Tuesday 7th May 2019

Some notable releases over the bank holiday and this morning with some highly successful 2018s.  Beychevelle and Pavie Macquin look like good buys to us and Lynch Moussas offers excellent value. 
 
Beychevelle is a perennial favourite in many markets particularly Asia, thanks to its instantly recognisable label.  The 2018 is a beautiful wine typifying the fresh elegance of St Julien, and one of the best vintages made here.  Consistent demand means that prices rise and most available vintages are now more expensive (£880-950+).  With whispers of a second tranche in Bordeaux, this is one to snap up and it will probably need to be allocated.
 
Notable releases on the Right Bank lead with Pavie Macquin – a Saint Emilion property who have made an exceptional 2018.  Priced 15% cheaper than their excellent 2016, production is small and it offers excellent value to lovers of ripe yet fine Saint Emilion. 97-99 JD - "I doubt you could have too much in the cellar."
 
The new owners of Haut Batailley (the Cazes family of Chateau Lynch Bages) have made a lovely 2018.  Changes have been made in the vineyard and winery building on quality and 2018 also marks a new label design to accompany its repositioning in the market. Now offered £520 per 12, with high praise from James Suckling 94-95. 
 
Neighbouring property Batailley (£408) was released last week and now we have its Pauillac stablemate Lynch Moussas, at an attractive price level with impressive array of reviews and scores, for slightly earlier drinking. 91-94 AG - "All the elements are impeccably balanced in a wine that is so harmonious and elegant".  We can also offer a powerful Margaux from Malescot St Exupery (97-98 JS).
 
Value picks in recent releases include three Saint Estephes, strong performers with good reviews - a standout vintage for this commune.
Ormes de Pez £250 - “the luxurious kick of the Lynch Bages stable and is brilliant value for this level of quality.”
Meyney £243 – neighbour of Montrose – “Another good vintage at this increasingly impressive property.”
Marquis de Calon £237 – expertly made by the Calon Segur team – a lot of wine here for the price.
 
Calon Segur and Carmes Haut Brion both released this morning and we are finalising purchasing now, though with 25% less released on to the market, these will have to be allocated to last year’s buyers.

Prices

BEYCHEVELLE |   £720 per 12x75  LOW STOCK
93-96 AG - The 2018 Beychevelle is an exceptional, utterly vivid wine. Deep and beautifully layered in the glass, the 2018 has so much to offer.

CANTEMERLE  |   £246 per 12x75
94-95 JS -A rich and layered young Bordeaux with a solid center palate of ripe fruit and coated with ripe and polished tannins. Tightly wound ball now. Pretty texture and length to this.

HAUT BATAILLEY  |   £520 per 12x75
92-95 WS -Fresh and driven, opening with a piercing iron note that is quickly met by a core of racy cassis and damson plum flavors. Everything extends nicely through the pure finish.

LYNCH MOUSSAS  |   £329 per 12x75
91-94 AG -The 2018 Lynch-Moussas is super-expressive and very nicely woven together. Bright red berry fruit, floral notes and silky tannins give the wine striking persistence to match its understated personality. All the elements are impeccably balanced in a wine that is so harmonious and elegant in the early going.

MALESCOT ST EXUPERY  |   £492 per 12x75
97-98 JS - A structured and muscular Malescot with blackberry and blackcurrant aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Big wine for this producer.

MARQUIS DE CALON  |   £237 per 12x75
92-94 WA -Big, rich, full-bodied and voluptuously fruited in the mouth, it has bags of black fruit preserves and exotic spices with a firm, plush frame, finishing long with a minty lift. Definitely one for the hedonists!

MEYNEY  |   £243 per 12x75
94 Dec - It's clear that this is hugely concentrated, as is the Montrose right next door, but there's also beautiful juice and freshness underneath the black fruits and the powerful grip. Tannins, acidity and fruit: it's all there. This is great quality and should be long-lived, with a rich palate, evenly balanced and austere in all the right places. Another good vintage at this increasingly impressive property.

PAVIE MACQUIN  |   £632 per 12x75
97-99 JD - From a cooler, pure limestone terroir just over the hill from Château Pavie, the 2018 Château Pavie Macquin offers an incredible assortment of red and black fruits, cedary spice, white truffle, graphite, and beautiful minerality. Showing the cooler, complex, concentrated style of the vineyard, it's full-bodied and powerful on the palate, with no shortage of extract or tannins... I think this estate has been underrated in the market and it can still be found for reasonable prices. It ages beautifully and I doubt you could have too much in the cellar.

PRIEURE LICHINE  |   £348 per 12x75
92-95 AG - The 2018 Prieuré-Lichine is gorgeous. Bright and racy in the glass, the 2018 impresses with its magnificent purity of fruit. In 2018, Prieuré-Lichine has terrific energy and cut. It is perhaps a bit less creamy than the 2016, but also impeccable in its balance.

VALANDRAUD  |   £1500 per 12x75  |  £750 per 6x75
96-99 WS - This is richly fruited, with waves of fleshy raspberry, boysenberry and red currant cruising through, inlaid with singed vanilla and apple wood notes along the way. Shows density and cut through the finish, with a tug of tobacco at the end.

For more information or to place an order, please call on 01223 849040 or email us  (finewine@albanyvintners.com)