EFWines

Star Wine of 2012 En Primeur - L'Eglise Clinet

The Bordeaux 2012 en primeur scores are out and Robert Parker has unsurprisingly awarded L’Eglise Clinet as the only chateau with a 100-point potential.

As one of our favourite chateau we think they produce consistently fantastic wines, and have decided to share with you some of their finest vintages from the last decade:

2005 L’Eglise Clinet
This fine wine was awarded 100-points from Parker when scored in the barrel. The wine opens up with a very intriguing nose of beautifully mixed aromas of spice, black and red fruits and oak. On the palate, it comes across as powerful and wonderfully concentrated with a perfect balance of acidity, tannin and alcohol. It has a full-body which is almost silk-like, and lingers in the mouth beautifully. This is definitely a fine wine that has reached legendary status with an anticipated maturity between 2017 and 2040.

2007 L’Eglise Clinet
This notable vintage scored 94 points from Parker and it’s easy to see why. It has a great aroma and upon tasting, the palate explodes with rich flavours of dark fruits and liquorice offering a delicious drinking experience. A full-bodied wine, the 2007 is full of flavour and ripe tannins. This fantastic wine will be delicious and drinking well after another 15 to 20 years of cellaring.

2008 L’Eglise Clinet
The 2008 received a 95 score from Parker and is made from the sumptuous combination of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. The wine opens up with plenty of fresh and elegant aromas of flowers, spice box, blackberries and blueberries. On the palate it’s very delicate and not too heavy with notes of cassis, black cherries and mocha. It’s almost velvety in texture and has a beautiful finish. This particular fine wine needs about 7 to 10 years of cellaring for drinking perfection.

Do you need help expanding your fine wine portfolio? For more information on L’Eglise Clinet and other leading Bordeaux fine wines, call EFWines on 0203 236 0100 to speak to one of our many experts.

EFWines Visit Zucca: What We've Been Drinking Recently

On special occasions our suppliers take us out to lunch and when we do, we do it in style! In a recent excursion, we visited the well-renowned Zucca restaurant in London, known for its modern Italian cuisine. Along with the exquisite lunch, we had an equally excellent selection of wines:

Barbaresco – Bruno Giacosa 1986
The Barbaresco is an Italian wine produced in the Northern part of Italy from the Nebbiolo grape, an Italian variety famous for producing light coloured red wine. On the nose a bouquet of dark cherry and strawberry came through along with notes of coffee, porcini and liquorice, making a very pleasant combination. Upon tasting, the flavours of sweet red fruit and a hint of liquorice tantalise the taste buds with a good lengthy finish. The Barbaresco was nicely matured, absolutely ready to drink and went very well with our meal.

Sammarco – Castello dei Rampolla 1988
The Sammarco is a Super Tuscan produced in the Chianti Classico zone, but is a Cabernet-based blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Sangiovese. The fine wine opened up with some strong notes of cherries and mature plums. In the mouth, the sweet flavours of cherries stood out the most along with some subtle flavours of liquorice and oak, which was very enjoyable. The Sammarco is definitely ready to drink right now and should be decanted for 1-2 hours to let the wine breathe and flavours develop.

Zilliken 2005
The Zilliken is made from Riesling, a white wine grape variety mainly grown in Germany, and it was the only white wine of the lunch. It opened up with the scent of flowers combined with sweet fruit notes. On the palate, it had a great balance of citrus from limes and mandarins, and the sweetness from honey dried fruits gave it a very long finish. Overall, an enjoyable and refreshing white wine.

Porto Krohn Colheita 1968
To round the lunch off, we enjoyed a glass of tawny port or Colheitas as it’s known. Colheitas typically spend at least 7 years or more in wooden barrels before being bottled, and are harvested from a single vintage. This particular port exhibited flavours of crème caramel, toasted almonds with zesty citrus, which was almost candy-like. It was perfect wine to round off a fantastic lunch.

Do you have a question about fine wines? Our experts at EFWines are happy to talk to you about any aspect of wine for either collecting or drinking so get in touch today on 0203 236 0100 or send us a message.

Flavour of the Month: Chateau Latour

The name Chateau Latour has become synonymous with the word ‘quality’, especially in the last 100 years or so. They’ve produced some outstanding wines and this month, we were lucky enough to have tasted three exquisite vintages from one of Bordeaux’s finest.

Latour 1989
The 1989 vintage as a whole had some ideal weather and harvesting conditions, which led to early ripening and resulted in producing rich and concentrated grapes. On the nose, it opens up with a perfume of blackberry, cassis and berries with spice, and a touch of cedar. In the mouth, it wakes up the palate with red fruit and cherry flavours that have a slight tang and a medium body. What stood out was that the fine wine is still quite youthful. Opening a bottle of Latour is automatically a special occasion and although it drinks well now, it could do with another 3-5 years of cellaring.

