to a light plummy wine in an open style. 84-86 Pts

2012 Petit Village – Blending 80% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine will be aged in 80% new French oak, reaching 13.8% alcohol. Whole berry fermented, the wine opens with licorice, black cherry liqueur, coffee, cocoa and earthy notes, offering silky textures, soft tannins and a sweet, ripe, red and black cherry finish. 90-92 Pts

2012 Petrus – 2012 marks the debut of the new cellars at Petrus with its 12 new cement vats. From yields of just 30 hectoliters per hectare, intense floral aromas with truffle, dark chocolate, licorice, spice, black cherries, blackberry and plum alcohol. The wine is sweet, supple, concentrated and long with a beautiful sense of purity of fruit in the long finish. On the palate, the wine moves from kirsch liqueur to black plums. This vintage of Petrus focuses on purity of fruit with elegant, supple and opulent textures. The property began harvesting September 24, finishing October 8. 96-98 Pts

2012 Le Pin – Very floral in character with licorice and black raspberries, silky textures and fresh, ripe berries, this velvety wine is expressive, but lacks the length found in the top vintages. 94-96 Pts

2012 Plince – Medium-bodied with a dusty texture to the tannins, this wine finishes with light red berries and cocoa powder. 85-87 Pts

2012 La Pointe – La Pointe is on a roll after their successful 2010. This new vintage is deep in color with coffee bean, licorice and ripe, juicy plums. On the palate, the wine is filled with lush, sexy black raspberries, chocolate and a hint of coffee bean to complicate matters. 91-93 Pts

2012 Providence – With spicy black raspberries, vanilla and earthy notes, there is a nice concentration of fruit and freshness, but this vintage lacks personality. 90-91 Pts

2012 Rouget – Licorice, black cherry liqueur, polished and supple tannins, round textures and a plush, spicy and minty liqueur finish are found in this wine. 90-92 Pts

2012 Sacre Coeur – This 100% Merlot wine is filled with jammy dark berries, oak and dark chocolate. 88-90 Pts

2012 Trotanoy – Flowers, fresh herbs, truffles and an assortment of red berries characterize this deep, silky, polished and long wine that finishes with a long, sweet, silk-filled red berry and chocolate finish. 94-96 Pts

2012 Vieux Chateau Certan Alexandre Thienpont described 2011 as a year for lean cats. That is not the case with the 2012. Harvested from October 11 through October 12, with yields of just 33 hectoliters per hectare, the wine reached 13% alcohol. Blending 87% Merlot with 12% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine pops with truffle, coconut, flowers, wild strawberry and cherry. Silky in texture, medium-bodied and fresh, 2012 Vieux Chateau Certan is a wine of finesse and refinement. According to Alexandre Thienpont, some vintages of Vieux Chateau Certan favor Cabernet Franc, while other years are better for Merlot. 2012 is a Merlot vintage. The wine is refined, fresh, pure and elegant in style. It’s a vintage that focuses on the aromatics and purity of the fruit. It does not display the power of 2009 or 2010, instead it focuses on the refined, perfumed qualities of Vieux Chateau Certan. 93-94 Pts

2012 La Violette – From a tiny 1.6 hectare parcel of wine, this 100%, old vine cuvee is sadly the last vintage produced by Cathernie Pere Verge, who passed away the night before the official Bordeaux En Primeur tastings began. Aged in 100% new French oak, the wine reached 13.5% alcohol and will be vinified and aged in 100% new French oak. Intense aromas of dark chocolate, truffle, wet earth, black cherry liqueur and floral notes. On the palate, the concentrated wine is round, lush, dense and pure hedonistic pleasure, with a long finish filled with deep and dark plums, black cherry and black raspberry. This is a decadent style of Pomerol in the tradition of 2009 and 2010. 94-96 Pts

2012 Vray Croix de Gay – Rich aromas of chocolate-covered blackberries and flowers, silky tannins and a supple, ripe, fruit-filled finish make this the best vintage of Vray Crox de Croix produced yet! 91-93 Pts

2012 Lalande de Pomerol

2012 Chambrun - Medium bodied with fresh cherries, licorice and spice, the wine is soft, forward and should offer pleasure on release. 88-90 Pts

2012 La Chenade Lalande de Pomerol – Blending 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc, the wine is packed with fresh black cherries. 86-88 Pts

