The Jancis Robinson Story | Mission Blind Tasting | Wine writing competition

Southwold 2008s – right bank

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Here are my notes on all of the right-bank wines tasted at this year's major blind tasting of Bordeaux's four-year-old vintage in the seaside town of Southwold (pictured).  See Bordeaux 2008 – the last affordable vintage for my overview and a  full description of the tasting. 

See here for my notes on the even more numerous left-bank wines.

Wines are listed by group (Pomerol, St-Émilion and Côtes) and then alphabetically by producer. Note, incidentally, how well some of the Côtes wines showed. These are not ridiculously expensive either.

POMEROL

Blackish crimson. Very firm, aromatic Cabernet on the nose...
Very dark ruby. Sweet and easy and round and light. Simple wine...
Very rich and sweet and beguiling. Sweet, pruney start. Dusty...
Very dark crimson. Lively top note. Thick and sweet. Not the...
Very dark indeed. Deep blackish. Intense. Interesting and...
Very dark ruby. Attractively fusty nose. Very savoury as opposed...
Less propitious bits sold off to Ch L'Évangile. Blackish ruby...
Mid cherry red. Very sweet start. Some real energy here with a...
Blackish crimson. Extremely ripe and succulent nose though it...
Bright viscous crimson. Some very sweet, almost obviously...
Dark ruby. Very subtle and layered and unmodern on the nose...
Savoury, earthy with great rich, luscious layers of ripe red...
Very dark. Intense, liquorice nose. Dry finish. Really quite...
Dark ruby. Lots of life and warm currants on the nose. Sweet...
Very dark crimson. Hugely intense nose. Very wild and open and...
Mid cherry red. Light, quite simple cherry pastille notes on the...
Dark crimson. Fruitcake nose. Thick and very dry. Needs lots and...
Very dark crimson. Rather sharp and New Worldy. Some almost raw...
Mid ruby. Animal nose. Sweet start. Bit tough on the end. Just a...
Blackish ruby. Firm, clarety, Cabernet sort of nose. Pure and...
Dark crimson with some development. The fruit is a little...
Not that dark, but a lustrous crimson. Very rich and heady...
Very dark crimson. A bit modern and formulaic on the nose. Sweet...
Dark crimson. Very full and exotically ripe. Hint of mocha. Very...
Very deep colour. Super-ripe meaty nose. Glossy impact with lots...
Mid crimson. Subtle tea-leaf nose. Light and noticeably aromatic...
Very slightly stewed on the nose. Very firm and youthful...
Nose not crystal clear. But lots of luscious fruit on the palate...

ST-ÉMILION

Very dark crimson. Very, very rich, exotic and intense. Coconut...
Mid to dark crimson. Toasty oak on the nose. Sweet and racy but...

Very dark crimson. Blackcurrant gums on the nose. Round and...

Blueish purple. Sweet and some macerated cereals on the nose –...
Cabernet Franc on the nose – positively leafy, in both senses of...
Fairly high VA. Rich start and then dry. Ambitious but the...
Blackish crimson. Attractive juicy fruit at first and nicely...
Sweet, spicy nose. A bit heavy and overripe. Could do with a bit...
The Pascal Delbeck property that used to be just Belair but has...
Savoury and racy on the nose but sickly on the palate. Thick and...
Some green vegetation on the nose. Then luscious, rather...
Very dark ruby. Subtle, juicy nose. Round and very fruity and...
Black to dark purple. Exceptionally dark colour. So ripe this is...
Paler than some. Hint of green (the first wine, sixth tasted, to...
Aromatic and quite subtle and succulent. Juicy and fluid. But...
Mid crimson. Some real interest on the nose. Luscious fruit with...
Very dark crimson. Light nose. Fresh palate attack. Very...
Quite evolved and malty on the nose. Some sweet oak and definite...
Not that deep crimson. Toasty and rich on the nose. Very sweet...
Relatively pale. Some interesting terroir taste on the nose...
Not very dark. Attractive, lightly toasty nose. Racy and...
Rather dull crimson. Already some evolution. A bit tight and...
Some rather odd aromas on this. Then polished fruit but there is...
Quite lively nose. A bit tart and definitely drying on the end...
Blackish crimson. Rather raw edge to this; it is definitely in...
Lustrous blackish crimson. Oxidised nose. Picked too late...
Dark crimson. Lightly peppery. Just a little chewy and murky...
Very ripe fruit plus some char on the nose. Then well-managed...
Dark crimson. Dark chocolate on the nose. Racy. Nervy. Quite...
Savoury, mild nose. Very low key. Nothing out of place but...
Distinctly gassy on the palate and then a bit drying on the end...
Dark purple. Quite intense, harmonious nose. Sweet start and...
Very rich and sweet with some terroir influence. But very exotic...
Very intense. Smells like New World Cabernet! Sweet and luscious...
First bottle TCA. Second bottle not clean either. Stinky nose...
Lots of ripeness and energy on the nose – an appealing combo...
Distinctly floral nose. Fairly lightweight and a teensy bit...
Dark and lustrous. Streak of green on the top of the aroma. Then...
A bit of development, and real lift, on the nose. Just the right...
Very deep crimson. Hint of wood shavings. Tight and taut – needs...
High toned and lightly reminiscent of port in aroma even though...
Some development at the rim. Smells a bit of pickled beetroot...
Quite focused Cabernet-like aromas. Very sweet start – purple...
Very ripe and full and sweet. Solid and dramatic and almost more...
Blackish purple. Lightly charry note. Very sweet start. Pretty...
Blackish ruby. Rather raw, porty nose. Silky and polished and...
Rather inky nose. A bit tart on the finish. Bitter and extreme...
Very impressive depth of colour – glamorously polished dark...
Blackish purple. Meaty/savoury Marmite kind of nose. Very thick...
Blackish purple. Raw slightly greenish fruit at first and then...

From 2010, much improved apparently. High toned and high VA...

Bright, dark crimson. Exotic aromas – leather and old ladies’...
Notably dark crimson. Sweet, porty nose with a streak of green...
Just bought by Haut-Brion. Deep crimson. Some interesting...
Interesting nose with hints of curry spices. Very sweet start...
Warm and spicy nose. Round and sweet but not very subtle. Rather...
Massively deep purple. Complex nose draws you in. Very rich and...
Very dark crimson. Lift, scented, thick and polished. A little...
Dark crimson. Very Cabernet nose. Bit dry on the end but...
Blackish purple. Lightly toasty nose. Very dramatic and...
Very dark crimson. Showily so. Really quite luscious and ripe...

CÔTES

Very dark crimson. Zesty and vital nose. Just a tad raisiny and...
Aromatic and quite fine boned. Refreshing and succulent. (JR)
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