A Wine Worth Waiting For: Revisiting 2018 Red Bordeaux from Domaines Jean-Michel Cazes Trio of Northern Haut-Médoc Châteaux. A New Generation Taking the Helm Make Their Mark. + With Emphasis on Balance the Châteaux’s 2019 Fresh Second Wines are Imminently Drinkable. (2018 & 2019 5-Bottle Pack $388) + An Evening with Pierre-Louis Araud, Château Lynch-Bages Detroit, Sunday August 25th (Limited. Inquire.)

If Hell made wine, it might turn out to be pretty good. Having been described as ‘hellish’ by renowned critic James Suckling, Bordeaux’s 2018 growing season is succinctly summarized by Barons de Rothschild CEO Saskia de Rothschild: “It was an enfant terrible. The vineyards saw endless rain at the beginning, then hail and mildew. But things improved, and the weather turned sunny and hot, allowing us in the end to make spectacular wines.”

Recalling Winston Churchill’s advice (“If you find yourself going through Hell, keep going”) it seems increasingly likely that vintage 2018 represents the clichéd ‘new norm,’ at least in Bordeaux. The changing climate has already produced a number of ‘Vintages of the Century’ in the epoch’s first quarter—2000, 2009, 2010—and with similar weather patterns and by using canny techniques, winemakers have been able to produce beautifully structured wines with ripe fruit and potent tannins along with the je ne sais quoi of ‘drinkability at any age,’ which is the ultimate hallmark of quality.

2018 in Bordeaux: ‘Enfant Terrible’ Vintage Delivers ‘Spectacular’ Wines.

According to Baptiste Guinaudeau, winemaker at Pomerol’s Château Lafleur, “2018 wines are like flying carpets. They are powerful and structured, yet remain agile. We knew that we had a great vintage by August.”

Not every winemaker was as fortunate, and alas, those who rely entirely on organic and biodynamic viticultural methods were ravaged by mildew, particularly in July, and some lost 80% of their crop. “We haven’t seen mildew pressure like this in decades,” admits Thomas Duroux of Château Palmer, which are cultivated biodynamically and simply couldn’t keep up.

“Some years we cannot make wine, but I believe in what we are doing,” says Alfred Tesseron, Pontet-Canet, also biodynamically farmed and lost about 2/3 of his crop.

Most winemakers wound up delighted, however, even while acknowledging the difficulties: Nicolas Audebert, director of Château Canon and Château Rauzan-Ségla, believes 2018 could be the best vintage ever from the second-growth Margaux: “It was a tough year and we really had to fight all the time with nature, but we won.”

Key to success in 2018 seems in part to be decisions made by individual vignerons and vineyard managers. The poor and wet weather for the first half of 2018 significantly shaped the vintage; the hot and sunny weather from mid-July until the end of the harvest in October made the decision on when to pick crucial. Those who picked late produced tannic and richer wines, while the early harvesters made fresher and slightly lighter wines.

2018 Wines Will Require Years to Evolve and Develop. Or Drink Now.

For decades—even centuries—the prevailing standard of greatness in Bordeaux is powerful wines that can endure for decades, long enough to develop the complex secondary and tertiary aromas; flavors that transcend mere pleasure and achieve profundity. It is a fascinating argument; but the inconvenient truth is that these days, Bordeaux with the oomph to age this long is frequently priced beyond what everyday drinkers can afford. Not only that, but there is a diminishing among of time for returns: As we age, many of these wines will not truly come into their own in our lifetimes. As the prices continue to rise, the market diminishes accordingly.

Perhaps in concert with this shrinking audience, wines that were once dismissed as ‘restaurant wines’ for their approachability tonight rather than on some phantom night in a hazy future, are beginning to be given their due. Balance is a requisite element whether the wine is consumed young or fully matured.

When a rare vintage like 2018 produces both—wines that can age until your grandchildren have grandchildren, but are accessible today, with elegance, purity and finesse—it is worth taking notice.

The Package: Five Bottles for $388

The following five numbered wines are available as a package, representing the 2018 and 2019 vintages—among the most successful back-to-back growing seasons in Bordeaux ever.

New Generation Show Their Value

The above quote from Saskia de Rothschild (the youngest person to currently lead a First Growth estate) fits a theme: A new generation of Bordeaux winemaker has entered the fray, and shored up with science that matches their zeal, they are willing to experiment where necessary to create superb wines on their own terms.

This new sense of dynamism and momentum is vital in overcoming the natural obstacles of climate change being thrown at Bordeaux—and dreamland that has been at the pinnacle of wine lore for centuries. Fabled estates like Château Angélus are turning over the reins to young women and men who have been waiting (and working) in the wings. Eighth-generation Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal (born in the year of the legendary 1982 vintage) took over as managing director of the Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A estate in 2012 while her father Hubert remains a force as a consulting winemaker.