2012 Les Cruzelles – Aged in 50% new French oak, the wine is blended from 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Fresh black cherry, cocoa, earth and coffee notes work well with the center of cherry and black raspberries. 87-89 Pts

2012 La Graviere – From a small 2 hectare parcel in Lalande de Pomerol, the 100% Merlot wine comes from old vines that are close to 40 years of age. Medium-bodied, kirsch and licorice aromas open to a sensation of sweet, ripe, polished and fresh cherries. 86-88 Pts

2012 Jean de Gue – Light in color with spicy red berries in a forward, soft and open profile. 84-86 Pts

2012 La Fleur de Bouard – Smoky black cherries, milk chocolate and earthy notes open to a medium-bodied, soft, black raspberry-filled wine. This is a very nice wine for the vintage. I wish the finish was a bit longer. 89-91 Pts

2012 La Fleur de Bouard Le Plus – Produced using 100% Merlot from the oldest vines in their vineyards, the vines are situated in a single 4 hectare bock. The small 250 case-production is aged in 100% new oak for 33 months. 2012 marks the debut vintage for the new cellars. Plush and sexy black raspberries, plums, cocoa, earth and spice create the aromas. On the palate, the wine is packed with sweet and fresh black cherries, raspberries and dark chocolate. 92-94 Pts

The post 2012 Pomerol Bordeaux Wine Tasting Notes in Barrel Ratings appeared first on The Wine Cellar Insider.

2012 Pessac Leognan wines are mixed. Haut Brion clearly leads the pack in this vintage, but other chateaux turned in strong performances as well. I used the term mixed, because while some estates made very good, others had more difficulties, due to the difficult growing season. 2012 Pessac Leognan was another year when the dry, white wines of the region were very successful.

2012 Branon – With smoke, spice, incense, earth and ripe dark berries, the wine is soft, polished, oaky and silky. Filled with dark chocolate-covered berries, it ends in an oak-filled, spicy finish. 90-92 Pts

2012 Brown – Smoke, earth, spice, tobacco and licorice aromas blend well with the medium-bodied, soft, silky and spicy red and black fruits, round textures and forward style. 87-89 Pts

2012 Bouscaut – Light in style, the smoky black raspberries and soft, easy style make this a nice, crowd-pleasing style of wine. 87-89 Pts

2012 Carbonnieux – Medium bodied with tart black cherries and tapenade in the finish. 87-89 Pts

2012 Les Carmes Haut Brion – With licorice, smoke, blackberry and earthy notes, this wine has plush, soft, polished textures and a sweet blackberry and dark chocolate finish. 90-93 Pts

2012 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge – With soft dark red berries, smoke, earth, coffee bean and cherry tones, the medium-bodied wine was produced in a fresh, elegant style, which will drink well young. 90-92 Pts

2012 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc – Grapefruit, lemon, stone and vanilla make the attention-seeking perfume. Rich, fresh and zippy fruits with plush texture and a fresh citrus and spice finish remain with you long after the wine went where it was supposed to go. 93-95 Pts

2012 Clos des Lunes Lune d’Argent – The debut vintage for Olivier Bernard. This dry white wine from Sauternes is sold as a Bordeaux Blanc Sec. Pineapple, grapefruit, melon and honey notes pop from the wine. Fresh, sweet and long with enough acidity to keep it fresh. For close to $18, this is a case purchase. 88-91 Pts

2012 Clos des Lunes Lune d’Or – From a selection of the best 100 barrels, grapefruit, lemon, lime, honeysuckle and mineral notes pop from the glass with little effort. The wine is fresh, concentrated, long, citrusy, sweet, lively and complex. 91-93 Pts

2012 Clos Marsalette – 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc produced a wine with a medium body, polished tannins and a smoky, black raspberry finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 Clos Marsalette Blanc – From 65% Sauvignon Blanc and 35% Semillon, the wine pops with citrus, flowers and guava. On the palate the wine is fresh, fun, refreshing and easy to drink, plus it’s a top value Bordeaux white wine. 87-89 Pts

2012 de Fieuzal – Caramel, coffee, black and blue fruit notes, fat and concentrated with ripe, fleshy berries, this is a flashy, modern-styled wine with rich, silky textures and an opulent, but slightly oaky, finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 Haut Bailly – Dark ruby in color, the wine opens with fromboise, licorice, cocoa powder, smoke, and caramel. Produced from a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon with 40% Merlot, the wine reached 13.2% alcohol with a pH of 3.6. Wine will be aged in 50% new French oak for 16 months. This is a finesse style of Haut Bailly with fresh and ripe red and black fruits that display a lot of purity and freshness. The wine ends with sweet black raspberry and cherry sensations in a forward, spicy finish. 92-94 Pts

