Chateau Dauzac 2008, Margaux 5th Growth
It is not easy to write well for Chateau Dauzac because of its dearth of a strong product positioning. We believe the Dauzac marketers are advanced for the underlying concept of its branding, yet there is a lack of adequate publicity about the products. For example, it’s associated cuvee Aurore de Dauzac to capitalize on micro-environment, new process, experimentation and plots of land never seemed to catch the eyes of importers; its Chateau Larbarde (the name of a Margaux Commune) to capitalize on the image of the Labardian ‘charm, colour and nose’ seemed never go outside France; and Second Wine Labastide Dauzac is almost a mystery even to veteran international wine tasters like us. Let's face it: leading writers did not seem to agree on the tasting to forge a consistent view of style. For example, while the Wine Spectator writers appreciated subtler nose, structure and Margaux-ness, the Wine Advocate camp seemed to dwell on the ‘backwardness’ and ‘sleeper nature’ of the wine, and the Decanter writers seems to stress on the Margaux classicism.
Vintage 2008, Chateau Dauzac, is one of the most recognized one (along with 2004, 2006 and others). We found ourselves agreeing on all good tasting notes by reliable writers, as somewhere in time over our 2 hours of savouring, there’s got recollections of the expressions of this changing wine. This wine is scholarly.
Use of destemer, gravity flows, cold fermentation, short maceration cycle, 16 to 18 months oak ageing points to the Chateau’s maximization on the latest technics in vinification for good fruit expression, intensity, complexity, lengthen and balance. Choice of organic fertilizers, sexual confusion to hinder proliferation of grape worms, 10,000 vines per hectare, protection of the grapes from of bees and trees, all pointed to the respect of the terroir. Chateau Dauzac is to show the terroir and we won change what are expressed by the soil, and as summarized by Wine Maker Philip Roux we are only here in passing.’
We believe in the great lineage of Chateau Dauzac. In improving on the making, we saw great people contributing their efforts into Chateau Dauzac: Reynaud, Lurton, Boissenot, for example. In ownership, from Wiebrooks, Nathaniel Johnston, Miailhes, MAIF to Laurent Florin. The Dauzac terroir had, as right put by Bernard Ginestet, has rested for over 2 generations and are there to excel and wine back past glories and honours. Dauzac, the way we see it in our tasting of Chateau Dauzac 2008, has returned to the top range of Margaux wines.
