Offerings
Old Vintages of Agassac – Once in a Lifetime Opportunity
Oct
This is something really special about Agassac – a mixed case of three of the best Bordeaux vintages in the last 25 years, from one of the few Cru Bourgeois estates to be classified as Exceptionnel. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Limit of one case.
What It’s Like
This is the archetype of modern Médoc, structured and powerful, yet balanced, fruity and endowed with ripe and supple tannins. Made for laying down, it can be enjoyed relatively young, by those who love their wines with ripe fruits and powerful tannins, or with extended age, for those who enjoy the meaty, earthy and umami flavours of mature Bordeaux. It is one of the best rated and most awarded wines of Haut-Médoc.
1999 Vintage – 2 bottles
The only one of the three that is predominantly Merlot, 1999 is fully developed and should be enjoyed over the next year or two. The colour is medium garnet. There is still some preserved strawberry on the nose, but tertiary characters have taken a prominent role: forest floor, smoke, mushroom and soy. Tannins have softened to the point where they just play a supporting role in the wine, filling out the mouth with their lovely velvety nature. The acid on this wine has likely helped it to age so well. It still shows its liveliness and keeps the wine fresh, despite its earthiness. No need to decant or open too long before drinking. Also be careful when opening as the cork may crumble given its age.
2010 Vintage – 2 bottles
60% Cabernet Sauvignon with the rest Merlot. 2010 was another excellent year in the Medoc, and this vintage is just starting to show signs of middle age. The colour is starting to turn bricky, and the oak and ripe black fruit have really integrated nicely. Slightly dried cassis, dried cherries, smoke, tobacco and notes of saddle leather are supported by still quite powerful and slightly drying tannins. Acid is a little less prominent in this vintage and tells the story of a hot a dry vintage that gave great ripeness. For this reason, it probably has another 5 to 7 years left, but it is drinking beautifully right now and has enough tannin to pair with food such as rich potato purées or gratin, mushroom dishes. I would tend to pair with flavourful hard cheeses.
2016 Vintage – 2 bottles
50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The baby of the bunch, 2016, has a deep ruby, garnet core with subtle lightening of the edges. The nose shows blackberry confit, grilled toast, graphite and a hint of vanilla, with a delicate leafy background. Medium bodied with fine fruit sweetness, well-integrated tannins, elegant and persistent. The finish has a pleasant touch of chocolate. Tasting this, you notice an immediate similarity to the older vintages. Not so much that they are identical, but they have the similar features of siblings: sophistication, grace and a quiet strength. This vintage can be enjoyed now, but will improve over the next 10 to 15 years in the cellar.
Some Background on Agassac
In April of this year, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to Lucas Leclercq, Director General and Enologist at Chateau d’Agassac of Agassac . Lucas just took over his responsibilities this year and he invited me to pay him a visit at the Chateau, which is situated in Ludon-Médoc.
It has to be mentioned that the chateau is spectacular! It dates back to at least the 13t Century, well before vines were even planted in Bordeaux. It was lovingly restored by its previous owner, the insurance giant Ama, who clearly did not lack for funds. And who doesn’t love the moat?
During our tour of the chateau, Lucas mentioned that they had just had a group of journalists visiting, and they opened bottles from 25 vintages dating back into the mid 90’s. Would we like to try them? Let me tell you, this is not the sort of thing I am inclined to turn down!
The experience was transcendant. We started off with the most recent vintages, 2018, 2019 and 2020 which were tasted by the panel assembled by the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc and on which the classification of Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel was based. When the Classification was overhauled to include three levels in 2020, the Chateau applied for and was awarded the highest designation of Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, a testament to its quality and reputation.
We then tasted back through the lineup. The thing that struck me was how consistent the wines were. Yes there were differences from one vintage to the next, but there was an element of familiarity in each one.
After tasting, I immediately said I would take the 1999, 2010 and 2016 vintage. These were the wines I genuinely enjoyed most, and they are quintessential representations of Chateau d’Agassac at full maturity, mid-age development and relative youth, respectively. It’s a good thing I spoke up when I did, because the two older vintages sold out within days of my visit. Like I said, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