2012 La Parde de Haut Bailly – Hints of tobacco, oak and cherry move to a cherry-filled, medium-bodied wine that will be enjoyed young. 85-87 Pts

2012 Haut Bergey Silky, polished textures with smoky, ripe fruits, vanilla and espresso bean notes, with an open, inviting personality are found in this wine. 89-91 Pts

2012 Haut-Brion – Deep ruby in color, the wine offers tar, smoke, boysenberry, chocolate, cherry liqueur, smoke and earthy notes. Powerful, rich, concentrated and packed with layers of dense, dark, deep, fresh and pure blackberry, boysenberry and cassis, the wine really makes an impression with its long, expansive, polished, refined finish. This is no wallflower of a wine. It demands and gets attention. 95-98 Pts

2012 Le Clarence de Haut Brion – With smoky red and dark berries, this wine has medium body with a short and sweet finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 Haut Brion Blanc – Honey, beeswax, Midori sour, lemon wax, flowers, spice and fresh Meyer lemons create a complex perfume. Full-bodied, rich and intense, the wine is incredibly, fresh, lively and mouth filling, finishing with serious intensity of flavors. 95-97 Pts

2012 La Clarte de Haut Brion – Honeydew, flowers, orange, and lemon wax open to fresh citrus, toast and nuts with an open, fresh personality. 91-93 Pts

2012 Haut Nouchet – Situated close to Smith Haut Lafitte on gravely, clay soils, this wine was made from a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, and is filled with smoky, spicy red berries and a short finish. 85-87 Pts

2012 LaTour Martillac – Medium/full-bodied and round, this wine delivers sweet, ripe and lush black cherries, fennel and dark chocolate in a plush, well-rounded finish. 90-93 Pts

2012 Larrivet Haut Brion – With smoke and bright red and dark plums, this medium-bodied, soft wine finishes with an easy-to-drink, light black cherry note. 88-90 Pts

2012 Liber Pater – Declassified in 2012

2012 Clos de Landiras – Smoke, earth, herbs and tart red berries in a light finish. 84-87 Pts

2012 La Louviere – Medium-bodied with fresh, smoky cherries on the nose and a fresh, cherry finish produced a wine that should be drinkable on release. 88-90 Pts

2012 Malartic Lagraviere – Truffle, cocoa powder and blackberry scents are easy to find. On the palate, the wine is rich, soft, polished and round with a sweet, ripe and fresh black cherry finish. 90-92 Pts

2012 Malartic Lagraviere Blanc – Citrus peel, stone, grapefruit and honeysuckle scents, fleshy, concentrated, ripe and refreshing, the wine ends with sweet Meyer lemons and a hint of pineapple. 91-93 Pts

2012 Mejean –With a focus on fresh red berries and light textures, the wine is easy to drink and likable. 85-87 Pts

2012 La Mission Haut Brion – Dark in color, the nose offers smoke, tar, black cherry jam, tobacco and cassis notes. The wine quickly shifts to a powerful, rich, tannic, masculine, almost brawny, intense mouthful of black fruits, jammy cherries and dark chocolate. This definitely needs time in the cellar before becoming user-friendly. 92-95 Pts

2012 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut Brion – A subtle nose of earth, tobacco and cassis move to fresh, polished red berries, and an herbal, crunchy blackberry and cassis finish. 88-90 Pts

2012 La Mission Haut Brion Blanc – Orangesicle, melon, beeswax and candied, waxy lemon peel scents open to fresh, lively and sweet citrus finish. 93-95 Pts

2012 Olivier – This medium-bodied and elegant lighter style of Pessac Leognan offers sweet licorice, plums and dark cherries with supple textures in an open style. One of the best vintages of Olivier I recall tasting. 89-91 Pts

2012 Pape Clement – Inky in color; black and blue fruits, licorice, smoke and oak create the aromatics. On the palate, the wine is fresh, fleshy, rich and bold, with a concentrated finish packed with ripe dark berries and licorice. For tasters that found more heralded vintages over the top, this is a wine they should look into. 92-94 Pts

