Connoisseur Week Bordeaux: a slice of wine magic
Once a year, Jane Anson and Sarah Kemp organise a very special week for wine lovers, in Bordeaux: The Connoisseur Week. In this podcast, they look back on this year’s trip, and discuss the châteaux they visited, and the many memorable wines they drank. They both admit it is their favourite week of the year, and because they taste so many extraordinary wines Sarah warns listeners that they might want to turn off, as it sounds like wine porn! However, at a time when there is a lot of negative chatter around Bordeaux, Jane and Sarah agree that Bordeaux continues to deliver incredible enjoyment and that the region has delivered stunning wines throughout history. Sarah points out another advantage of the region: the ability to share the experience with other wine lovers over time, as in general the wines are made in sufficient quantity for wine lovers across the world to have them in their cellars.
Connoisseur Week Recap
The opening dinner was held at the beautiful Château Haut-Bailly, where Bordeaux’s most gracious host, Véronique Sanders, served five decades of Haut-Bailly: 2016, 2009, 1996, 1983 and 1970. The standout wine for Jane was the 1983, poured in magnum, but Sarah and Jane agreed the 2016 was exceptional and though still very young, for Jane a100-point wine. A tour around the new cellar, its garden on top now an intrinsic part of the landscape, made for a magical opening dinner with one of Bordeaux’s most loved estates and directors.
The next day, Château d’Yquem’s delightful estate director, Lorenzo Pasquini, proved the versatility of Sauternes with an imaginative menu designed by chef Olivier Brulard. He explained how the 2022 was nearly not made – it was the estate’s first organic vintage, and the conditions were challenging. He decided to go ahead, and the result was certainly worth it, with the 2022 showing an intense aromatic nose of candied orange and peonies, on the palate a voluptuous richness of apricot and pineapple underpinned by a streak of acidity with a delicious saline finish. The lunch included Y 2023, and Yquem 2013, matched with filet of turbot, 2005 with cheese, and the 1989 with a dish concocted from pineapple and mango, which showed the 1989 off to perfection.
Hard act to follow, Jane and Sarah agreed, unless you are Jean-Philippe Delmas, third-generation estate director at Châteaux Haut-Brion and Mission Haut-Brion. How often do you get to enjoy tasting Haut-Brion and Mission Haut-Brion side-by-side? The dinner commenced with a pair of 2017 Blancs in magnum, with the guests split on which estate they preferred. It was tough to move on, but then came La Mission Haut-Brion 2000 and Haut-Brion 1998 matched with a Chateaubriand de Boeuf d’Aquitaine. One of those moments when the clocks could stop. Sarah’s tasting note on the Haut-Brion starts “insanely beautiful,” a true classic and one of the wines of the week. Mission and Haut Brion 2005s with the cheese, followed by a bright, uplifted 2015 Château Quintus brilliantly finished off an unforgettable evening.
Jane and Sarah discuss all this, and the rest of the Connoisseur Week – you can also find full tasting notes can be found here.
Podcasts
Once a year, Jane Anson and Sarah Kemp organise a very special week for wine lovers, in Bordeaux: The Connoisseur Week. In this podcast, they look back on this year’s trip, and discuss the châteaux they visited, and the many memorable wines they drank. They both admit it is their favourite week of the year, and because they taste so many extraordinary wines Sarah warns listeners that they might want to turn off, as it sounds like wine porn! However, at a time when there is a lot of negative chatter around Bordeaux, Jane and Sarah agree that Bordeaux continues to deliver incredible enjoyment and that the region has delivered stunning wines throughout history. Sarah points out another advantage of the region: the ability to share the experience with other wine lovers over time, as in general the wines are made in sufficient quantity for wine lovers across the world to have them in their cellars.
The Wine Podcast from JaneAnson.com: Suzanne Mustacich and Charles Philipponnat talk the legendary Clos des Goisses and its sibling cuvées, the Philipponnat style, a dream Champagne dinner, best cheeses to serve alongside NV and vintage Champagnes, what are the best glasses to use, and whether decanting is needed. Go deep into these highly collectible bottles.
Jane Anson speaks to Philippe Troussier, ex-professional footballer turned international coach, who took Japan to the 2002 World Cup Finals, coached national teams from Qatar to Nigeria, and is now owner of Sol Beni winery in St Emilion. Find out how Philippe fell in love with wine thanks to a 1947 Château Margaux shared with him early in his career, how his winery is named after a training ground he built in Burkina Faso that started the careers of both Yaya and Kolo Touré, what lessons from football can be applied in his new career - and why Maroon 5's Memories sums up his philosophy about wine.
This podcast is in French with English subtitles.
Thinking Differently: Pierre-Olivier Clouet, director of Château Cheval Blanc in St Emilion talks to Suzanne Desbois about viticulture, agroforestry, farming, and reimagining the future of fine wine.
Final thoughts on what to look for in the 2024 En Primeur season, best values, how to avoid pitfalls, and thoughts on pricing - and why my event at Bern's Steakhouse last week gave me an important reminder of why high acidity vintages can be perfect for providing surprises over the long haul.
On the road with Sarah Kemp and Jane Anson as they taste through Bordeaux 2024 - here giving their first impressions of the wines after two weeks of tastings. Find out which wines stand out as bright spots among the vintage, if we can claim it as a Left or Right Bank, Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot year... and why this might be the time to try those big named estates that have been priced out of reach for most consumers for so long.
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