Bordeaux primeurs in pictures

As any seasoned primeurs taster will tell you, it’s not all about the wines: the lunches, dinners, drives and hot drinks are all part of the Bordeaux experience. We round up some of the pictorial highlights from this year’s tasting of the 2014s.

Before starting the serious business of assessing 2014 Bordeaux we had to get out of the hotel car park without tearing off our van’s aerial. Yvon Mau’s Andrew Thomas risked decapitation to make sure we weren’t late for our first appointment, while driver Richard Bampfield MW resisted the urge to accelerate, hard.

The first big tasting of day one comprised wines from Pessac-Léognan, and was hosted at Smith-Haut-Lafitte, where tasters were greeted by this charming piece of branded machinery, as well as whites and reds from the appellation.

Day two started with a tasting at Léoville-Barton, which was led by the refreshingly straight-talking Lilian Barton, who admitted that last year’s Bordeaux primeurs had proved a “lousy” campaign.

Before tasting Montrose 2014 later that day, which was deemed even better than the château’s 2010, we were shown the property’s newly-completed barrel cellar (above and below). This immaculate and massive space follows a €55 million investment by French billionaires the Bouygues brothers.

Sadly, we didn’t get a chance to go in one of these buggies (pictured below) – or the Bouygues brothers’ helicopter, which was parked discretely behind an evergreen hedge.

Meanwhile, Ponet Canet took a responsible approach to primeurs, although stopped short of funding taxis for the tasters.

Dinner that evening was made memorable by the English menu, particularly dishes garnished with the chef’s “sweet dainties” – a translation of gourmandises. Sadly, we never tried the Real tart tatin and his small jar of thick cream.

Cheval Blanc marked the start of day three, where its new winery looked dazzling, even in the drizzle, although one does wonder how it will weather?

During the tasting, Cheval Blanc technical director Pierre-Olivier Clouet admitted that “you can’t build an outstanding vintage without the summer,” but added that the weather in 2014 had produced “a real Cheval”.

We were then poured 2014 Château d’Yquem by winemaker Sandrine Garbay, who said that the wonderfully refreshing Sauternes had the highest pH on record.

A four-wheel drive was helpful at the Pomerol tasting, hosted at Petit-Village, where this valuable fallow vineyard doubled – unsuccessfully – as a car park. That Renault Megane in the distance may still be there.

But at least it looks as though they won’t be needing the horses…

Wine writer Margaret Rand’s scarf draped on the Comte von Neipperg family crest at Canon La Gaffelière – sensibly placed there by the count himself who spotted it lying alongside the fireplace.

That evening required red meat, and lots of it. Thankfully Chiopot in Bordeaux provided the solution.

Some felt the urge to share their thoughts on Saint Julien’s 2014s on giant canvasses at Léoville-Poyferré.

Others headed for the best – and biggest – lunch of primeurs, hosted at Margaux’s Château Dauzac.

Aside from the ribeye, there was an eat-as-much-as-you-can buffet with cured meat, a whole bucket of butter, and super-sized Emmental, among other cheeses (below).

Brane-Cantenac owner Henri Lurton, as depicted by a local photographer.

And long-suffering chauffeur Richard Bampfield MW captured by db, enjoying a well-earned cup of tea. (Yes, the rest of us drank beer).