That tasting was quite a topic of conversation on the parker board when it occurred. I agree with what’s been said, Reignac is a fine, well-made wine, even better in some vintages, but not extraordinary in its class.
Your post does remind me of how much I enjoyed having François Mauss post on the board. Knowledgeable, opinionated, well-connected in bdx circles. He made great contributions to the board. It would be great to have him posting here.
Problem with the tasting is it was not over 3 days! Really they tasted those wines on a pop and pour?
R. 2001 is good, even very good for the 20,- I paid. All ok.
Nothing great about it and no huge potential either …
There are very rarely any miracles, this is not one of them …
That’s what is / was amazing about this…fine wine from an area that was mostly just bulk.
Also Roc de Cambes is up in the Bourg area, another real outlier for high quality.
Hi everyone,
First of all, from the team at Reignac I want to thank you for your interest about our wine.
To answer couple of your questions, the video that most of you watched is probably the most iconic video of a blind tasting of Reignac organized by the Grand Jury Européen and controlled with a court bailiff.
Our wine has been largely tasted in private spaces and other places than in France, for example here in Hong Kong (ENG The Hong Kong blind tasting of the best Bordeaux : 2004 and 1998 vintages - YouTube) and ranked well with international wines (more info: GJE MILLESIME 2001 - Google Docs).
To @Noah C and others who would like to taste the new Reignac millesimes, our wine is currently available to customers in the United States with our online shop : https://us.reignac.com
Best regards,
Anthony
That’s pretty amazing, a DTC model for a Bordeaux property. Kudos for trying something different.
I guess that explains why I have not seen it in a long time, basically no retailers are touching it (other than Penn Liquor Control Board).
Also it appears there is no mention of the Bordeaux AOC, or perhaps they have pulled out of those rules structures (and price constraints).
What I’ve tasted from Roc des Cambes is much more exciting than Reignac …
I was not part of this tasting but I tasted for years with the GJE.
The formula of the Jury and something Francois Mauss always mentioned was: 12 experienced tasters can not make the same mistake at the same time. I think there is some logic to this.
At the GJE tasting in question there were only top tasters present such as Michel Bettane, 2 Sommeliers who were best Som. of the world, the barell expert of Taransaud who nailed Chateau Margaux, and so forth. I know all these people since I tasted with them several times and in my 35 years of wine drinking and tasting I never met better palates.
Wine tasting is always a snapshot of time. The day the GJE tasted the wine the result was that Reignac was second best. Nobody said it will be 10 years later. The message is something else. At least this is the conclusion I made after many blind tastings. A lot of wine lovers focus on the big names high in demand and price. Even more since the internet is reality. But the price and prestige of a wine is often not in line with the pleasure people have when they do not see the label.
Truth is (in my opinion): a so called lesser wine can often be superior to a wine with huge image and price. Because a Chateau Latour i.e. lives only up to its reputation when it is ready for consumption, is well stored, when the cork is perfect etc. When it is way too young or way too old (what takes a long time in the case of Latour) a Cru Bourgeoise opened at the right time from a correct bottle is the superior wine.
Another question is: is a wine that peaks in 30 years after bottling per se the better wine compared to a wine that peaks in 10 or 15? One person present at the famous GJE-Tasting (a wine professor and producer from Luxembourg) poured the 2001 Reignac together with a 1996 La Mission Haut Brion in 2010 when I was guest at his place. At that time the Reignac was still the better wine. This may be different today.
At least nobody should doubt the ability of the tasters. Who is interested in the work of the former GJE can get informations from this article.
I have not talked to Francois for quite a while. I hope he is well. I wish him well.
Has anyone done recent comparisons of their wine? Where is current production being placed? I’m assuming it’s not presented to professional reviewers anymore?
I do find it amazing that its being sold via a website to Americans, without the benefit of sampling/bordelais reviewers/or retailer support from direct importers (K&L, Bassins, etc.)
I realize truly unique wines might need their own commercial system, like Musar or Mas de Gassac, since normal merchants may not be able to coax their customers into trying them. But those estates and their agents also did lots of evangelizing, and pouring, on their paths.
I taste it every year, along with Balthus and their white wine on occasion.
Reignac is a Bordeaux Superieur.
Thanks for posting. So many questions:
What was the decision process in including one inexpensive wine like that among all the big names?
How was Reignac chosen to be the one curve ball?
Did the tasters have any reason to know or to suspect that there was an inexpensive gotcha wine mixed in with the big name ones?
