Volcanic Wine Awards | The Jancis Robinson Story | Mission Blind Tasting

Southwold 2008s – right bank

Image


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)
Become a member or log in to continue reading
Member
$135
/year
Save over 15% annually
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
  • Access 294,784 wine reviews & 16,081 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
Inner Circle
$249
/year
 
Ideal for collectors
  • Access 294,784 wine reviews & 16,081 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
  • Access 294,784 wine reviews & 16,081 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade
  • Access 294,784 wine reviews & 16,081 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Pay with
Visa logo Mastercard logo American Express logo Logo for more payment options
Join our newsletter

Get the latest from Jancis and her team of leading wine experts.

By subscribing you agree with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

More Tasting articles

Split Rail vineyard
Tasting articles Part 4 of an exploration of California’s westernmost vineyards. Above, the Split Rail vineyard in Corralitos (credit: John Benedetti)...
Fernando Mora MW and Mario López of Bodegas Frontonio
Tasting articles A close look at three of Zaragoza’s most important projects. Above, Fernando Mora MW (left) and Mario López of Bodegas...
Acered vineyard
Tasting articles To celebrate Aragón’s new map in the upcoming World Atlas of Wine , Ferran explores the wines of Zaragoza. Above...
Alexandre Delétraz's (Cave des Amandiers) vineyards in Valais @ Leif Carlsson
Tasting articles Red, white, young, old – there’s no shortage of diversity or deliciousness available in Swiss wines. You just need to...

More from JancisRobinson.com

female urban hands each holding a glass of wine - Shutterstock
Free for all Pauline Vicard asks, can wine still justify its cultural relevance? The answer to this question, rather than economics, may become...
Thomas Walk Vineyard in Kinsale
Free for all Jancis is put in her place, by the hybrid grapes of the Emerald Isle. A shorter version of this article...
Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier bottle and glass of wine outdoors, on table with books
Wines of the week A summer-ready, silky white wine that’s widely available from just $8.99, £20.90 . The sleeper hit of Napa winery Pine...
Ungrafted monastrell vines in Jumilla
Free for all 4 June 2026 In advance of the 2026 Old Vine Conference on 8 June, we’re republishing this overview of our...
Dar Sinclair, Tangier
Don't quote me Foreign parts feature heavily this month but that’s far from all. The villa pictured above overlooks Tangier. I hope you...
Sally Abé of Teal
Nick on restaurants An exciting new addition to the East London restaurant scene. Above, Sally Abé. Everything is on the small side at...
Institute of Masters of Wine logo
Free for all Alors que notre Sam Cole-Johnson et 216 autres candidats s'apprêtent à passer les examens MW la semaine prochaine, nous revenons...
The Bull interior
Free for all Great wine and pie in the Shires. Charlbury is pretty much the first stony outcrop of the Cotswolds that you...
Wine inspiration delivered directly to your inbox, weekly
Our weekly newsletter is free for all
By subscribing you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.