Portes Ouvertes in the Bordeaux Wine Region in 2008

Here is the list of the ‘Open Door’ weekends in Bordeaux. For the wine enthusiast there is so much going on in the region – you just need to keep abreast of all the various activities organised by the different associations. There is no one place where you can go to find it all….

March

15 & 16

Printemps des Vins de Blaye

 

April

1st week	Semaine des Primeurs
12 & 13	Portes Ouvertes en Médoc
19 & 20	Vayres la Vie ! Vayres le Vin !
26 & 27	Portes Ouvertes à Lalande-de-Pomerol

 

May

8, 9, 10 & 11	Portes Ouvertes en Saint-Emilion
9, 10 & 11	Portes Ouvertes en 1eres Côtes de Bordeaux & Cadillac
10 & 11	Portes Ouvertes en Côtes de Bourg
17 & 18	Portes Ouvertes en Côtes de St Macaire
18	Marathon des 1eres Côtes de Blaye

 

October

12	Portes Ouvertes dans les Graves de Vayres
18 & 19	Portes Ouvertes dans les Graves
18 & 19	Portes ouvertes à Fronsac

 

November

8, 9, 10 & 11	Portes Ouvertes de Sauternes & Barsac
29 & 30	Portes Ouvertes de Loupiac

 

December

6 & 7

Portes Ouvertes de Pessac-Léognan

 

Here to stay!: Enthroned in the ancient Wine Guild of Cotes de Bourg

I was asked out of the blue if I would like to be ‘intronised’ by the Connetablie de Guyenne de Cotes de Bourg for my work in promoting the region’s wines. Being ‘enthroned’ by an ancient wine guild – sounded too interesting an opportunity to miss out on. Not knowing what I was getting myself into, I agreed.

The timing of such an honour was eerie. It was only a few weeks before that we had, after much contemplation for a thoroughly English family, put a stake in the ground and bought ourselves a house in Bordeaux, givng up our small appartment, which had been our ‘temporary’ abode for our ‘year out’ – which turned into four!

For someone who arrived in Bordeaux 22 years ago from England in a 2CV (arriving in mid-August on the deserted Quai de Bacalan as jeune stagiaire for Maison Sichel), I have, ever since had a heartfelt bond to this region. Returning over the years whenever possible, but always having something to pull me back to the UK (which at the time seemed important). Finally, two decades later, I have a permanent base with my family in the city I love.

I recall once seeing the Jurade of Saint Emilion, a procession of many senior greyed-hair men walking through the streets of St Emilion; it involved robes and medals and being male. As a youngish English woman I could not see how I would fit into such a picture. I was given no other insight to reassure me, just told to turn up at 4.30pm at the Maison du Vin de Blaye after the International Wine Competition and Judging (see separate blog). I knew I was to be part of an ancient ritual and that I would have to sit back and enjoy the scenes as they unravelled.

Itinerary of the Intronisation 12th April 16.30 Maison du Vin de Blaye: We stood by as a throng of existing members of the various confreries present dressed into their different coloured robes, hats and medallions and carrying banners which celebrated different wine regions of Bordeaux (and elsewhere including Beaujolais) and other disparate products too such as Tete de Veau and Frotter de l’ail (garlic rubbers!) and Jambon de Bayonne.

The procession made quite a picture, the different colours and styles of robes and hats through the streets of Blaye to take mass at the Church Saint Romain. The church service and singing in French in the vast nave of the Church Saint Romain was calming after the activity of being part of a 900 person judging panel earlier in the day.  After the service (including participating in Communion – but with no local wine to be supped – that would come later!)  there was a procession through the streets of Blaye and up through the Porte de Dauphin of Vauban’s Citadelle to the Salles des Minimes (and the newly restored cloisters) where the ‘intronisation’ would take place.

Eleven of us were ‘intronised’ into the Connetablie de Bourg and Blaye which involved being enrobed in the sumptuous velvet cloaks of the ancient guilds and listening to an account of our life by one of the existing members (in my case a laborious recount of what was on my CV), presentation of an elaborate heavy gold medal, downing a large glass of Bourg (which we had to finish), being knighted with a sword and being told how we now had the privilege of being able to visit any property day or night and our medal would gain us access – must put that to the test!) and agreeing to honour the wines of Bourg with a rowdy ‘Je le promets’.

I have promised to honour the wines of Bourg and am proud to be linked with this appellation whose wines can represent the best of Bordeaux – a freshness and purity of fruit that makes you want to reach for another glass or two! 

 

Myself and Bernard Doneche, Head of the Faculty of Oenology at the Bordeaux University being ‘intronised’ into the Wine Guild of Bourg. 