Were the tasters instructed to judge the wine solely based on how it drunk that night (e.g. if you had a bottle with dinner that night, which would you most rather have), or did they judge the Reignac as though it might be the best wine over time as well?
It is interesting, the idea of doing something like that, though the downside is that, if it goes the way this did, it becomes the one thing that overshadows everything else about that tasting.
I realize that it is a B-S but what I mean that there is no mention of their AOC on the label! I looked at 2016 as well, but this visual presents better.
Arv
Bordeaux Superieur is the appellation. 
Arv-I think the AOC is on the back label.
2001 was an incredible steal. Everyone had gorged on 2000 futures and most people didn’t buy 01’s out of the gate. We got a couple hundred cases of 01 and I think we started it in the $12-15 range on futures. It was in the high teens/low 20’s on release and by the time it hit the shelves people were grabbing it for a near term drinker. I’d be interested to see how it is 20 years on. I’m glad the reports are pretty good.
Jeff, yes I realize it’s a Bordeaux Superieur AOC. Also thanks for the reviews on their recent vintages.
But they sure don’t make their AOC obvious on recent releases.
I looked at some sites, which show back labels, mostly of older vintages where it seems better disclosed.
Chris,
I don´t think the tasters knew that a Bordeaux Superieur is included.
I don´t know exactly why Reignac was chosen. If I remember right Reignac had a reputation for doing well in competitions. BTW Francois surprised the tasters quite often. It was not unusual i.e. to include the same wine twice in a tasting to see how consistent the tasters are in their judgement.
I thought Francois and others doubted the hierarchy of Bordeaux. For several reasons. First was the fact that the Classification of the Left Bank is from 1855. A lot of things have changed meanwhile. And Appellations like Pomerol were obscure at that time. Nobody spoke about that area. Second Robert Parker was a very powerful critic and many people if not the entire wine market thought his view is the non plus ultra. Everybody knew that Parker was a very good taster but with a certain view how Bordeaux should be.
But Parker and the GJE had something in common. The advise to be open minded. Why? A lot of people thought the old hierarchy is the bible and the last word. Then came so called garage wines like Valandraud. Could it actually be that a widely unknown winemaker produce a wine that can compete with the best of the Appellation? Or come close at least? I remember countless and sometimes heated discussions around that issue.
We can transform this question even further. Can someone produce a top Bordeaux able to fool even the best palates in an area as Bordeaux Superieur? Is the wine actually so good? A bottle for a few bucks? There must be something wrong. The tasters are idiots?
I think no – that is not the explanation. In fact it is possible to produce superb wine in an obscure area. If the winemaker is skilled and experienced, if the soil and micro climate is right and if the wine making is state of the art. I learned over the years that this message will not be accepted by everybody. I know that some people do not believe in blind tasting results. I know that some people believe in terroir and that the best terroirs are known since the monks made wine and there will be nothing new. Never.
This is a controversy discussed a thousand times at the old Parker Bord. The GJE is not active anymore. But I think the GJE played an important role in the 80th, 90th last century until 2010.
I still have a bunch of 01 halves and full bottles. Every time I open one I am reminded how much I like the wine. It is modern for sure, lots of oak and packs a great value. I haven’t had anything newer than 2006.
I remember at En Premieur one year (maybe 2009?), Yves Vatelot took us out to dinner. It was me and a couple colleagues plus Michel Bettane. We tried 2001 Reignac blind next to 2001 Pichon Lalnde and 2001 Margaux. The Pichon Lalande was very identifiable (Some thought it was Latour but I was pretty certain it was Lalande). The 2001 Reignac held its own against these much more expensive wines. Although at the time the wines were young and I am sure Margaux and Pichon Lalande have created a great deal of separation between themselves and the Reignac since then; at the time it was interesting to see the comparison. Michel Bettane was a total snob about it (or maybe he was just speaking his mind) but he poo-pooed the Reignac unabashedly in front of our host which I found to be pretty distasteful.
I’ve heard since then on many occasions Yves has presented his wine blind alongside young first growths.
Yves Vatelot is a great guy and he has enough money to throw at his wine. He spends arguably more in the cellar and thereafter than many more ‘venerable’ estates. In fact I remember he had a patented barrel fermentation device that cost him a ton of money to develop.
It would be interesting to know the Reignac rating of Michel because he was present at the GJE tasting.
What year was the GJE tasting?
It was in 2009.