2012 Smith Haut Lafitte - From 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the wine reached 13.6% alcohol with a pH of 3.7 and will be aged in 60% new French oak for between 16 to 18 months. Deep in color with a smoky nose complicated by licorice, coffee, dark cherry and earthy aromas, the wine is fat, lush and dense. Supple tannins and fresh, round dark fruits create a long, rich, opulent finish. The Grand Vin represents about 50% of the harvest. 93-96 Pts

2012 Les Hauts de Smith – Dominated by Merlot at 55% of the blend, with the remainder taken up by Cabernet Sauvignon, the forward, open wine offers soft black cherries, slightly dusty tannins and a sweet, dark cherry finish. 88-90 Pts

2012 Le Petit Haut Lafitte – The second wine of Smith Haut Lafitte is produced for export and interestingly, it’s the opposite of Les Hauts de Smith, as it’s dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, with the rest of the blend made from 45% Merlot. Coffee bean, licorice and black cherry notes open to a tannic, dark cherry-filled wine, which will need a few years before it is ready to drink. 87-89 Pts

2012 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc – Blending 90% Sauvignon with equal parts Semillon and Sauvignon Gris, the wine will be aged in 50% new French oak. Grapefruit, lime, lemon, vanilla, guava and banana scents require little effort to find. Rich, fleshy and concentrated with balancing acidity and freshness, the long and fresh citrus finish refreshes and expands. 93-95 Pts

2012 Les Hauts de Smith Blanc – From 100% Sauvignon Blanc, the wine offers fresh lemon rind, lime and hints of tangerine, finishing with fresh citrus notes. 88-90 Pts

2012 Le Thil – 85% Merlot with 15% Cabernet Sauvignon produced a wine with licorice, earth and black cherry aromas. On the palate, the wine is rich, open and ripe. With luck, this will remain one of the best values in the Pessac Leognan appellation and will not be absorbed into Smith Haut Lafitte. 88-90 Pts

2012 Le Thil Blanc – From an even blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, grapefruit, white peaches, freshly cut grass and spicy aromas are out front to greet you. Medium-bodied with zesty acidity, this is a quite nice and refreshing white Bordeaux wine. 87-89 Pts

2012 Cantelys – 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot, planted in deep gravel soils, made a medium-bodied wine with sweet cherries and a forward personality, 85-87 Pts

2012 Cantelys Blanc – Half the blend is devoted to Sauvignon Blanc, the remainder is split between 45% Semillon and 5% Sauvignon Gris. Medium-bodied with fresh lemon and orange notes, the wine ends with a grassy, citrus finish. 87-89Pts

The post 2012 Pessac Leognan Wine Tasting Notes in Barrel Ratings appeared first on The Wine Cellar Insider.

2012 d’Angludet – Fresh red berry notes with earthy scents, medium body and a bright red fruit finish are found in this vintage. 88-90 Pts

2012 L’Aura de Cambon – The debut vintage where Hubert de Bouard from Chateau Angelus acts as the consultant. Licorice, dark berries and chocolate with sweet, round textures and a ripe, dark berry finish. From a blend of equal parts, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. 88-91 Pts

2012 Bellevue de Tayac – Oak, tobacco, some earth and dark berries open to a medium-bodied, cranberry and cherry finish. 85-87 Pts

2012 Brane Cantenac – Blending 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32% Merlot, the wine reached 13% Alcohol with a pH of 3.86. With a cassis, anise, floral, tobacco and earthy personality, the medium-bodied wine is bright, fresh, elegant and crisp with a sweet cassis- and blackberry-filled finish. 90-92 Pts

2012 Baron de Brane – Sweet and tart red berries, medium body and a short finish. 84-86 Pts

2012 Cantenac Brown – Soft textured, with sweet cherries, floral notes, plum and earth, the wine ends with a mélange of red and black fruits. 90-93 Pts

2012 d’Issan – From a blend of 67% Merlot and 33% Merlot, the wine reached 13.24% alcohol. Dark ruby in color with coffee, truffle, licorice, tobacco, black cherry and smoke in the nose. Soft in texture with a supple core of cool black cherries and dark chocolate in the finish. 90-93 Pts

2012 Blason d’Issan – Coffee, licorice and black cherry in the nose with fresh, soft, but herbaceous notes in the black cherry finish. 84-86 Pts

2012 Durfort Vivens – Elegant in style with medium body, cherries and earth in the profile, this is a lighter, classic style of wine that should drink well on release. 87-90 Pts

