2015 Haut Medoc, Listrac, Moulis, Medoc, Wine Tasting Notes, Ratings

This report covers a lot of ground in the Left Bank including wines from; 2015 Haut Medoc, Listrac, Moulis and the Medoc. This is our final report for the Left Bank as we have covered all the major regions including Pauillac, Margaux, St. Julien, St. Estephe and Pessac Leognan with over 200 wines. We start publishing notes and ratings from the Right Bank tomorrow. If you want to read about all the 2015 Bordeaux tasting notes we have published so far, please see: 2015 Bordeaux Barrel Tasting Notes Reports

The Haut Medoc is a sprawling appellation with close to 4,200 hectares planted with vines. When you include the Medoc, you are over 10,000 hectares in size. Moulis and Listrac add to the total. That is an incredibly large area with more than 500 active producers making wine! As you can easily imagine, an area of that size is going to have an array of different terroirs. And to honest, much of that terroir is not great, so in difficult vintages, for example 2015, where the growers had to deal with drought and overflows from too much moisture, the level of quality can be variable.

Still, there are estates that made successful 2015 Haut Medoc wines and also chateaux producing solid 2015 Medoc wines as well. Depending on where your vineyard was located this vintage really made a difference here. The warm, dry, drought conditions during the summer caused a lot of stress to the vines. The late season rains were a lot to handle for vineyards that not able to offer the necessary amount of drainage. You can read about the 2015 harvest and vintage in detail to give you a good idea on what took place during the growing season for the entire region: 2015 Bordeaux Harvest Report

The best wines this year in the Medoc and Haut Medoc came from the southern part of the appellation. Savvy wine buyers can also find well priced value wines even in the northern part of the appellation. You just have to know where to look. Or, read this report, which should help you find the best values in 2015 Haut Medoc wines.

2015 Agassac – Concentrated rustic, full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon powered wine with crunchy, crisp fruits and chewy tannins in the finish. 87 – 89 Pts

2015 Beaumont – Correct, medium bodied, red berry dominated wine, with a bright, crisp, simple red fruit finish. 85 – 87 Pts

2015 Belle-Vue – With a deep, rich, color along with boysenberry, cocoa, soft tannins and a spicy, floral ripe nose, you also enjoy round, smoky, black cherries in the finish. The wine was made from a blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 15% Petit Verdot, reaching 13.5% alcohol. 90 – 92 Pts

2015 Belgrave – Firm, classic and serving up, fresh, crunchy, red fruits, cassis and cranberry, with tobacco and spice, this blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot finishes with dusty tannins and crisp red fruit in the end notes. 88 – 90 Pts

2015 Bernadotte – Medium bodied, with dusty, drying tannins and dark fruit finish. 83 – 85 Pts

2015 Branas-Grand-Poujeaux – Sporting good color, licorice, smoke, black cherry and earthy scents are right there. Round, with sweet, ripe plums in the endnote, give it a few years to come around. 88 – 90 Pts

2015 Cambon La Pelouse – Oaky, with sweet cherries and licorice that are easy to find, the wine is medium bodied and forward, with a hint of cocoa along with the dark red fruits in the finish. This is a wine you can drink early. 87 – 89 Pts

2015 Camensac – Medium bodied, the wine is dominated by its red fruit and cranberry character, leaving you with a crisp, sweet and tart finish. The wine was produced from a blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon. 85 – 87 Pts

2015 Cantemerle – Floral scents are the first thing you notice, before moving to the ripe, sweet, earthy red and black fruits, shot of espresso and soft, silky, smooth, elegant textures. The finish is fresh and sweet and vibrant. The wine was made from a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot. 92 – 94 Pts

2015 Caronne Ste. Gemme – Old school styled, medium bodied, bright, fresh, crisp, red berries are at the core of this wine, leaving you with a splash of cranberry in the endnote. 86 – 88 Pts

2015 Charmail – A blend of 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 13% Petit Verdot, this medium bodied, crisp wine opens with cocoa, spice and fresh red fruits, bringing you to a peppery character in the finish. 88 – 90 Pts

2015 Chasse Spleen – Medium bodied, classically styled with salty tannins, light, bright, red fruits and a bright finish. 87-89 Pts

2015 Cissac – Lean, classic, crisp, firm style of wine with a bright, light, sweet and tart red fruit finish. 85 – 87 Pts

2015 Citran – An easy drinking, light, Haut Medoc, with crisp, correct, blackberry and red plum notes that will be best in its youth. 84 – 86 Pts

2015 Clarke – The wine is medium bodied, focused on fresh, red fruits, leaving you with a sweet and tart, clipped finish. 84 – 86 Pts

2015 Clement Pichon – Simple, easy drinking, correct, fruity, earthy wine for early drinking pleasure. 85 – 87 Pts

2015 Clos Manou – With an earthy, forest floor essence, tobacco, oak and blackberry, the wine is ripe, firm, structured, and age worthy. Produced from a forward blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. 88 – 90 Pts

2015 Coufran – Forward, medium bodied, with good color and a simple, plum and tart cherry profile for early drinking pleasure. 84 – 86 Pts

2015 Delhomme – An interesting 100% Merlot wine from limestone and clay soils in the north of the Medoc; this was a new wine for me. This is quite nice for the vintage. Soft and easy to like, the wine is medium bodied showing off a fruity red, earthy character. It will be interesting to see this wine in a vintage that is strong for the Medoc. 86 – 88 Pts

2015 Ducluzeau – Light in color, medium bodied, forward and focused on fresh, red fruits with a hint of licorice, this will be best in its easy drinking youth. 84-86 Pts

