On Monday 14 October I was part of the 15 members of the jury which included Miss GlouGlou, the famous French wine blogger (and for Le Monde), Alexandre Pesle of the popular Camera Café plus oenologists, cavistes and winemakers.
I have a soft sport for Graves since their cru classés were severed from them leaving them without ‘value’ and a reduced identity when the Pessac-Léognan Appellation was created in 1987 which creamed off the 15 Grand Cru Classé GRAVES! There are some wonderful terroirs in the Gravesregion and it is the only appellation that can produce dry white, red and sweet (Graves Sup). It is probably the appellation with the most potential in the whole of Bordeaux. On average in Pessac Léognan one hectare is worth 600,000 per hectare. In Graves one hectare is Worth today 60,000€.
We tasted 53 Graves reds, 49 Graves whites (dry), 2 Graves Supérieures (sweet) and came up with ten whites and red trophies.
The stars in both red and white were; Château Des Places – Fabrice et Philippe Reynaud
My favorites are those with an asterisk. I also liked Château de Cérons, de Seuil and Des Castres.
A special word goes to Château Mejean – Bruno Geraud who apparently will lose his property including the home and vineyards to the new TGV fast link that will pass through his property from 2015. A bitter sweet prize.
En Graves Blanc 2012
Clos Bourgelat – Dominique Lafosse
Château Pont de Brion – Pascal Molinari
*Vieux Château Gaubert – Dominique Haverlan
*Château Villa Bel Air – Jean-Michel Cazes
Château Haut-Selve – Arnaud Lesgourgues
*Château des Places – Fabrice et Philippe Reynaud
Château La Rose Sarron – Philippe Rochet
*Château de Lionne – Véronique Smati
*Clos Floridene – Fabrice Dubourdieu
Château Chantegrive – Marie-Hélène Lévèque
En Graves Rouge 2010
Château Lassalle – Fabien Lalanne
Château Crabitey – Arnaud de Butler
*Château Des Places – Fabrice et Philippe Reynaud
*Château Mejean – Bruno Geraud
Château Haut-Maray – Jérome et Julien Lucas
Château La Rose Sarron – Philippe Rochet
*Château Le Bourdillot – Patrice Haverlan
Château Le Bonnat – Arnaud Lesgourgues
En Graves Supérieures 2011
**Chanteau Brondelle – Jean-Noël Belloc
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