2012 Giscours – Blending 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Dark ruby in color, licorice, flowers, cocoa, cherry and cassis notes open to soft, refined, medium-bodied dark cherry- and cassis-filled wine with good freshness, supple textures and a red berry-dominated finish. 90-92 Pts

2012 Labegorce – With an earthy nose, the wine is filled with fresh black raspberries and cassis. From a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the wine reached 13% alcohol. 88-90 Pts

2012 Lascombes – Oak, earth and cassis notes with an oaky licorice and blackberry finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 Malescot St. Exupery – Blending 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 7% Cabernet Franc that reached 12.8% alcohol, which is similar to what the estate reached in 2008 and 2006. The medium-bodied wine will be aged in 90% new French oak barrels for close to 15 months. Flowers, smoke, tobacco, black cherry and black raspberry notes open to medium/full-bodied, supple-textured wine filled with chocolate-covered cherries and spice. 91-93 Pts

2012 Margaux – Blending 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, with coaxing flowers, blackberries, cassis, gravel, fennel, coffee bean and mint. Refined and structured, with plush, polished tannins, tangy black cherry notes add to the fresh, persistent and elegant finish. 93-95 Pts

2012 Pavillon Rouge – From 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. The wine offers earth, tobacco, and cassis notes, finishing with a spicy and crunch cassis-filled finish. 88-91 Pts

2012 Pavillon Blanc – Honeydew, cantaloupe, grassy, citrus scents pop with little effort. Fresh, lively, peppy and sweet, lemon and lime flavors produce a persistent finish. 92-94 Pts

2012 Marojallia – Truffle, tobacco, earth, licorice and blackberry scents open to a blackberry-filled wine that shows almost too much oak in the chocolate and black cherry-filled finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 Marquis d’Alesme – Medium-bodied with good freshness and a floral, earthy, licorice and cassis nose, the wine is a success for the vintage. 89-91 Pts

2012 Marquis de Terme – Ripe black fruit with chocolate, round textures and a fleshy, flashy blackberry and dark chocolate finish. 90-92 Pts

2012 Paveil de Luze – 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot opened to a medium-bodied, light, red berry and oak finish. 85-87 Pts

2012 Palmer – From an assemblage of 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot. Interestingly, this is the first time Petit Verdot was included in the blend of Palmer and Alter Ego. Chateau Palmer reached 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.75. The wine will be aged in 70% new French oak for between 18 and 20 months. Deep in color with scents of licorice, flowers and fresh juicy plums, the wine is silky, round and soft with a fresh black raspberry and herbal finish. This is truly successful for the vintage. 94-97 Pts

2012 Alter Ego – 51% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Petit Verdot, which reached 13.4% alcohol. The wine will be aged in 30% new French oak for between 16 and 18 months. With a ruby color, flowers, cherry blossoms, earth, fennel and spice notes lead to a sweet, cherry filled-wine with dusty tannins, supple textures and a fresh, spicy cassis finish. 90-92 Pts

2012 Prieure-Lichine – Showing polished tannins with ample plum, vanilla and black cherry notes that ends with an elegant, fresh finish. 90-92 Pts

2012 Rauzan-Gassies - Medium bodied, dominated by red berries, with a lean, cranberry, cherry finish. 86-89 Pts

2012 Rauzan-Segla – With 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37.5% Merlot, 1.5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.5% alcohol with a PH of 3.67. Sporting a deep, ruby color, the wine is fresh, sweet, soft and spicy. The ample tannins are silky. There is a polished core of cherries, licorice and cassis in the finish. 92-94 Pts

2012 Segla – Perfect example of an easy-to-drink, easy-to-like, classic Bordeaux wine that will be drinkable on release. 84-86 Pts

2012 Siran – 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot, the red berry and herb-tinged wine is chalky on the finish. 84-86 Pts

2012 du Tertre – From a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and 11% Petit Verdot, the wine reached 13% alcohol and will be aged in 45% new French oak for close to 16 months. Ruby in color, this medium-bodied wine opens with tobacco, licorice, flowers and cherry notes. Soft and easygoing, the fresh, elegant, red berry-dominated wine should drink well close to release. 88-91 Pts

The post 2012 Margaux Bordeaux Wine Tasting Notes In Barrel Ratings appeared first on The Wine Cellar Insider.

2012 St. Estephe is probably the least successful major appellation in the Medoc for this vintage. To produce the best 2012 St. Estephe wines possible, growers were forced to pick before the Cabernet Sauvignon was able to fully ripen. Often the tannins are hard, showing a dry, green character in the finish. 2012 St. Estephe is a year where a light touch was needed, else the wines display a green, dry and tough character.

