Bordeaux en Primeur, and some of the Left Bank Classics
Right now is an important time for the Bordeaux-region in France. It is that time of the year: en Primeur. New vintages of Bordeaux will be available to the public in 2025. But this week, all of the big Chateaux will present their wines, and offer them for tastings to the professionals. One of these professionals is James Suckling, who has tasted (together with his team) over 900 barrel samples of Bordeaux 2023.
So what do these professionals say about the new vintage, comparing them to let’s say 2022? Most critics say that the best wines of 2023 show balance and freshness, with ripe fruits and well polished tannins. A lot more balanced than 2022, which is better, because a classic Bordeaux should never be too strong, and tannic.
In this picture you can see some left-bank Bordeaux wines. Let’s have a little look into what the left-bank means exactly, and what is so special about the wines in the picture.
In this blog we will chat about:
So what is the difference between left-bank Bordeaux and right-bank Bordeaux?
Very simply said, Bordeaux is split in two by the Gironde Estuary, which divides into the Dordogne and Garonne rivers. If you look at a map of Bordeaux, the area to the north and right of the Gironde is the right bank, and the areas below and to the left are considered the left-bank.
Left-bank is all about the Medoc region, with great names like:
- St. Estèphe
- Pauillac
- St-Julien
- Margaux
The right-banks’ most famous appellations are Pomerol and St-Emillion
Left-banks’ usually are blends and dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon with supporting roles of the other grapes we have discussed in the previous blog. The wines are most of the time more tannic, and have more power. More structure.
Right-banks’ are usually dominated by Merlot, with the others as support. These wines are fruitier, softer, have less tannins and less acidity.
Chateau Margaux and Chateau Haut Brion are both left-bank Bordeaux blends. Let’s have a closer look at them.
Chateau Margaux
The 2021 vintage had a tough job with trying to outshine 2018, 2019 and 2020. These were such good vintages, that 2021 has some more tannins. However, the winemakers were surprised by the density of the Grand Vin 2021 vintage. Dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon (87%), this wine bursts with power. Followed up Merlot (8%), some juicy and delicious Cabernet Franc (3%), and a tiny amount of Petit Verdot (2%) to complete the blend. This wine can use some cellaring and will then show its true potential.
Chateau Haut-Brion
Considered an elegant and complex wine, this red presents mineral and fresh aromas. It has a more than unique complexity and the finish is surprisingly long. A lot of professionals describe this wine as a ‘sensation of pleasure‘. And their 1989 vintage is legendary. This 2021 is too young to drink now, but has great potential. Dominated by Merlot (50.3%), followed by Cabernet Sauvignon (38%), and after that Cabernet Franc (11.7%).
Both of these wine have a legendary status amongst wine lovers and professionals. Older vintages of these wines will do exceptionally well on auctions and as an investment. However, for me wine is about sharing and drinking, not about trading. So whenever you can get your hands on one of these wines, just be bold. Drink it.
Technical sheet for:
Margaux: here
Haut-Brion: here