Pétrus, as well, has seen the generational shift; Jean-Claude Berrouet, now 82, made wine at the estate for more than 40 years. His son Jeff created the 100-point 2018 Pétrus and has tackled the nuances head-on: “Climate change makes new oak more challenging,” he says. “Higher temperatures and greater sunlight tend to result in higher sugar levels in grapes, with ensuing higher alcohol levels. The higher the alcohol, the more the solvents are produced. As a result , the more oak tannin extracted, and felt in the wine. For that very reason, Pétrus is aged using only 50% new oak.”

Jean-Charles Cazes, Châteaux Lynch-Bages, Haut-Batailley and Ormes de Pez

At Lynch-Bages, sadly, Jean-Michel Cazes passed aways in 2023, having handed over management of the family interests to his son Jean-Charles Cazes in 2006. In this year—spearheaded by the younger Cazes—the château adopted “selection massale” for replanting. This method involves choosing a number of outstanding vines from the vineyard and propagating new vines from that budwood. In order to perpetuate the original diversity, Cazes only considered parcels planted more than 50 years ago.

Saint-Estèphe: Fleshy with Exceptional Backbone, Lift and Energy

Situated at the northern end of the Haut-Médoc, just south of the Médoc appellation that runs north to the Pointe de Grave and the Bay of Biscay, Saint-Estèphe is one of Bordeaux’s famous ‘Left Bank’ appellations. With 3000 acres under vine, Saint-Estèphe accounts for roughly 8% of the vineyard area of the wider Médoc.

Because Saint-Estèphe is marginally further from the gravel-bearing waters of the Garonne, the terroir is less stony than that found in the southern part of the Haut-Médoc. Instead, heavy clay and a limestone base dominate this area, resulting in poorer-draining soils, delayed ripening and higher acidity levels in the wines. These factors tend to favor Merlot over Cabernet Sauvignon, which performs better on clay-rich soils.

Château Ormes de Pez
Saint-Estèphe

Château Ormes de Pez, found just west of Saint-Estèphe and bordering the hamlet of Pez, has belonged to the Médoc landscape since the 18th century. It has belonged to the Cazes family since 1939. The hundred-acre vineyard is planted to 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot—a marked increase in the amount of Merlot in the vineyard. This has clearly helped add more softness and richness to the Grand Vin’s profile.

Ormes de Pez wines are made with the same care and attention as those from Château Lynch-Bages. And that is because vineyard manager Rafaël Destruhaut-Balladu, prioritizes a similarly integrated method of agriculture for both, which include the use of neutral products for the environment, optimized plant-health control and fallow periods for soil rest. Grapes are harvested by hand and vinification takes place under Daniel Llose and Nicolas Labenne. Using traditional winemaking methods that allow a gentle extraction of colors and tannins. The wine is then aged for around 15 months in French oak barrels, 45% of which are new.

 1  Château Ormes de Pez, 2018 Saint-Estèphe ($42)
The Grand Vin of Pez is a blend of 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2%  Petit Verdot matured in French oak barrels of which about half are new. It shows typicity of the appellation, with black cherry, plum, licorice and spice.

Pauillac: Elegance and Power Coupled with Complexity

The most singularly revered appellation on earth, Pauillac is to wine what The Beatles are to pop music. Though fewer than ten square miles in total, three of the top five châteaux in the 1855 Médoc Classification are located here, and so varied is the topography that each estate is able to market the individual nature, in style and substance, of their wares. And it is this trio of skills—growing, producing and selling—that has made the region almost a cliché, synonymous with elite wine, where futures sell for exorbitant rates long before the wine is even in the bottle.

Whereas the Right Bank of the Gironde is known for clay-rich soils that produce smooth, softly-fruited wines with balancing tannins, the Left Bank—where vines tend to struggle through limestone and gravel—is known for tannic wines that become exponentially more complex with age. The Left Bank encompasses the Médoc region, whose face, quite arguably, is Pauillac.

Pauillac represents three of the five First Growths named in the 1855 Classification, with another fifteen classified wines adding trophies to the wall, including two heralded Second Growths. The wines of Pauillac contain a characteristic finesse, elegance, and intensity essentially unmatched by any growing region elsewhere in the world. The maritime climate and unique soil matrix, ideally suited to Cabernet Sauvignon, is key to the splendor. Nearly flat, (the average elevation in Pauillac is twenty feet), the subsoil is often composed of alios, a hard sandstone rich in iron, which may account for the appellation’s classic strength and vitality. The châteaux, in the main, are less subdivided than in neighboring regions, making it easier to pinpoint variations in style according to terroir.

