Appellations

Bordeaux 2017: Batailley, Capbern, Marquis d'Alesme, Pape Clement, Ormes de Pez...

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4th May 2018. 

The pace is picking up now with a host of noteworthy releases to mention beginning with a "quintessential Pauillac" from chateau BATAILLEY at £393 per cs.  Classic cedar Pauillac character and always one of the best priced in the appellation - "This feels long on the aftertaste - a fine follow-up to the 2015 and 2016 and it may well land at the top of my banded score" 90-92 NM. 

Chateau MARQUIS D'ALESME is a great success in 2017 and quality is getting better and better at this Classed Growth Margaux. Fragrant and sophisticated, the critics are unanimous in their praise here with 92-94 from both Neal Martin and Lisa Perotti-Brown MW of the Wine Advocate and a rapturous review from Jeb Dunnuck who awards it 93-95, placing it amongst the very top tier in Margaux (only just behind Margaux, Palmer and Rauzan Segla). "A gem in the vintage and readers owe it to themselves to check out this estate, which has an undeniably gorgeous terroir." 
 
Chateau CAPBERN, made by the same team as Calon Segur, has been a property on the up in recent years and this classy Saint Estephe was highlighted by Neal Martin (89-91) as one of the "Twelve Best Potential Value-for-Money Wines" of the vintage.  Released at £174 per 12 the 2017 is undoubtedly one of the successes of the vintage - "Classic Bordeaux lovers will dig this." 90-92 JD.

The Cazes family (owners of Lynch Bages) have produced another Saint Estephe that performed admirably in 2017.  The "delicious" ORMES DE PEZ is released at £230 per cs.  91-93 NM "Don't ignore this" and 92 from JA (Dec) "This is a lovely wine and a buy for me".
 
Volumes released by PAPE CLEMENT are 40% down on last year, bolstering the price to £758 per cs - "a magnificent wine by any measure. Don't miss it." 94-97 AG.  We can also offer the dry white wine, made in very small quantities at £1200 per cs - "Great young white" 97-98 JS.

Another good showing from LANGOA BARTON where quality is reliably good.  "A ripe and lively St Julien that shows the pretty, charming, elegant style of the vintage" (JD) and "displays innate St Julien elegance" (JA, Decanter).

There are a host of other left bank releases to mention including MALARTIC LAGRAVIERE (red & white), DAUZAC, COS LABORY, LA LAGUNE and SOCIANDO MALLET.

To keep updated with all of the latest releases please visit the en primeur price list and filter by status 'NEW'.

 
Pauillac

£393 per 12 btl
93 Decanter "firm Pauillac tannins, well held together, with savoury and juicy fruit... good levels of freshness this will age very well. They are doing great work at this estate"
91-93 Wine Advocate "profound notes of crème de cassis, preserved plums and licorice over a core of espresso, tapenade and Marmite toast. Medium-bodied with a ripe, firm backbone of grainy tannins and plenty of freshness supporting the vivacious, sustained fruit, it finishes long with a red fruit lift."
 
Margaux

£324 per 12 btl / £162 per 6
92-94 Neal Martin "This is quite a sophisticated Margaux and it manifests more and more complexity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple black fruit laced with spice and white pepper. This feels very cohesive with impressive weight in the mouth, good grip with a dense, almost sinewy finish that is determined to make an impression. This is a very fine Margaux"
92-94 Wine Advocate "very deep purple-black in color with lovely baked plums, black forest cake and tapenade notes with suggestions of grilled meat and wild thyme. The palate is medium-bodied and intense with very firm, grainy tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing with great length and depth."

Saint Estephe

£174 per 12 btl
89-91 Neal Martin "gently unfolds towards the finish that exerts subtle grip. It is the precision rather than the power that defines this Capbern and if released at similar prices to previous vintages, could be one of the must-buys of 2017."
90-92 Jeb Dunnuck "a classic wine in 2017 that just screams of Saint-Estèphe... dark fruits, damp earth, and tobacco leaf all flow to a medium-bodied, rounded, nicely textured wine... good mid-palate depth, and gorgeous purity of fruit. Classic Bordeaux lovers will dig this."

£230 per 12 btl
91-93 Neal Martin  "well balanced with ripe tannin that feel more malleable than previous vintages at this stage, a little saline in the mouth with a silky smooth finish. This will be delicious over the next couple of decades and I suspect it will be more approachable than the 2016. Don't ignore this."
92 Decanter "This is a lovely wine and a buy for me. Succulent, bristling and charming, it has juicy brambled fruit extraction and tension. It doesn't take itself too seriously, just asking to be loved. The fruit spectrum is rich with blueberries and damsons, with integrity and a swirl of vanilla bean oak."

Graves / Pessac Leognan

£758 per 12 btl  /  £379 per 6 btl
94-97 Antonio Galloni "The 2017 Pape Clément is fabulous. One of the rare 2017s with a real sense of structure, Pape Clément possesses dazzling intensity from start to finish. A rush of dark cherry, plum, chocolate and grilled herb notes hits the palate as this majestic, towering wine shows off its personality. Time in the glass brings out a brighter and more floral set of flavors. The 2017 is the first vintage made with a portion of whole clusters, an inspiration Bernard Magrez takes from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where he recently bought a small property. Quite simply, the 2017 Pape Clément is a magnificent wine by any measure. Don't miss it. The only problem with the 2017 is that yields are down 40% because of frost."
94-96 Jeb Dunnuck "blockbuster bouquet of ripe black cherries, blackberries, blueberries, graphite, and licorice. One of the more powerful, concentrated wines in the vintage, this medium to full-bodied effort has terrific purity of fruit, a mouthfilling texture, and present, ripe tannin. Too many 2017s lack excitement, but that's not the case here."

£1200 per 12 btl  /  £600 per 6 btl
97-98 James Suckling "This is so serious with incredible density and a chewy texture. Focused and tight. Layered and fascinating. Lots of minerals and lemon rind. Great young white. Can't wait to see it after its elevage."
94-96+ Wine Advocate "profound notes of apricots, spiced pears and apple tart with suggestions of orange blossoms, fresh ginger and beeswax... plenty of tightly wound, intense stone fruit and spicy layers supported by fantastic freshness, finishing very long."
 
Saint Julien

£390 per 12 btl / £195 per 6
93-94 Jeb Dunnuck  "very solid and tannic with a beautiful core of blueberries, blackcurrants and other blue fruits. Crushed stones, to boot. Full body and a flavorful finish. Serious for the vintage."
90-92 Neal Martin "pure and developing light smoke and truffle scents with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with quite sharp tannin to create a tensile Langoa-Barton, saline with moderate depth, just a touch of pencil lead that surfaces towards the finish. It is exactly what I expected, which is a good thing given the track record of this Saint-Julien."
 
Please enquire, order online or contact us at sales@albanyvintners.com.
 
En Primeur wines, offered lying In Bond in the UK Summer 2020. 
Wines may be ordered in special sizes for a small supplement (6x150cl Magnums, 1x300cl double magnum, 3x300cl double magnums, 1x600cl imperial) . Please enquire for details.
Sweet wines may be ordered in half-bottles (case of 12x37.5 or case of 24x37.5) at no extra cost.