2015 Fourcas Borie – With fresh dark cherries, thyme and a hint of cocoa on the nose, the medium bodied wine is soft, fresh and forward with loads of dark chocolate, sweet, plums and spice in the open, easy drinking finish. 88-90 Pts

2015 Goulee – An earthy style of Goulee by Cos, with a forward, discreet, medium bodied, bright, fresh, dark, red berry character. Produced from a blend of 77% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc. The wine reached 12.5% alcohol. 87 – 89 Pts

2015 Greysac – Medium bodied, forward, without faults, for a Left Bank Cabernet Sauvignon based wine made in this quantity, that can be enjoyed on release, for the price, it’s a square deal. 84 – 86 Pts

2015 Haut Condissas – Medium bodied, forward, soft and with licorice, cherry and plum notes to round things out. This should be easy to drink on release. 87 – 89 Pts

2015 Haut-Madrac – Light in color, medium bodied, with a bright sweet and tart red fruit character, drink this young. 83 – 85 Pts

2015 La Lagune – Rich in color, spring flowers, ripe black cherries, forest, thyme and cocoa give birth to the aromatics. Sweet, fresh, pure and silky on the palate, with sensuous textures and loads of ripe, juicy, chocolate covered plums, you’ll find black raspberries in the finish. Produced from a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, the wine reached 14.5% alcohol. The wine will be aged in 50% new, French oak barrels for 14 months before bottling. The harvest ran from September 15 through October 7. 92 – 94 Pts

2015 La Tour Carnet – With 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, the wine is full bodied, showing espresso bean, smoke, licorice, vanilla, spice and black cherries. Round, open and flashy, the wine finishes with dark chocolate and spicy, dark red fruits. 87 – 89 Pts

2015 Lamarque – With a kiss of oak, earth and tobacco, the wine is medium bodied, forward, and offers a sweet, likable, fresh cherry charm from start to finish. 87 – 89 Pts

2015 Lanessan – Earthy, tobacco driven, dark red fruits with a rustic type of charm, although the wine seems cleaner, fresher and a bit softer than in previous vintages. Much of that credit for the improvement in the wine belongs to bringing in Hubert de Bouard as their consultant starting with the 2015 vintage. 88 – 90 Pts

2015 Larose-Trintaudon – Medium bodied, easy drinking, fun, correct wine with a red berry note in the bright finish for uncomplicated quaffing 86 – 88 Pts

2015 La-Tour-de-By – It is not complicated, but it is well made, with soft textures, ample fruit and a clean finish. This should be fun to drink early. It’s perfect for a restaurant. 86 – 88 Pts

2015 Les Grands Chenes – Utilizing 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine is fleshy, round and has an earthy, red fruit profile. The open and oaky finish combines espresso bean and cherry characteristics. 86 – 88 Pts

2015 Les Hauts Lynch-Moussas – Early drinking quaffer with a tart cherry and herbal profile that will be best on release. 79 – 81 Pts

2015 Maison-Blanche – Medium-bodied, with a forward, easy going, early drinking character for pleasurable, uncomplicated drinking. 84 – 86 Pts

2015 Malescasse – Medium bodied, early drinking soft textured well priced wine with fresh dark red fruits tobacco earth and spice in the finish. This has good character and it sells for a song! 88 – 90 Pts

2015 Maucaillou – Showing a forward, easy drinking, black cherry, earth and cassis, medium bodied, forward character for early consumption. 85 – 87 Pts

2015 Mauvesin Barton – Spicy, bright red fruits, medium bodied with a cranberry, cigar and cherry finish. Made from a blend of 42% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, the wine reached 13.1% alcohol. 86 – 88 Pts

2015 Paloumey – Charming, easy drinking, forward styled Haut Medoc with soft, fresh, red berry fruit and an uncomplicated finish. 85 – 87 Pts

2015 Patache dAux – Easy drinking, forward, fruity, medium bodied wine that should be ready to go on release. 86 – 88 Pts

2015 Potensac – From a blend of 45% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.32% alcohol and will be aged in 1/3 new, French oak barrels. Offering up classic notes of earth, cedar and cassis, the wine is firm, structured, masculine and tannic. Give this old school wine a decade of age, before it begins to unfurl its secondary characteristics and starts to soften. The finish is fresh, with a nice licorice accent to the crisp, fresh cassis. 87 – 89 Pts

2015 Poujeaux – Dried pit fruit that is complicated by the vanilla and herbs in the nose. The wine is medium/full bodied with more red than black fruits and sandy tannins in the finish. From a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot; 6% Petit Verdot and 2%Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.5 alcohol. 89 – 91 Pts

2015 Preuillac – Medium bodied with an earthy herbal and red berry character this is best suited for early drinking 83 – 85 Pts

2015 Reysson – Tobacco, earth, black cherry and a dash of thyme are tossed together in this medium bodied, forward, Left Bank wine. 85 – 87 Pts

2015 Saint-Paul – Medium bodied, easy drinking, fresh red berry filled wine for early, well priced consumption 84 – 86 Pts

2015 Senejac – Medium/full bodied, with good color and an earthy, tobacco, thyme and dark red berry character, finishing with fresh, black raspberries and spice in the endnote. 89 – 91 Pts

2015 Sociando Mallet – Firm, taught, bright and crisp, the crunchy cranberry and cassis show a tartness that is going to please those that also appreciate the herbal character found in this wine. 86 – 88 Pts

2015 Tour-Haut-Caussan – Medium bodied, with a cherry, leaf, thyme and spicy character that was vinified for early drinking. 86 – 88 Pts

Tomorrow, the plan is to start reporting on the stunning wines from the Right Bank in 2015, beginning with Pomerol. A day or two after that, we will publish our extensive report on 2015 St. Emilion.