Pauillac consists of about 3000 acres of vineyards, which on average produce seven million bottles of wine per year.

Pauillac contains a dozen Fifth Growth estates, each vying to match fame of Château Lynch-Bages, long considered the leader in the category, dubbed ‘the poor pan’s Mouton’ for its rich and powerful style.

Château Haut-Batailley
Pauillac

This Fifth Growth Pauillac is a scion of the mother estate, Château Batailley; in 2017, it was acquired by the Cazes family, owners of the ubiquitous Château Lynch-Bages. Named after a battle that took place there in 1453; it functioned as a working winery for centuries until being ranked during the 1855 Classification. In the 20th Century, François Xavier Borie (owner of the famous Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste) acquired the estate and portioned off a smaller section of Château Batailley, thus creating Château Haut-Batailley.

The wines of Haut-Batailley are traditional examples of classic Pauillac terroir—heavily graveled, sandy soil over clay. Vinification is typically done in stainless steel tanks and the process of malolactic fermentation occurs within the stainless steel, giving these wines a velvety smoothness and supple luxurious drinkability. The wines of Château Haut-Batailley share the versatility of the grand vin from Château Batailley in the sense that they age well yet are able to be enjoyed on the younger side within an hour or so of decanting.

 2  Château Haut-Batailley, 2018 Pauillac ($78)
59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Merlot aged for 14 months in French oak barrels, 60% new. The imprint of the Merlot is obvious in the creamy damson plum notes highlighted by macerated black cherries, blueberry, hints of fresh fig and pressed violets. An opulent wine easy to enjoy tonight or ten thousand tonights from now.

Château Lynch-Bages
Pauillac

Amid the fanfare and the brilliant marketing (Jean-Michel Cazes sent a bottle of 1975 Lynch-Bages into outer space aboard the space shuttle Discovery), Fifth Growth Château Lynch-Bages is worth the hype. Under the tireless campaigning and quality-improvement of the Cazes family, who have owned the property since 1934, the estate has expanded to over 250 acres to the south and southwest of Pauillac.

Improvements to both soil and technique have been a hallmark of the Cazes approach; a massive renovation and modernization of the wine cellar took place in 2017, and cutting-edge vineyard management now includes satellite imaging to survey the vineyard and conducting soil surveys to ensure the vines reach their full potential.

Of the nonpareil terroir, Jean-Charles Cazes (who took over the estate in 2007) says, “Combined with the natural barrier of the Landes forest, the Atlantic Ocean and the Gironde estuary, we find ourself in a very specific micro-climate. Winters are cool, frosts are rare, spring is often wet, summers are warm and autumns are sunny. Along with that, Lynch-Bages soils are homogeneous, essentially made up of deep Garonne gravel, resulting from the slow erosion of the Pyrenees by the Garonne river. On top of having high draining properties, these soils of pebbles and sands accumulate heat during the day and release it during the night, and they contribute to a moderate growth and a deep rooting of the vine.”

Although stuck in fifth place by the 1855 classification, it appears that fate, nature, and an aggressively forward-thinking family has raised the bar far higher than the Cru-rating suggests.

 3  Château Lynch-Bages, 2018 Paulliac ($179)
72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot; perfumed with blackcurrants and blackberry behind a solid core of chocolate, cedar chest, star anise, cigar box, cardamom and wood smoke. Enjoyable young but will continue to unfold beautifully with time.

Second Thoughts: The Grand Vin’s Second Wine

Rather than shedding tears, Bordeaux adds tiers—and classification is what Bordeaux is all about. While the Grand Vin is expected to be the A-game of any château, with technological advancements and an increasingly warm climate, the price of these top-shelf wines has risen with the temperature, and quality is ensured by an ever more rigorous selection of grapes on the sorting table.

Second wines—a tradition begun by Château Margaux in the 17th century—were the logical place to establish grapes deemed unfit for inclusion in the Grand Vin. And since the terroir in which they were grown was often similar, and occasionally identical to the first wines (and generally made by the same vigneron), it stands to reason that the great estates would release these ‘little brother wines’ under some version of their famous name. Château Lafite Rothschild’s second wine, for example, is Carruades de Lafite; Château Margaux’s is Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux.

This name-game association has a downside, of course: As the prices for a château’s main bottling rose, they found that they could easily command more for second wines as well, and inexorably, these began to be priced beyond the reach of many consumers as well. Especially in the Médoc, the cost of second wines crept up to a price point once paid for the first. Some châteaux found a solution in producing third wines, and although fourth wines are not unheard of, the bulk of a harvest that does end up in one of the three is generally declassified and sold to négociants.

 4  Château Haut-Batailley ‘Haut-Batailley Verso’, 2019 Pauillac ($39)
The 2019 vintage was generally superb throughout the Médoc, and Pauillac fared even better than the rest. Conditions were easy and the harvest seamless.

