Finally after a two year Covid break we were back at Edgar’s house, Switzerland’s most prolific Bordeaux collector. The theme was worthy the occasion: Petrus vs. Le Pin vs. Lafleur. Three wines that have unfortunately gotten so expensive that they have pretty much disappeared from dinner tables. Having had these wines many times when they were cheaper still and also recently in tastings, the good news that I can share here is that while these three cult wines are certainly very good, I don’t see a big margin vs the other top Pomerol names that are a fraction of the price and I also don’t see them at the level of the Medoc First Growths. As usual, all wines were tasted blind and Jean-Marc Quarin, the Bordeaux based wine critique was present to lead the session. It was a great evening and I summarize it as follows
- Le Pin won by a margin. The wine is quite unique as a matter of fact. On one hand they must pick quite early and extract gentle to make a fresh, elegant and super polished wine but then add a ton of toasty oak, yet in a way that it makes the wine very sexy and not too oaky. The only comparison I can make is a Dom Perignon. You know its all manufactured but its damn good. It was by far the preferred wine by the 16 tasters and also the easiest to spot blind once you learned the style.
- Lafleur came in second. The wine has noticeably different aromatics with more herbal, forest notes and more tannins than the others (CabFranc). If good it is very complex but it clearly needs the most time of the three
- Petrus, the big gorilla came in third. It was good but rarely magic. Clearly my money does not go to this Cru. Jean-Marc mentioned that the quality improved since 2016
- From the smaller vintages 2011 and 2004 did really well. 2006 was a disappointment. I was actually in Bordeaux doing a full harvest at a Pessac estate and I remember when I drove over to Pomerol, there was a lot of rot in the last days of picking.
- 2009 and 2010 were really great and 2008 not far behind.
- My highest scores went to 2010 Le Pin and 2010 Lafleur
Tasting Notes
Flight 1
NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 166eme, 96 Points
From MAG. Before the tasting session started, we drank this beautiful MAG as an apero with a sunset over Fribourg. Very popular with the group. It had an expressive nose of lemon, brioche, vanilla and oak intermixed with some yellow flowers. The palate was light, on message with the vintage but not diluted. Off to a great start we were.
2011 Château Le Pin, 95 Points
Discrete nose of dark cherry, some herbs, smoke and toast. Light and elegant on the palate, may be a bit thin but so easy drinkable. Polished tannins, good finish.
2011 Château Lafleur, 96 Points
Expressive and wild nose here. Lots going on. Dark fruit, green herbs. Much more tannins than the Le Pin side by side but well managed. Long and complex finish.
2011 Pétrus, 94 Points
Muted nose, some dark fruits. This felt clearly like the ripest wine here, dark fruit, plum, good tannic structure. No very complex (yet?).
2011 Château La Fleur-Pétrus, 90 Points
The pirate and also the weakest flight in this flight. Muted nose, some kirsch and red fruit, simple. On the palate quite thin, nicely polished tannins but rather harmless.
Flight 2
2004 Château Trotanoy 95, Points
Dark cherry, earthy, tertiary elements, some cake and blueberry as well. Lovely palate here, good volume, fresh and with appropriate structure. The pirate in this flight and easily on par with the big guns. I am a big Trotanoy fan and was pleased to see how well it did, comparatively and also in context of the vintage.
2004 Pétrus 94, Points
Tertiary elements here as well, forest floor, a bit riper than the other wines in this flight. It felt sunnier, almost a bit artificially so, pushed for the vintage, the Trotanoy and Le Pin were more balanced.
2004 Château Lafleur, 93 Points
Nose of dark cherry, ripe with some rum pot. On the palate also leafy notes. Good density but I liked the aroma profile of the other wines better in this flight.
2004 Château Le Pin, 97 Points
What a nose here. So sexy, toasty oak, intermixed with dark fruit. On the palate very caressing and charming. Light bodied but not thin. A really succulent wines that is hard to dislike. Le Pin was the shining winner in this flight. They really nailed this vintage.
Flight 3
2008 Château Lafleur, 95 Points
Expressive nose, rich and ripe, a bit too fore-square for a higher score. Gets better on the palate, riper fruit here as well, good structure and finish. Solid but but not grand and behind the others who did very well in 2008.