Latour 2000
The 2000 vintage has somewhat of a legendary status in the realm of Bordeaux, as this was a vintage that produced some of the best wines, even for some of the satellite appellations. For Latour, this was an exceptional year. On the nose, it has a beautiful bouquet of oak, coffee, tobacco and black fruits. The magic continues on the palate as it explodes with pure dark fruits with a hint of spice. This is a truly balanced and harmonious bottle that is complex, with a beautiful long finish. Truly one of the finest tasting experiences the EFWines team have ever had, as it’s very difficult to find any faults with this fine wine.

Latour 2001
The 2001 vintage was generally seen as a very good year, thanks to the favourable weather conditions. It is known as being a great vintage for wine collecting as it has fantastic aging potential. The Latour 2001 is still a young wine and needs some time to come out, we recommend at least a 1.5 hour decant. It has quite a floral nose, and the essence of cassis and cedar stands out the most. On the palate, we found it to be quite tannic, with a nice mixture of blackberries, plums and minerals. This is a wine that will definitely improve in the next decade or so. It already possesses great character and we look forward to seeing how it continues to age and develop into a superb fine wine.

This month’s tasting of the Latour vintages was definitely a privilege and makes wine tasting an absolutely pleasure for us here at EFWines.

Would you like to find out about which fine Bordeaux deliver the best wine for money? Call EFWines on 020 3582 6716 to find out how our experts can add to your fine wine collection.

What we've been drinking recently: Italian Fine Wines

This month we were in the mood for Italian fine wines, especially since there has been high demand for the Super Tuscans in the fine wine market, we at EFWines decided to explore the following:

Sassicaia 2006:
The Sassicaia is a true Super Tuscan and has sometimes been described as Italy’s answer to Bordeaux fine wines. Produced by the Tenuta San Guido winery, on the nose it revealed some heavy notes of chocolate and raisins with a slight smokiness to it. Upon tasting, it’s a bit sweet at first, but the deeper blueberry and blackcurrant flavours quickly rise above, with a silky mouth feel that has a beautifully long finish. One thing that stood out is the earthiness in the wine, which was very pleasant. The wine is still in its infancy but has some great aging potential.

Castello di Ama Chianti Classico 2009:
The Castello di Ama is a winery that has spent years studying the characteristics of the Sangiovese grape so that they can make a superior Chianti Classico. Super Tuscans can only be named Classico if they are produced in the Chianti region and follow certain rules like using a minimum of 80% Sangiovese grapes and 20% of other red grapes from the area, or even other international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. On the nose, it’s packed with dark berries and a touch of prunes, while on the palate it opens up with blackcurrant, cherries and orange peel, giving it a slight bitter finish. It was quite delicious with ripe tannins and a medium body. This wine was definitely made to be enjoyed with food, and we suggest drinking it alongside some antipasto delights such as Italian cheese and meats.

2004 Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona Brunello di Montalcino Vigna di Pianrosso:
Despite the long name, this fine wine is made up of 100% Sangiovese grapes that are carefully selected for their flavour.This was definitely the wine of the day because it immediately opened up with a beautiful bouquet of lavender, ripe strawberries and black cherries and a hint of sandalwood. On the palate it exploded with dark and ripe red fruits, and silky tannins. Overall it is a very well-balanced fine wine with an elegant long finish. This is definitely a candidate for some long term cellaring.

Are you interested in adding some Super Tuscans to your fine wine collection? Call EFWines on 020 3582 6716 or send an email to see how we can help diversify your fine wine portfolio.

Bordeaux's 2012 Growing Conditions Favour Dry Whites

It is fair to say that Bordeaux Chateaux owners found the 2012 vintage a difficult growing season for both reds and whites, resulting in smaller harvest quantities across the board.

Despite the difficulties endured by reds and whites, according to Decanter.com the 2012 Bordeaux vintage conditions vastly favoured dry whites, but why?

Whites harvest best in 2012
For the reds, last year’s widespread rain triggered a number of problems such as poor flowering, mildew, rot and inconsistencies in fruit sets. This affected many vineyards across Europe, including top estates in France and Italy.

For the whites, the weather conditions were a rollercoaster and the vines were subjected to a barrage of harsh weather. The beginning of the year started off with the remnants of a cold winter, which was quickly followed by a wet spring, drenching much of the Bordeaux wine region.

The weather continued to fluctuate until harvest time, and it was this mix of high and low temperatures that worked in whites favour. The conditions helped to give this particular vintage its characteristic freshness and good acidity levels in the fruit.

Although most chateaux reported having a yield between 10-20% smaller than normal, the whites enjoyed a good balance of alcohol and pH, and as such, many growers were happy with the conditions experienced.

As winemakers look back at 2012, this quote from Jean-Christophe Barron, technical manager at Chateau de Rouillac in Pessac-Leognan, sums the harvest up wonderfully:

"We’ll remember 2012 as the toughest three-day event or a round of showjumping at the Olympics, requiring concentration, timing, agility and poise."

Would you like to know more about vintage fine wine collecting? Contact EFWines’ leading wine merchants today on 0203 236 0100 for help with making informed decisions about fine wine collecting.