2012 Calon Segur – The first vintage under the new owners is ruby in color with coffee, blackberry, cassis, spice and earthy notes. It offers bright and fresh fruits with some dryness and tough, rustic tannins in the finish. 87-89 Pts

2012 Cos d’Estournel Blending 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the wine reached 13.79% alcohol, with a pH of 3.75 and will be aged in 70% new French oak. The first vintage produced with Aymeric de Gironde at the helm after the departure of Jean Guillaume Prats offers the estates’ tell-tale Asian spice scents, complicated by boysenberry and jammy black cherry. Medium/full-bodied, this a lighter-bodied, firm style of Cos d’Estournel, when compared against other, more recently heralded, vintages. 90-93 Pts

2012 Les Pagodes de Cos – Produced from 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, the wine offers hints of oak, licorice, spice and black raspberries. Medium bodied and forward, the wine finishes with bright cherries and strawberry. 87-89 Pts

2012 Cos d’Estournel Blanc – Zesty lemon, lime, vanilla, grapefruit and kiwi fruits pop with no effort. In the mouth, the wine is fresh, fun and food friendly. 90-92 Pts

2012 Cos Labory – Blackberries and a touch of oak and rustic tannins finish with a core of blackberry and cranberry. 87 – 89 Pts

2012 Le Crock A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc produced a wine with earthy, blackberry, spice and cassis scents. This medium-bodied wine ends with cassis and herbs. 86-88 Pts

2012 Haut Beausejour – Light red berries with an austere finish. 85-88 Pts

2012 Haut Marbuzet – With cedar wood, earth and dark berries, this soft, round-textured, medium-bodied wine is forward in style and finishes with soft ripe cherries. 87-89 Pts

2012 Lafon Rochet – With forest, tobacco and leaf aromas, along with scents of mocha, the palate offers cherry and cranberry sensations, but the finish is a bit too dry. 87-89 Pts

2012 Lilian Ladouys - 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot, the wine reached 13.1% alcohol and will be aged in 50% new French oak for between 12-14 months. Smoke, stone, cassis, leaf and pepper scents open to a medium-bodied, fresh black cherry-filled wine with a sweet and tart black raspberry finish. 88-90 Pts

2012 Meyney – Earth, forest and cassis notes shift to a medium-bodied, cassis-filled wine that should drink well young. 88-90 Pts

2012 Montrose From a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the wine sported deep colors. Earth, coffee, stone and blackberry notes require effort to find. Cassis and black fruits share the stage with minerality and a tannic backbone. With time, this should come together nicely. 91-93 Pts

2010 Le Dame de Montrose – For the second wine, the estate blended 76% Merlot with 24% Cabernet Sauvignon to produce a forward, crowd-pleasing and soft style of wine. 87-89 Pts

2012 Ormes de Pez – With 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 8% Caberent Franc and 2% Petit Verdot in the blend, the wine will be aged in 45% new French oak. With cedar wood, black cherry and herbs, this medium-bodied wine has a four-square style and ends with a simple cassis finish. 85-88 Pts

2012 de Pez – Medium bodied, rustic tannins and focused on red berries, with a short finish. 86-88 Pts

2012 Phelan Segur – This earthy, cassis-filled, medium-bodied wine has an oaky, fleshy core of dark fruit that ends with fresh blackberries and dark chocolate. 88-90 Pts

2012 Tronquoy Lalande – Blending 57% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and minor bits of 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot produced a wine showing jammy black raspberry, earth and herbs. This fresh and medium-bodied wine offers a minor hint of oak, which adds to the finish. The wine was made in an easy-to-like style and should drink well early. 88-90 Pts

2012 Tronquoy de Saine – Showing a light nose of fennel and earthy cherry, this lightly styled wine offers simple cassis and black cherry notes. Produced from 45% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Petit Verdot, this should drink well on release. 84-86 Pts

The post 2012 St. Estephe Bordeaux Wine Tasting Notes in Barrel Tastings appeared first on The Wine Cellar Insider.

