Les Tourelles de Longueville is a long-standing favourite of mine, being more keenly priced than its illustrious sibling, the routinely outstanding Chateau Baron-Pichon-Longueville.  This second label can also be frustratingly hard to find in Australia.  Nonetheless, it is still not cheap at $78 (its pedigree seeing to that), and is also from a lesser Bordeaux year in 2007, a vintage that I have been frequently critical of, with few exceptions.  Happily for my afternoon, however, the wine delivered and joined my short list of good Bordeaux from 2007.  As they say, in bad years, follow good producers.  This is a good producer.  One of the best perhaps.

A quick smell of the cork, and I knew the wine would be good.  Blackcurrants mainly.  Then mixed herbs and bouquet garnis emerged by way of aroma, immediately speaking of the cooler season.  With time in the glass, the aroma resolved to ripe red currants, and then, finally, the blackcurrants emerged again from their slumber and stayed.  The palate proved more forthcoming, with some trademark “Baron” length (around 10-15 seconds), blackcurrants and medium tannins.  What I do recommend with this wine is to decant it.  After 30 minutes or so, it really opened up, and is an excellent example of the 2007 vintage.

Rating: Very Good
Abv: 13%
Price: $78
Source: sample
Website: http://www.pichonlongueville.com/ (importer’s website: http://www.discovervin.com.au)
Tasted: January 2012