Wine of the Month - September 2019

In the summer, we like to pair food with white as well as red wine. Our wine of the month selection for August introduced our subscribers to wines from Pessac-Léognan, an appellation that is well-known for producing both excellent red and white wines in Bordeaux.  It was well received and we would like to reshuffle the lineup of the wines from Pessac-Léognan for the remainder of the summer.

Traditionally lumped into the famed appellation of Graves, Pessac-Léognan carved itself out as a separate terroir in 1987.

This month's selection:

• 1 x Château de Fieuzal Blanc 2014, Pessac-Léognan, 93 pts
• 1 x Château de Fieuzal Rouge 2014, Pessac-Léognan, 90 pts
• 1 x Château Carbonnieux Blanc 2014, Pessac-Léognan, 92 pts
• 1 x Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2014, Pessac-Léognan, 94 pts

Tasting Notes

Château de Fieuzal Blanc 2014 - "The Château de Fieuzal Blanc 2014 has an attractive nose: lime mixed with citrus fruit and touches of grilled walnut coming through with aeration. The palate is quite shrill on the entry with attacking lime and citrus scents. The acidity is quite strong here, but there is plenty of fruit and a lovely sense of tension on the finish. This is an excellent Pessac-Léognan from this rejuvenated estate." - Neal Martin, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/29/2015, Issue 218), Ratings: 91-93, Drink: 2017-2030

Château de Fieuzal Rouge 2014 - "The 2014 De Fieuzal was following the Domaine de Chevalier Rouge and frankly that's a difficult act to follow. It certainly does not possess the same precision of fruit concentration, perhaps enduring a reticent, broody stage of its evolution. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin and well-judged acidity. Here perhaps more representative of the wine, building in the mouth towards a lovely cedar-tinged finish, leaving you on a high note. Hopefully the aromatics will develop with bottle age and then it will merit a higher score." - Neal Martin, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/29/2015, Issue 218), Ratings: 90+, Drink: 2018-2035

Château Carbonnieux Blanc 2014 - "The Château Carbonnieux Blanc 2014 has a pretty nose in the making: precise apple blossom and blackcurrant leaf aromas that gently waft from the glass. The palate is crisp on the entry, the acidity not as shrill as some of its peers, thus rendering it a more "languid" Pessac-Léognan. There is already a very elegant, gravelly finish that lingers in the mouth–a very promising Carbonnieux Blanc that may merit a higher score after bottling." - Neal Martin, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/29/2015, Issue 218), Ratings: 90-92, Drink: 2018-2032

Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2014 - "The Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2014 is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, cropped at 35 hectoliters per hectare that is matured in 65% new barrels. There is a strong and persuasive marine influence on the nose, suggestions of iodine and seaweed infusing the black fruit that is very well defined and nicely embroidered with the oak. The palate is medium-bodied with edgy, slightly chalky tannin; saline in the mouth and linear, focused, quite penetrating finish. In a similar fashion to the Haut-Bailly, this is a more "athletic" Smith Haut Lafitte, but one that allows the terroir to come through and be articulated. This is a stylish "S.H.L." from talented winemaker Fabien Teitgen." - Neal Martin, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/29/2015, Issue 218), Ratings: 92-94, Drink: 2019-2035