Sorry for the delay in publishing the 2012 Haut Medoc tastings comments from other Bordeaux appellations. The tastings got a late start this year, due to the Easter holiday. Following more than two weeks of tastings in Bordeaux, I also spent time in Chateauneuf du Pape. However, we will publish a report everyday this week and next until we are finished. By Friday, all the appellations in the Medoc, Pessac Leognan and Pomerol will be published, St. Emilion, and the Bordeaux value wine guide will be the last to publish, because they are voluminous. St. Estephe is set for tomorrow.

2012 Haut Medoc wines are the product of a difficult growing season. At their best, 2012 Haut Medoc will provide quite charming Bordeaux wine that will deliver pleasure on release. These are true Bordeaux wine drinkers Claret. Other estates that over extracted and used too much oak produced wines with drying tannins that are never going to be a lot of fun to taste. In some vintages, like 2005 or 2009, you can toss darts at a board to buy from the Haut Medoc and surrounding areas, 2012 Haut Medoc wines need to be purchased wiht care.

2012 Belgrave – Medium bodied, with red plums and cherry fruits, the wine offers a light, currant and herb finish. 87-89 Pts

2012 Belle-Vue – With oak, licorice and dark berries, this wine is spicy, fresh and lively, offering good character. 88-90 Pts

2012 Bernadotte – Medium bodied with a tart side to the red berry, dominated wine. 84-86 Pts

2012 Camensac – Light in color, medium boded, red berry dominated wine, with a lean, bright finish. 83-86 Pts

2012 Cantemerle – Offering sweet, soft and ripe dark berries, this wine is fresh and ample with black cherry notes in an elegant style. This remains one of the best Bordeaux value wines in the market today, especially since its a classified growth. 88-90 Pts

2012 Charmail – Floral notes with red berries open to a light and fresh red berry-dominated wine. 87-89 Pts

2012 Chasse Spleen – Austere, tannic red berries with an herb tinged finish. 86-88 Pts

2012 Clos Manou – Bright and crisp with red berries and some green in the bright finish. 84-86 Pts

2012 Coufran – With the highest percentage of Merlot planted in the Medoc, the estate was able to produce a medium bodied, coffee, cherry, herb and earthy wine that will be at its best on release. 84-86 Pts

2012 Fourcas Borie – Formerly sold under the name of Fourcas Dumont is from Bruno Borie of Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou. From a Merlot-dominated blend, licorice, black cherry and jam notes are in the forefront. Light and forward in style, this is an easy-to-drink, crowd-pleasing style of wine that should drink well on release. 86-88 Pts

2012 Goulee - Blending 60% Cabernet Sauvigon and 40% Merlot, the wine reached 13.38% alcohol. Light aromas of earth, black raspberry, jam and licorice open to a light wine with soft textures, light spicy cherry fruits and an easy-to-like personality. 87-89 Pts

2012 Les Grand Chenes – Oaky with dark red berries and a coffee bean and red berry finish. 87-89 Pts

2012 Haut Condissas – Oaky, with licorice, coffee bean and a black cherry personality, the wine has enough polish to be enjoyed on release. 85-87 Pts

2012 La Lagune – Medium bodied, with earthy, red cherries and strawberry accents, elegant in style, this will drink well on release. 88-90 Pts

2012 Potensac – Dominated by Merlot at 48% of the blend, followed by 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.47% alcohol and will aged in 33% new French oak. With dark color, the wine opens with herbs, cedar wood, wild strawberry and pepper. Full bodied, dense, tannic and strict, this powerful wine is packed with kirsch, cassis and acidity. It is going to need time to come together. 87-89 Pts

2012 Poujeaux – Blending 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.7. A nice success for the vintage, the wine offers earth, smoke, coffee, cassis and licorice. This blend has roundness, ending with a fresh cassis-filled finish. 89-91 Pts

2012 Preuillac – Medium bodied, with licorice, coffee and cherry sensations, this will be at its best in its youth. 85-87 Pts

2012 Rollan de By – Medium bodied, simple, and vinified to be enjoyed in its youth. 84-86 Pts

2012 Saint Paul – 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc led to a wine with tobacco and blackberry notes and a short, tannic finish. 84-86 Pts

2012 La Tour de By – Tart and lean in this difficult vintage, the wine is best enjoyed in its youth. 83-86 Pts

2012 La Tour Carnet Oaky and modern, which is not a bad thing, but the wine is too oaky and too modern in his vintage as the wine is suffering from too much extraction with its dry, tart and green finish. 85-88 Pts

The post 2012 Haut Medoc Wine Tasting Notes, Ratings from Barrel Tastings appeared first on The Wine Cellar Insider.