Julien Barthe of Château Beau-Séjour Bécot pours his hedonistic Saint-Emilion Grand Cru at the UGCB tasting in Beverly Hills

It was a very good year, 2015 in Bordeaux, whose youthful wines are now displaying exuberant fruit, a riper essence yet not hot with alcohol, fresh and dynamic, with a harmonious framework of silky texture, power, and concentration.  When you taste the promise of Bordeaux, and realize that it’s full potential is still years away, it’s a reminder how complex and breathtaking these wines are, and here’s why.

Courtesy of Discover France

Courtesy of Saint-Emilion Tourism

Courtesy of Escapism Magazine

Once upon a time, in a land across the sea, carved by ancient glaciers, caressed by rivers, and fanned by Atlantic breezes, vineyards arose from the fractured bedrock, and condensed into the enigma of Bordeaux wine legend.  Vintage dependent, reflective of soils, shaped by history, and expressive of climate, Bordeaux wines encompass a sense of “somewhereness”, what the French so aptly call ”terroir”.  It’s difficult for the novice to wrap themselves around the intricacies of this region, the varietals, the properties, the classification systems, and oh, the prices!  Usually, Bordeaux’s elite grand crus require a decade to be approachable, especially the Cabernet Sauvignon dominant ones from the Left Bank.  Yet vintage can be the most crucial factor, with consistent weather the deciding factor in a Goldilocks palate, separating superb from just OK.

Julien Barthe of Château Beau-Séjour Bécot

Vintage 2015 started as a perfect growing season, then experienced a hiccup in mid-summer, when heat and drought stressed the vines, which were rescued with heavy rains in August.  This pickup in rainfall late season would lead to different results in the wines produced, where the type of vineyard soils would dictate how good the wines could become.  Considered not superb but with excellent potential in some areas, 2015 might be the best year since 2010, except not as much power and structure.  The commune of Pessac-Leognan was a star with both its whites and reds.  The dry white wines are very good, riper yet still vibrant, elegant with good body; the sweet wines are enchanting, a bit more fat with a good balance of acidity.  The Merlot-based reds from Pomerol and Saint-Emilion are excellent, many containing the swoon factor, mouthfilling with ripe tannins, and depth of flavor.  The Left Bank reds are more approachable than in recent years, and quality varies according to the producer, yet they are still classically elegant.   Some of the top Châteaux always seem to make fine wines, despite Mother Nature, and these will be snapped up for the cellar.

The 2018 Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) tasting, presented by Wally’s Wines, showcased top producers’ 2015 vintage wines at the  Beverly Hills Hotel, which are currently only available for futures purchase.  Here, you enter the rarefied air of classified Bordeaux, where knowledge is important and patience is key.  Often, these wines ideally need a decade before you can even pop a cork, and some won’t shine for many more years beyond that.

Fabien Teitgen, Director General of Château Smith Haut Lafitte, pours their stunning Bordeaux

Here are a few of my highlights of the tasting, with over a hundred producers in attendance, apologies to the many fine wines I did not get to sample.

​Dry Whites (Blanc):

Château de Chantegrive Blanc "Caroline" (Graves) - amazing, 50% Semillon and 50% Sauvignon Blanc, delicate aromatics of peach, citrus, white flowers, and beeswax, textured, fat and sassy, long finish

Château Pape Clément Blanc (Pessac-Leognan) - show stopper, 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Semillon, and 10% Sauvignon Gris, impressive in its pear and dried peach aromas, with a savory edge, palate has power, weight, and depth, laced with mineral notes and spice, a very big wine

Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc (Pessac-Leognan) - a knockout,  90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillon, and 5% Sauvignon Gris, perfumed and rich, complex aromas of citrus and white peach, honeysuckle floral notes, and brioche and butter accents on the intensely long finish

Château Larrivet Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Leognan) - so well balanced, 77% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Semillon, and 3% Sauvignon Gris, exotic and ripe fruit along with vibrant acidity

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc (Pessac-Leognan) - round citrus with a touch of flint, 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon, textured and vivid, powerful and long, a stunner

Château La Louvière Blanc (Pessac-Leognan) - complex bouquet of dried and candied fruit, 100% Sauvignon Blanc, lively and opulent

Reds (Rouge):

Château Pape Clément (Pessac-Leognan) - sexy and sumptuous, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, deep dark fruit, plum and cassis, richly textured with exotic spice, chocolate, and orange, dense and concentrated

Château Smith Haut Lafitte (Pessac-Leognan) - sensual and succulent, 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, ripe blueberry, blackberry, and plum, classic cedar and graphite notes, fresh and intense, lingering finish

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot (Saint Emilion) - spectacular, 80% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, rich dark cherry and plum, mocha, licorice, and violet floral accents, damp earth notes, full-bodied and polished with silky tannins, a finish that goes on forever

Château La Cabanne (Pomerol) - dense and rich, 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, pure black fruit, juicy tannins and nice acidity

Château Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) - impressive, 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, intense, rich and powerful, deep black fruit, racy acidity and fine tannins, compelling with a very long finish

Château Léoville Poyferré (Saint-Julien) -  elegant and concentrated, 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, dense black fruit, layered with notes of graphite and spice, textured, robust finish

Château Beychevelle (Saint-Julien) - supple and structured, 47% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, well balanced with juicy fruit and acidity, pure and long on the palate

Château Branaire-Ducru (Saint-Julien) -  structured yet polished, 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, ripe dark fruit, complex and elegant, supple tannins on long bright finish

Château Talbot (Saint-Julien) - powerful and structured, 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, restrained fruit and fine tannins make for a classic Bordeaux, needs aging

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (Pauillac) - dazzling, 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, intense and vivid, complex in its dark fruit, spice, and graphite notes, textured and gorgeous

Sweet wines (Sauternes/Barsac):

Château Doisy Daëne - opulent and elegant, 93% Semillon and 7% Sauvignon Blanc, balanced with fresh acidity

Château Clos Haut-Peyraguey -  stunning and complex, 95% Semillon, 5% Sauvignon Blanc, elegant honeyed orange, apricot, and tropical fruit with spice, floral bouquet floats on extra long finish

Château LaFaurie-Peyraguey - perfumed and refined, 93% Semillon, 6% Sauvignon Blanc and 1% Muscadelle, complex palate of citrus, ginger, juniper and honey, incredible balance

Château Suduiraut - lush and concentrated, 94% Semillon and 6% Sauvignon Blanc, perfumed and rich, orange marmalade and apricot, mouthfilling finish

Château De Fargues - graceful yet powerful, 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, nice balance of sweet and acidity

Yours truly, Patricia Decker, at the UGCB tasting tour in Beverly Hills

Whipped up by its mystique, Bordeaux wine devotees have something to look forward to.  These Grand Vins of royalty, whose very bouquet transports you to a land steeped in lore, and where a sip of the red elixir is a communion of the highest order, offer great and good 2015 vintage wines, and although variable in their quality, wine critics agree that 2015 is the best year since 2009-10.