2008 Pétrus Flawed, Not rated
Dark fruit, ripe, over-ripe even with some oxidative notes. A hint of brett as well. The palate had some maggi beef stock notes. We concluded that this bottle is unfortunately suffering from oxidation. The owner said that this case which he bought en primeur had two more bottles with this issue while the others were good. Shame on Petrus for such a lousy ratio.
2008 Château La Violette, 98 Points
Wow, complex and rich nose with ripe dark fruit and toasty oak, cola and cake elements as well, full on. The palate is well done. While it is ripe and oaky there is great freshness and here and elegance as well. A top right bank showing 98+
2008 Château Le Pin, 97 Points
Beautiful nose here as well. Toasty oak intermixed with herbal scents, crisp dark fruit, some black tea. Beautiful palate, everything you wish for in a polished right banker. Another excellent Le Pin in this tasting.
Flight 4
2006 Pétrus, 92, Points
Tertiary nose, a bit tired, torrefaction, in the brown spectrum. On the palate ripe with some oak and plum. Like all other 2006 tonight, not very convincing and by far the weakest vintage.
2006 Château L’Eglise-Clinet, 91 Points
Tertiary notes here as well, felt a bit tired. The palate was mid bodied with drying tannins. Not very balanced like all other 2006 tonight.
2006 Château Le Pin, 94 Points
Ripe cherry, smoke, toast and cola. A bit fresher than the previous two wines and the balance works, but clearly also here the 2006 turned out to be the weakest vintage as well.
2006 Château Lafleur, 93 Points
Rich, ripe and extracted, dark fruit with herbal notes. Dense palate, tertiary notes emerging, slightly bitter finish.
Flight 5
2010 Château Lafleur, 99 Points
Beautiful nose here, fresh with dark cherry, cola, underbrush. Wow, soft and succulent on the palate, still with some unresolved dry extract but really deep and complex. A wow wine. 98-100
2010 Château La Conseillante, 96 Points
Muted nose, dark fruit, extracted, this clearly needs more time. On the palate good balance, black forest cake, a bit tight still. This will be grand but dont touch this for another 5 years. A good showing for this pirate. 96+
2010 Château Le Pin, 100 Points
Fantastic nose here as well. Toasty oak, cola, bakery spices, by now we know this must be Le Pin. Awesome on the palate as well. Soft and sexy. Pomerol does not get better than this. WOTN in my book.
2010 Pétrus, 95 Points
Dark and ripe fruit, darker and riper than the others. Same on the palate, really dark and dense, may be a bit too ripe? I don’t know but surely this needs time as well. Dont open before 2028. 95+
Flight 6
2009 Pétrus 96, Points
Lots of wild berries here on the nose, dark cherry as well. Then on the palate, lovely herbal elements come into play. Rich finish. Could be a bit fresher but very nice overall. 96+
2009 Château Le Pin, 99 Points
Amazing nose here, similar style like the 2010 with bakery, dark fruit and toast. Beautiful soft palate, very sexy, polished. Awesome. 99, WOTN #2, only slightly out-shined by the 2010 Le Pin
2009 Clos l’Église (Pomerol), 96 Points
Ripe nose here, a bit too ripe?. Dark fruit, oak. Structured palate, a touch drying but very good still. A more Napaesque showing but within acceptable limits. Held its own as a pirate in this flight and was liked by many at the table. 96+
2009 Château Lafleur, 96 Points
Ripe dark fruit, cherry, blueberry and herbs. rich palate, a bit pruney, similar style like the Clos l’Eglise next to it.
1982 Niepoort Porto Vintage, 91 Points
With the cheese and charcuterie platter there were some encore wines. Amber color, like the 1990 Yquem, this was really rich as well. Lots of apricot, smoke, vanilla, molasses. Too sweet and simple for my taste.
Encores
1990 Château d’Yquem, 94 Points
With the cheese and charcuterie platter. Rich and ripe, smoky and a touch oxidative, heady ad heavy with lots of apricot and dried fruit. Good but I like the vintages with more acidity and elegance.
Closing
Another magical night in Fribourg – Thank you Edgar for organizing!
Autor: Christian Raubach WSET III, FWS
May 2022