Good Times, Bad Times, You Know I’ve Had My Share
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- Categories: Wine
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Bordeaux for a lot of us nerds is the starting point, that terminal from which all flights into the wine world take off. When you begin your wine adventure, this is the first step into understanding the massive world of wine. There is a haunting seductiveness that hits you, like your first time on a roller coaster, first time driving fast, your first love… you see where I’m going with this. Bordeaux is that moment when you first realize what true love really is.
And so, each and every time I find myself tasting Bordeaux I am spirited away to a place of fracturing innocence, pure adolescent adrenaline, and the primal uncertainty and fear of having my senses completely enveloped in reckless abandon…
You get the idea.
Recently I got to sample through some pretty exceptional values in Bordeaux (which you don’t often hear) as well as a couple of magnificent Saint-Emilions.
To digress for a bit, for those of you that don’t know, Bordeaux is a small wine region nestled near the Atlantic Ocean in the Southwestern corner of France, found at the mouth of the Gironde River (actually it is an estuary, not a river). Due to the course of the river, the resulting merger of two rivers – the Garonne and the Dordogne – the region is referred to in two parts: the Left Bank and the Right Bank.
The Left Bank boasts many communes, or city-areas that are known for amazing reds, blends dominated by the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, yet also contain Merlot and Cabernet Franc in varying percentages. The Right Bank, two main communes stand out (though there are many others): Pomerol (in which the blend is dominated by Merlot) and Saint-Emilion (which typically leans heavy with Cabernet Franc). White wines are also produced and are typically a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon (with Muscadelle used sometimes as well).
Some of the greatest wines on this Earth come from Bordeaux, luxury brands such as Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Chateau Margaux and Chateau Haut-Brion (all First Growths, a term I’ll get to at a later time), as well as some exceptional unsung heroes like Chateau Leoville Las Cases (arguably the best made Chateau today) and Chateau Lynch-Bages (one of my favorites anyway!).
Back to the tasting at hand, I tasted through a couple old favorites and some phenomenal stuff from Jonathan Malthus, one of Bordeaux’s resident bad boys:
Clarendelle Rosé 2016. From the Clarence Dillon group of wines, which includes both the aforementioned Chateau Haut-Brion as well as La Mission Haut-Brion, this gorgeous rosé of Merlot and Cabernet Franc is crisp and bright with notes of strawberries and red currant, a touch of rose petal and hints of racy minerality that lead you to a dry, airy finish.
Chateau de L’Eglise Bordeaux 2010. 2010 was an incredible vintage. Finding a 2010 is proving more difficult all the time. Finding one that is under $15 that is still drinking well, well, that’s like looking for a unicorn in a desert. This tasty red blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon gives you some firm tannins, black and red berry fruits, black pepper and cedar spice.
L’Enclos de Chateau de Saint-Pey Saint-Emilion 2012. Blackberry jam with notes of cedar, pepper, and pencil shavings shine in this Merlot and Cabernet Franc blend. It’s a great way to understand this little spot on the Right Bank without taking out a second mortgage.
Chateau La Croix St. Georges Pomerol 2014. Predominantly Merlot with around 8% Cabernet Franc, this bold, full-bodied red with lots of Bing cherry fruit, hints of vanilla bean, white pepper and crushed stones.
Chateau Cap St. George Saint-Georges-Saint-Emilion 2014. Red berry fruits and vanilla emerge in this gorgeous, full-bodied red. Youthful, playful and shy, it may need a bit to open up and develop.
Chateau La Confession Saint-Emilion 2014. There is a lot going on here despite its restraint. Tobacco, leather, Black cherries, baking spices and crushed stones – this is an impressive effort.
Le Carre Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2012. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, this wine is deep, dark and rich, a bit unexpected for Bordeaux. The fruit is heavy and thick, the tannins firm and the palate presence is dense and complex. It’s pretty gorgeous.
Les Asteries Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2012. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Smoky, earthy, and a bit more mysterious than the Le Carre. Black fruits abound here, with its bold, rich mouthfeel and undertones of baking spices.
