By Ronald Rens, M. Sc., Wine Master, President of The Bordeaux Wine Experience

The Bordeaux 2008 I dare you vintage, The First Growths. 

Like I said earlier, I am by no means Robert Parker but still we have have tasted and rated the wines on a 20 point scale: 0 being very bad and 20 points being exceptional.
The notes are not RP (Robert Parker), but RR (Ronald Rens).

The 2008 First Growths

Chateau Mouton Rothschild

Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild (17.5 points)
Lighter in color than many of the other Pauillacs. On the nose there is an explosion of aroma’s of red fruits and a hint of pepper. Loads of fruit in the mouth with soft round tannins. A beautiful balance. It looks like the Petit Mouton is developing even further every year.
(94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot)

Chateau Mouton Rothschild (18.5 points)
The Mouton needed some time to open up but after having given it some time (and some swirling around) the wine opened up beautifully. A complex nose displaying expressive black (blackcurrant) fruits and typical peppery hints. In the mouth it showed a full-bodied wine with an exceptional purity of flavors and a very rich fruit. An elegant wine with great balance in the acidity. “Very good”, I wrote in my tasting notes.
(83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot)

Aile d’Argent, the white wine of Mouton Rothschild (18 points).
As there is no white Pauillac this is an appellation Bordeaux. A light pale color. On the nose there is an explosion of fresh fruits. A beautiful balance in the acidity. on the palate there is a bit less fruit and complexity as compared to the 2007.

Chateau Haut Brion

Chateau Haut Brion (19.5 points)
Just 35% of the harvest made it into le Grand Vin in 2008. The production of 7.000 cases will be the smallest ever in the long history of the chateau. The normal production is about 12.000 cases. The blend of the 2008 is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, and 9% Cabernet Franc. The deep purple, almost inky color of the wine are the first signs of the spectacular concentration of Haut Brion. It is a classic, elegant wine with strong but soft tannins. Loads of fruit like cassis, black currant and blueberry. There is tobacco and licorice. The wine stays with you for minutes. A great success for the Delmas team. This wine will outlive us all!

Chateau Lafite Rothschild

Chateau Lafite Rothschild (19.5 - 20 points)
This is without a doubt the most impressive barrel sample I ever tasted. Frederique Domingo, who conducted the tasting at the chateau asked me: “et alors“, what do you think? I make my tasting notes in Dutch and keep them to myself during tastings. I showed Frederique the last word I had just written: BRAVO! This sums it all up up for me.
The wine was deep dark, almost black. It took some swirling of the glass, but then the wine opened up in a spectacular way. This exceptional wine showed powerful tannins and a strong expression of blackcurrant, licorice, and a hint of cigar box and tobacco. This powerful wine stayed with you like I have never tasted in a barrel sample.
Frederique explained in all modesty, that this quality was the result of a rigorous selection in the vineyards an excellent technical analysis and of course the technical improvements that have been made over the last 25 years.
Be that as it may, I like to sum it up with: Bravo!
83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc

Chateau Margaux

Pavilion Rouge de Chateau Margaux (17.5 points)
A beautiful clear ruby purple color. The wine is aromatically very floral and has a very perfumed nose that is typical for Margaux. An elegant structure with a balance in red fruit and soft velvety tannins. Is this way better than “just a second wine“!
(68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc)

Chateau Margaux, Grand Vin(18.5 points)
Color similar to the Pavilion but more dense. Loads of fresh (red)fruit on the nose. Good structure and great mouth feel. Loads of red and black fruit. A very elegant wine with an exemplary complexity and finesse.
(87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 1.5% Cabernet Franc, and 1.5% Petit Verdot)

Pavillion Blanc (18 points)
To create this white wine, Chateau Margaux rejected 55% of their harvest; but it was worth their while. A great Sauvignon Blanc with a good minerality and lots of fruit. Citrus fruit like grapefruit, but also hints of melon, peach and pineapple. The wine seemed to stay with you forever. Very long indeed. Wonderful complexity.
(100% Sauvignon Blanc)

Chateau Latour

Le Pauillac de Latour (17.5 points).
A deep color with an exciting fresh nose. The fruit seems to jump out of the glass. In the mouth the freshness continues with nice round tannins. An impressive wine considering it is “only” a third wine. (45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 55% Merlot).

Les Forts de Latour (18 points)
Color purple red, but not like ink. This rich second wine had a strong presence of fruit like red raspberries, cassis but also black pepper and spices. Strong tannins from the oak. It is always one of my favorites because it combines complexity without being unapproachable. (66.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31.5% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot).

Chateau Latour, Grand Vin (19 points).
A massive purple wine. The wine took a while before opening to the nose but then it showed its real character with (blackcurrant)fruit and hints of coffee and of course oak. Great tannins in an exceptional balance. A strong, long lasting, masculine and complex wine.
(94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot)

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