The next UGCB (Union des Grand Cru Bordeaux) North American Tour is almost here! Formed in 1973, the UGC offers consumers and the trade one of the best opportunities to taste as many Bordeaux wines as possible from a specific vintage in a single setting. Officially, the 2013 UGC tour kicks off January 18 in San Francisco. If you’ve heard all the positive reports about the 2010 Bordeaux vintage and you’re interested in an opportunity to taste more than 125 of the top 2010 Bordeaux wines of the vintage, with the chateaux owners and wine makers, this is your chance!
For a look at the best 2010 Bordeaux wines we tasted in barrel: Â 2010 Bordeaux Tasting Notes and Ratings for top 250 Wines
January is going to be a busy week for wine lovers in North America with events taking place January 18, 2013, San Francisco, January 19, 2013, Los Angeles, January 21, 2013 New York, January 23, 2013 Chicago, January 24, 2013, Washington DC, January 25, 2013, Toronto, Canada and January 26, 2013 Montreal, Canada.
The 2013 UGC is an important event because consumers are going to discover that many 2010 Bordeaux wines are quite stunning. The 2010 vintage is different from the sensuous, hedonistic styles of the 2009 vintage. At their best, the 2010 Bordeaux wines are more structured, fresher and tannic. Many will not be fun to drink young. Before the wines slip into their sleeping stage, this is the perfect time to catch them. When you consider the cost of the wines, 2010 Bordeaux holds the record for being the most expensive vintage in history, not much of these wines were bought by American merchants. That makes the UGCB Bordeaux tastings an important event.
If you have not attended a UGCB tasting before, the 2013 UGC tastings awards guests the opportunity to taste more than 125 different 2010 Bordeaux wines wines, as well as meet and talk with the owners of the chateaux that produce the wine.
We will be at the Los Angeles event and will publish a detailed article on the wines tasted with tasting notes and reviews. If anyone else catches the event in LA, or in any of the other cities, we’d like to hear from you and your notes and comments on the event and on all the wines you tasted as well.
The tastings are a combination of trade and consumer events.
Friday, January 18, 2013 is the date the tour kicks off. The opening tastings are being held in San Francisco with two tastings, one for the trade only, and another tasting that is open to the public. The public tasting is hosted by K & L, which is where you buy tickets. For tickets and information – K & L Wines
Saturday, January 19 – Los Angeles, Wallys Wine is hosting two tastings for the public. The main tasting is taking place from 3 – 6pm at the Hyatt Regency, Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, 2025 Avenue of the Stars Los Angeles CA 90067.
Tickets are available: Wallys
You can also call 310-475-0606
Before the tasting  of 2010 Bordeaux wine for the public with the UGC, Wallys is hosting a special charity event with some of the top Bordeaux makers in the UGC. The annual,  charity event benefits the worthy, Horatio Alger Association Scholarship Fund. 100% of  all monies collected are earmarked for the charity. The charity tasting starts at 2pm, ending at 3pm. This also takes place at the
Some of the wines being poured at the charity event are:
2009 La Mondotte
2000 Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot
2005 Chateau Haut Bailly
2005 Chateau Giscours
2005 Chateau du Tertre
2007 Vieux Chateau Certan
1998 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte
2009 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc
Monday, January 21, 2013, There are two events in New York, one for the trade and an event that is open to the public. The tastings are being hosted by Zachys. Tickets are available from Zachys.
Thursday, January 24, 2013, 2013 Washington DC has an event open to the public that is hosted by Pearsons. Tickets are available from Pearsons
Friday, 25, 2013, Toronto, Canada, LCBO is hosting a tasting open to the public. Tickets are available from LCBO
Saturday, January 26, 2013, Montreal, Canada, SAQ is hosting a tasting open to the public. Tickets are available from SAQ
Not all producers will attend every event. This is a list of the 2010 Bordeaux wines being poured by the various Chateaux for the UGC Bordeaux tastings:
Pauillac
Château Batailley
Château Clerc Milon
Château d’Armailhac
Château Grand Puy Ducasse
Château Haut Bages Liberal
Château Lynch Bages
Château Lynch-Moussas
Château Pichon Baron
Château Pichon Lalande
Margaux
Château Brane Cantenac
Château Cantenac Brown
Château du Tertre
Château Durfort Vivens
Château Giscours
Château Kirwan
Château Labegorce
Château Lascombes
Château Malescot St. Exupery
Château Siran
Château Rauzan-Segla
Château Bouscaut
Château Carbonnieux
Domaine de Chevalier
Château de Fieuzal
Château de France
Château Haut Bailly
Château La Louvière
Château La Tour Martillac
Château Les Carmes Haut Brion
Chateau Malartic Lagraviere
Château Olivier
Château Pape Clement
Château  Smith Haut Lafitte
Château Beauregard
