We started in the fog yesterday morning. It’s amazing how one’s spirits are dampened by the lack of sun. After a couple of false starts we hit Ch. d’Angludet at 9.30am. We’ve not always got on with this wine but it was fabulous today. As with all the proprietors of chateaux that have succeeded this year, Benjamin Sichel of d’Angludet spent some time explaining to us about the various selections in the vineyard which had resulted in low yields of very concentrated grapes. His pride in his work was obvious – and well deserved, given the wine’s ripe fruit and elegant tannins.

Then off to Ch. Margaux, shrouded in fog (see the picture above). There was something rather ethereal about standing at the gates of the grandest chateau in Bordeaux as the mist drew in. The building is even more impressive in the flesh than it was on the  documentary ‘Wine: The Faith’ and the set-up at Margaux reflected its status with glossy brochures and helpers on hand to look after our every whim. Paul Pontallier was charming; the wines were good but other First Growths are ahead in our humble opinion, but for his view, take a look at the video below, in which he talks about the ’08s:

Overall it seems that in 2008 Pauillac and St Julien are the more consistent Left Bank communes with Margaux and St Estephe less consistent. The one area we have yet to discover is Pessac-Leognan. We are en route  this morning to Haut-Brion, La Mission, Dom. Chevalier and Haut-Bailly: the final piece in the jigsaw puzzle.

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