2011 Afternoon tasting

We were tasting the batches of 2011 this afternoon with our consultant oenologist from Hubert de Bouard’s team.
It was the first general review after malolactic fermentation and I felt the same sensations as when we were tasting the grapes from the vines in August and September. I said and wrote at the time that because the grape pips were so ripe so early as a result of the very dry conditions, there was no astringency and the tannins were soft without being dominant. I said I expected a 2011 vintage with soft tannins.
This is exactly what I tasted today.
The tannins are soft and clear-cut, the body is very well endowed and there is still fresh, ripe fruit on the palate. This is not a muscle-bound vintage, but one that is sensual and soft with clear-cut aromas and tannins. It is beautifully elegant and smooth, and glides across the palate very comfortably, which makes it so attractive.
This will be an easy vintage to approach that is accommodating and sociable, enjoyable early, but also worth laying down for quite a while, because it has the acidity to age well.
In fact 2009, 2010 and 2011 make a fine trilogy!