Château Bon Pasteur
Château Clinet
Château La Cabanne
Château La Conseillante
Château Gazin
Château Petit Village
St. Emilion Grand Cru
Château Angelus
Château Beau-Sejour Becot
Château Canon
Château Canon La Gaffeliere
Château Clos Fourtet
Château Dassault
Château Figeac
Château Franc Mayne
Château Grand Mayne
Château La Couspaude
Château La Dominique
Château La Gaffeliere
Château Larcis Ducasse
Château Larmande
Château Pavie Macquin
Château Troplong Mondot
Château Cos Labory
Château Lafon Rochet
Château Ormes De Pez
Château Phelan Segur
St. Julien
Château Beychevelle
Château Branaire Ducru
Château Gruaud Larose
Château Lagrange
Château Langoa BartonÂ
Château  Leoville Barton
Château Leoville Poyferre
Château Talbot
Sauternes et Barsac
Château Bastor Lamontagne
Château Climens
Château Coutet
Château de Fargues
Château Doisy Daene
Château Guiraud
Château La Tour Blanche
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey
Château Sigalas Rabaud
Château Suduiraut
Haut Medoc & Lesser Appellations
Château Beaumont
Château Belgrave
Château Camensac
Château Cantemerle
Château Coufran
Château La Lagune
Moulis en Médoc
Château Chasse Spleen
Château Poujeaux
Listrac Médoc
Château Clarke
Médoc
Château Greysac
Château La Tour de By
Château de Chantegrive
27 Comments
Final day for 2010 #Bordeaux in North America with the UGC The last stop is in Montreal with the #SAQ Full Details here http://t.co/NlcYvEvE
If you’re in Toronto today make sure you taste 2010 #Bordeaux with UGCB Only 1 more chance for North America tomorrow http://t.co/NlcYvEvE
If you’re in Washington DC, it’s the last day to taste 2010 #Bordeau with the UGC. They travel to Canada tomnorrow. http://t.co/NlcYvEvE
If you’re in Chicago today & looking for something warm to do, taste 2010 #Bordeaux with the UGC today! Details here: http://t.co/NlcYvEvE
Thanks for the information. I am looking forward to tasting the wines this week when the UGC comes to Chicago!
RT @JeffLeve: If you want to taste 2010 Bordeaux and live in Los Angeles, go to the Hyatt Hotel in Century City for the UGC today! http://t.co/NlcYvEvE
RT @JeffLeve: If you want to taste 2010 Bordeaux and live in Los Angeles, go to the Hyatt Hotel in Century City for the UGC today! http://t.co/NlcYvEvE
RT @JeffLeve: If you want to taste 2010 Bordeaux and live in Los Angeles, go to the Hyatt Hotel in Century City for the UGC today! http://t.co/NlcYvEvE
If you want to taste 2010 Bordeaux and live in Los Angeles, go to the Hyatt Hotel in Century City for the UGC today! http://t.co/NlcYvEvE
Taste 2010 Bordeaux tonight in San Francisco with the UGC Details on tickets & other dates & cites in America & Canada http://t.co/NlcYvEvE
RT @jeffleve @ugcbnet 2010 #Bordeaux tasting with the #UGCB starts January 18 in SF. Details on all tastings and events http://t.co/I32QGpld
UGC kicks off 2012 #Bordeaux tasting Friday, Jan 18 in San Francisco. Deatils on all UGC events, dates, etc. http://t.co/NlcYvEvE
UGC USA 2013 San Francisco Los Angeles New York Chicago Washington DC | The Wine Cellar – Jeff Leve | vÃa @JeffLeve | http://t.co/qAscVhRj
.@ugcbnet 2010 #Bordeaux tasting with the #UGCB starts January 18 in SF. Details on all tastings, chateaux and events http://t.co/NlcYvEvE
Looking to taste 2010 #Bordeaux #win? The UGC comes to America Friday! Details on all dates and locations http://t.co/NlcYvEvE
Hi Jeff,
Will you be at the UGC? Hope to see you there!
Morgan
Morgan… You can 100% count on me being there as well. I am very excited about tasting the 2010 Bordeaux wines in bottle.
Taste 2010 Bordeaux with the UGC next week in America! Details on times, locations, tickets: http://t.co/NlcYvEvE
Thanks for the posting on the UGC tastings. I am looking forward to tasting the 2010 Bordeaux as well. It should be fun. Although I noticed ticket prices vary from city to city. I’d hate to be in DC, $100 per head. WOW!
Thank you for the post. I agree with you Jonathan, I am also looking forward to tasting the 2010 Bordeaux vintage!
RT @JeffLeve: #UGC #Bordeaux tastings in North America of 2010 Bordeaux 2 weeks away. Details on all locations, times, chateaux http://t.co/NlcYvEvE
RT @JeffLeve: #UGC #Bordeaux tastings in North America of 2010 Bordeaux 2 weeks away. Details on all locations, times, chateaux http://t.co/NlcYvEvE
#UGC #Bordeaux tastings in North America of 2010 Bordeaux 2 weeks away. Details on all locations, times, chateaux http://t.co/NlcYvEvE
Jeff,
Any idea why Leoville Barton dropped out of the UGC? You’d think they’d be riding strong off the WS Top 10 ranking for their 2009 and interested in pushing the press with the 2010, which by most accounts I’ve read, is better than the ’09.
Thanks,
Morgan
Hi Morgan… Leoville Barton will remain in the UGC. I imagine they will be in the group. Only Pontet Canet and Angelus will no longer be showing their wines in the UGC. FWIW, I prefer 2009 Leoville Barton to 2010 Leoville Barton.
Recommended read: UGC USA 2013 San Francisco Los Angeles New York Chicago Washington DC #wine http://t.co/s4s4ExB1
UGC USA 2013 San Francisco Los Angeles New York Chicago Washington DC http://t.co/uOmkJrub