I’m reminded each and every day how cool my job can be. It’s a kind of good-with-the-bad paradigm that we all share, but with little mind trips to Bordeaux like this, I think I’m good.
And so, each and every time I find myself tasting Bordeaux I am spirited away to a place of fracturing innocence, pure adolescent adrenaline, and the primal uncertainty and fear of having my senses completely enveloped in reckless abandon…
You get the idea.
Recently I got to sample through some pretty exceptional values in Bordeaux (which you don’t often hear) as well as a couple of magnificent Saint-Emilions.
To digress for a bit, for those of you that don’t know, Bordeaux is a small wine region nestled near the Atlantic Ocean in the Southwestern corner of France, found at the mouth of the Gironde River (actually it is an estuary, not a river). Due to the course of the river, the resulting merger of two rivers – the Garonne and the Dordogne – the region is referred to in two parts: the Left Bank and the Right Bank.
The Left Bank boasts many communes, or city-areas that are known for amazing reds, blends dominated by the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, yet also contain Merlot and Cabernet Franc in varying percentages. The Right Bank, two main communes stand out (though there are many others): Pomerol (in which the blend is dominated by Merlot) and Saint-Emilion (which typically leans heavy with Cabernet Franc). White wines are also produced and are typically a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon (with Muscadelle used sometimes as well).
Some of the greatest wines on this Earth come from Bordeaux, luxury brands such as Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Chateau Margaux and Chateau Haut-Brion (all First Growths, a term I’ll get to at a later time), as well as some exceptional unsung heroes like Chateau Leoville Las Cases (arguably the best made Chateau today) and Chateau Lynch-Bages (one of my favorites anyway!).
Back to the tasting at hand, I tasted through a couple old favorites and some phenomenal stuff from Jonathan Malthus, one of Bordeaux’s resident bad boys:
Clarendelle Rosé 2016. From the Clarence Dillon group of wines, which includes both the aforementioned Chateau Haut-Brion as well as La Mission Haut-Brion, this gorgeous rosé of Merlot and Cabernet Franc is crisp and bright with notes of strawberries and red currant, a touch of rose petal and hints of racy minerality that lead you to a dry, airy finish.
Chateau de L’Eglise Bordeaux 2010. 2010 was an incredible vintage. Finding a 2010 is proving more difficult all the time. Finding one that is under $15 that is still drinking well, well, that’s like looking for a unicorn in a desert. This tasty red blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon gives you some firm tannins, black and red berry fruits, black pepper and cedar spice.
L’Enclos de Chateau de Saint-Pey Saint-Emilion 2012. Blackberry jam with notes of cedar, pepper, and pencil shavings shine in this Merlot and Cabernet Franc blend. It’s a great way to understand this little spot on the Right Bank without taking out a second mortgage.
Chateau La Croix St. Georges Pomerol 2014. Predominantly Merlot with around 8% Cabernet Franc, this bold, full-bodied red with lots of Bing cherry fruit, hints of vanilla bean, white pepper and crushed stones.
Chateau Cap St. George Saint-Georges-Saint-Emilion 2014. Red berry fruits and vanilla emerge in this gorgeous, full-bodied red. Youthful, playful and shy, it may need a bit to open up and develop.
Chateau La Confession Saint-Emilion 2014. There is a lot going on here despite its restraint. Tobacco, leather, Black cherries, baking spices and crushed stones – this is an impressive effort.
Le Carre Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2012. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, this wine is deep, dark and rich, a bit unexpected for Bordeaux. The fruit is heavy and thick, the tannins firm and the palate presence is dense and complex. It’s pretty gorgeous.
Les Asteries Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2012. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Smoky, earthy, and a bit more mysterious than the Le Carre. Black fruits abound here, with its bold, rich mouthfeel and undertones of baking spices.
I’m reminded each and every day how cool my job can be. It’s a kind of good-with-the-bad paradigm that we all share, but with little mind trips to Bordeaux like this, I think I’m good.
