Here we’ll discuss the highest quality wines developed by Nicolas Thienpont. Les Charmes Godard (white) with 70% of Semillon grape, offers an attractive aromatic range, and gives the wine flesh and a good center. La Prade (clay and sandy sub-soils) is a seductive and charming wine. Puygueraud (clay and limestone) is solidly built, with structural tannins and a lovely freshness. This wine needs to be kept longer than the La Prade, but it will then be more successful.
A recent tasting of a Puygueraud 2004 was a very pleasant experience; what with its soft tannins, good quality meat, scrumptious fruit and black truffle and spice notes.
Francs Côtes de Bordeaux : 2011 Les Charmes Godard (white)
The golden color is shiny, the nose, open and straightforward, evokes spring flowers, grapefruit, with notes of lemon, yellow fruit and mint. The attack is fleshy, the wine develops with elegance and consistency in a center that has a pleasing roundness and is well balanced by "mature” acidity which gives it liveliness and persistence and a fresh, precise finish with expressive fruit (grapefruit dominates) and floral notes. Score: 16.
Francs Côtes de Bordeaux : 2010 La Prade
The color is a deep purple, the nose is sharp and of good intensity with aromas of varied black fruit, spice box, as well as notes of licorice and violets. The mouth-feel suggests ripe tannins coated with a velvety flesh, the mid-palate is round and full, with scrumptious fruit. The finish is persistent, fresh, with a tannic grain that is fine and delicate, highlighted by sustained fruity flavors, spicy, and with hints of licorice. Score: 16.
Francs Côtes de Bordeaux : 2010 Puygueraud
The color is a deep blood-red color with purple reflections. The nose is attractive, of a good intensity, with aromas of black cherry, blackberry, sweet spices and licorice. The palate is velvety during the attack, with fine and ripe tannins and a coated grain. The construction is slender, with a dense and robust center. The finish is very persistent with tannins that are a little firmer, chalky to the touch, well designed, sustained, and tasty (fruit, spice, fine licorice). Score: 16+. A beautiful bottle, which should be opened in ten years when the tannins will have been polished in the bottle.
