Three wines from the 2015 Bordeaux vintage that are worth splurging on
- With harvest conditions being near ideal, the year offers value for money wines
The 2015 Bordeaux has reached Hong Kong. It is a vintage worth taking a serious look at as the wines are of consistently high quality and are approachable young but with the capacity to age. The Wine Spectator magazine states that 2015 “should easily be the best vintage since 2010, with reds, dry whites and sweet wines all showing promise, backed by a near-normal crop size”.
Growing conditions were fairly ideal in 2015. Summer brought record-high temperatures leading to an early harvest, with white grapes being picked at the end of August. The merlot harvest started in mid-September followed by cabernet sauvignon. Harvest conditions were perfect, with cool, dry nights.
Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2015, Pessac-Léognan, HK$1,090
The year 2015 marks the 25th vintage for Florence and Daniel Cathiard, the owners of Château Smith Haut Lafitte, where viticulture is a juxtaposition of tradition and cutting-edge technology. While the white-grape vineyards are ploughed manually using horses, the Oenoview satellite system is employed to monitor vine growth and drones are used to check on the ripening of the grapes. In the winery, as much as possible is recycled – carbon dioxide is turned into sodium bicarbonate while rainwater is harvested – and electricity is provided by solar panels.
The white is a blend of 90 per cent sauvignon blanc, 5 per cent semillon and 5 per cent sauvignon gris.
Ripe apple, peach and citrus with spicy notes. Full bodied, succulent and powerful, with forward fruit, a creamy texture, discreet oak in the background and a long finish.
Château Poujeaux 2015, Listrac-Médoc, HK$355
Château Poujeaux, owned by the Cuvelier family, ranks at a cru bourgeois level, but in terms of quality, it surpasses many cru classé. It is an underrated wine that always exceeds expectations.