The key to our 2011 Bordeaux wine was waiting until October 8 to harvest the Cabernet Franc. In fact, we were one of the last to harvest Cabernet Franc in St. Emilion.
With all the talk about 2011 Bordeaux futures, it’s easy to forget that the one of the best things about Bordeaux wine, is the numerous estates making great wine that sell for fair amounts of money, age well and they are easy to find.
2011 Bordeaux is a difficult vintage. There are some good wines in both banks. The wines are classic in style, with a focus on freshness and acidity. This article offers detailed tasting notes on the top 350 best wines tasted in Bordeaux.
Thick, rich and intense, with the viscosity of motor oil, along with tropical fruit drenched in honey and the perfect amount acidity to give this elixir life, 2011 Chateau d’Yquem is majestic.
2011 Pessac Leognan wines lack consistency, especially for the red wines. Due to the difficult growing season, much of the quality for the red wines was found in estates willing to declassify. The white wines are more consistent.
2011 St. Emilion at its best, hits all the right high notes with ripe fruit, minerality and lush textures. On the other hand, there are too wines suffering from over extraction and either too much oak, or not enough fruit, depending on your viewpoint.