2012 Bordeaux: A game of three halves

Matthew Jukes samples the best of Bordeaux's 2012 vintage.

I spent the whole of last week in Bordeaux, tasting the 2012 vintage, and I was very impressed with the best wines. While they are not in the same league in terms of intensity and sheer scale as the 2009s and 2010s, there are some stunning wines in this vintage.

The remarkable balance and mid-range alcohol levels make these wines refreshing, crunchy, sensual and classically dimensioned characteristics I love.

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Sign up
Swipe to scroll horizontally
WineScoreWineScore
Chteau Mouton-Rothschild, 1er Cru, Pauillac19Chteau Desmirail, 3me Cru, Margaux17.5
Chteau Ptrus, Pomerol19Chteau La Serre, Grand Cru Class, Saint-Emilion17.5
Chteau Palmer, 3me Cru, Margaux19Chteau Moulin Saint-Georges, Grand Cru, Saint-Emilion17.5
Chteau Ausone, 1er Grand Cru Class A, Saint-Emilion19Chteau d'Angludet, Margaux17
Chteau Margaux, 1er Cru, Margaux19Chteau Capbern-Gasqueton, Saint-Estphe17
Chteau Le Pin, Pomerol19Chteau Le Crock, Saint-Estphe17
Chteau Latour, 1er Cru, Pauillac19Chteau Labgorce, Margaux17
Chteau Cos d'Estournel, 2me Cru, Saint-Estphe18.5Chteau Lacoste Borie, 2nd wine, Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac17
Chteau l'Evangile, Pomerol18.5Chteau de Villegeorge, Haut-Mdoc16.5
Vieux-Chteau Certan, Pomerol18.5Chteau Pibran, Pauillac16.5
Score is my score out of 20
Matthew Jukes

Matthew Jukes has worked in the UK wine business for well over three decades and during this time has written 14 wine books.  

Matthew regularly lectures, judges, speaks at wine conferences and runs masterclass tastings for both corporate and private clients all over the world. Matthew is also the creator of his ground-breaking initiative, the One Day Wine School, an indulgent day of tasting and learning first performed in 2006.

He has been the MoneyWeek wine correspondent since 2006 and has written a weekly column for the Daily Mail’s Weekend Magazine since 1999. His four highly-acclaimed, annual wine reports – the Burgundy En Primeur Report, the Bordeaux En Primeur Report, the Piemonte Report and the 100 Best Australian Wines – are published on his website, www.matthewjukes.com.

Matthew is one of the world’s leading experts on Australian wine and, with Brisbane-based wine writer Tyson Stelzer, runs an annual competition in Australia to find ‘The Great Australian Red’.  He was made Honorary Australian of the Year in the UK at the 2012 Australia Day Foundation Gala dinner. 

Matthew is a winner of the International Wine and Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year Trophy.  His thoughts, recommendations and tastings notes are followed very closely by the wine world at large.