Haut-Batailley’s second wine, Verso, is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and represents 35% of the 2019 harvest. Vatting took place over a period of three weeks with successive cycles of pumping over prior to barreling. It shows beautiful red and blue fruits as well as lead pencil, tobacco and herb nuances with spicy notes and a hint of balsamic.

 5  Château Lynch-Bages ‘Echo de Lynch-Bages’, 2019 Pauillac ($50)
The estate’s second wine, Echo de Lynch-Bages 2019 is composed of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is big and bold from the outset, displaying warm black current and blueberry pie in a creamy package where the tannins are secondary to the fruit.

Time Capsules: 2020 & 2010 Wines.

Recognized as legendary across the board in Bordeaux, 2010 was truly great vintage whose exceedingly dry growing season served to concentrate the juice and provide wines with outstanding depth. Despite a wet June giving a damp start to summer, the season soon heated up turning exceedingly hot and dry, particularly in the Médoc region; the arid conditions caused the right amount of water stress to improve the berries, and the long, sunny days continued through to October with nights steadily chilling as the season drew to a close. Cool nights were imperative to preserving the acidity in the grapes and rains, fortunately, came in September freshening the grapes.

Like 2010, 2020 is a vintage to be reckoned with, both now and decades from now. The growing season began well with a balmy but frequently wet spring that ensured both an early and successful budburst and flowering. These spring rains put the vineyards in good stead for the arrival of a hot, dry summer. The arid conditions caused some vines to suffer from drought, although, the odd, intermittent thunderstorm brought just enough water relief to most vineyards. Some, however, brought hail, causing localized damage and cutting yields. The Left Bank received more deluges than the Right and the on-off patches of rain coupled with high temperatures created the perfect conditions for mildew to develop.

Château Lynch-Bages, 2020 Paulliac ($182)
A ‘vin de garde’ of the vintage, 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot. If ever a wine was pure Pauillac, this is it—dense and chewy with precision and palate-coating fruit. 75% new oak aging, giving the firm tannins some extra oomph that will shore it up for decades. In the meantime it shows blackcurrant, hazelnut and graphite wreathed in velvety tannin counterbalanced by a fine bead of acidity.

Château Lynch-Bages, 2010 Paulliac ($299)
79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 2% Cab Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. With similar alcohol levels and tannins to Vintage 2009, the 2010 Lynch-Bages differs from the very sunny 2009 in its higher acidity, which was the result of lower temperatures and cooler nights. Less rainfall, combined with milder temperatures led to the development of small, concentrated grapes, rich in pigments and tannins which still maintain their precise aromatic freshness. The fruit is still present, having matured into Black Forest gâteau.

White Bordeaux in Pauillac

White wine in Pauillac is like its cave paintings—very rare and quite exquisite. Perhaps the most iconic red wine region on earth, a small amount of Bordeaux Blanc is nonetheless produced in Pauillac, mostly cépages made from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle.

The gravel-based soils—so prominent in Graves that they named the appellation after it—also exists in Pauillac; First Growths Lafite and Mouton Rothschild both occupy enviable locations on a gravel plateau, and it is this well-drained soil that is arguably the single most important factor in the local quality equation, responsible for helping Pauillac’s signature grape—Cabernet Sauvignon—to balanced maturity. They are also indispensable in producing white wines with vigor, personality and even an exotic edge that underscores the physiological ripeness.

Château Lynch-Bages ‘Blanc de Lynch-Bages’, 2022 Bordeaux Blanc ($92)
67% Sauvignon Blanc, 22% Sémillon and 11% Muscadelle showing white flower aromatics and ripe tropical fruits with subtle gunsmoke edging and slate texture. The team passed through the vineyard several times to ensure bunches came in as soon as they were ripe and ensured reductive winemaking in individually temperature-controlled barrels to keep emphasis on fruit and aromatics.

An Evening With Pierre-Louis Araud, Commercial Director of Château Lynch-Bages, in Detroit

Elie Wine Company is proud to host an evening with Pierre-Louis Araud, commercial director and brand ambassador for Château Lynch-Bages, who will present a selection of fine wines from the trio of Châteaux. On Sunday, August 25, we will sample the outstanding 2018 vintage, both the grand vin and the second wines, and participants are invited to decide for themselves the level of ‘drinkability’ these wines have achieved in their relative youth. We will also sample Blanc de Lynch-Bages 2022 and 2019 Haut-Batailley.

Guests can sign up for 5 p.m. tasting or opt for the tasting and dinner afterward, subject to available space. Please call for further details.

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Posted on 2024.08.15 in Pauillac, Saint-Estephe, Haut-Médoc, France, Bordeaux, Wine-Aid Packages