 

 

Continuing the English Connection

Like the Jurade de Saint Emilion the Connetablie de Bourg was created originally in the Middle Ages at the time when Aquitaine was an English territory through the marriage of Alienor d’Aquitaine with Henri II Plantegenet, King of England. Members are given certain privileges (which includes today upon presentation of one’s medallion access to any proprietor’s cellars to sample the wines any time of night or day!). Restablished in 1952 for promoting the wines of the region.

Bourg’s Connétablie de Guyenne, the seat of which was originally at the château of the Duc d’Epernon, is the third oldest wine guild to be created and its constables used to check the contents of barrels of wine with the “Velte”, a tool to calculate the volume of the contents. They would then nail a cypress branch to the mast as a receipt.

There are 18 confreries in Bordeaux including the Jurade de Saint Emilion, Commanderie de Bon Temps de Medoc et de Graves, Commanderie de Bon Temps de Sauternes-Barsac…..

Celebratory Dinner at the Citadelles de Blaye

Menu: Asperges du Blayais, Filet de Dorade, Carre d’Agneau au Thym

Best White Wines: 2007 Brulescaille Blanc, Blaye (bit too much oak for my taste), 2006 Chateau des Tourtes (100% Sauvignon – excellent)

Best Red Wines: 2003 Haut Bajac Bourg, 2002 Haut Launay Bourg

Chateau Puybarbe awarded special prize for Bourg wine

Medal Winning Wines: Does it mean anything?

Saturday April 12th and the day started at 8.30 in Bourg sur Gironde on the right bank of the Gironde at the Challenge International du Vin’s 32nd competition of judging international wines, France’s oldest international wine competiton. This year there were over 5000 entries from 35 countries and 900 tasters to judge the wines. I was one of the judges in jurys of four people (an oenologist, amateur, professional like a producer or negociant and sommelier/journalist etc). We tasted two series of 12 wines blind. We were given the appellation and vintage.

Freezing cold morning and wines. Tasting Cotes de Blaye 2006 at 2 degrees! We awarded one silver and three bronze medals. Second series (St Emilion satellites 2006 and 2005)  was warmer and we had warmed up too, got to know our fellow judges and began to relax into it more. Awarded a gold (a 2005 Montagne St Emilion) , a silver and three bronze medals. (Results come out April 18th www.challengeduvin.com). All pretty much agreed on the very good wines (and the very bad) it was just the ones in-between that it was difficult to feel strongly about one way or another.

I like that amateurs are included in this competition. It is aimed at the consumer after all. The judgment of the jury is final. What power, to make or break! Parker eat your heart out. We filled in standard sheets by ticking boxes for style, flavours, structure and maturity for example. Each judge included a commentary for each wine medal winners or not. Later on at dinner sat next to the winner of the Special Award for best Bourg wine – Chateau Puybarbe 2005. Mr Orlandi said that producers are almost more interested in feedback if there wine does not win a medal than if it does.

I think it does mean something but winetasting is so subjective that it is difficult with such small jurys. In my opinion there should be jurys which just deselect all of the average wines. The other wines go through and there is a process of elimination at each level. Then finally the wines are selected for medals. The order of the wines is so important and can so affect your opinion. Also we cannot help but compare wines in the category rather than look at the wines on their own merits.

Wonderful atmosphere of over 900 tasters (wine enthusiasts be they amateur or professional) who make sure they guard the date preciously for their chance to taste wines from around the world. Meet up with their friends and after the competition they are offered a wonderful four course meal in a large marquis at the Citadelle de Blaye where they can taste the medal winners from the year before. Great ambience.

If you are in the area on Saturday April 18th 2009 make sure to get your application in on time!

www.challengeduvin.com

Next Competition for me to judge is the Vins d’Aquitaine on Saturday May 10th. Keep you posted.

 

 

2007 Bordeaux: Star Winemaker Stephane Derenoncourt’s Group ‘La Grappe’

During the en primeur week (1st March to 3rd April) of winetastings when the world’s wine press and trade comes to Bordeaux to taste the newly released vintage (2007), the new star on the block Stephane Derenoncourt presented all of the domaines for which he is wine consultant – 60 different properties under the name of  ’La Grappe’ held at Chateau La Gaffeliere in St Emilion.

If one could try to describe a style (very difficult as the properties include those from the Rhone, Cahors, Ribera del Duero in Spain and even one from Virginia, USA) it would be an incredible purity of fruit and freshness whatever the provenance of the wine.

How he achieves this is a question I hope to ask the man himself one day. I am certainly a fan of his wines.

My favorite properties included who showed their 2007;

Chateau Jean Faux, Bordeaux Superieur: Fragrant black fruits with pleasant integration of creamy wood notes. 80% Merlot 20% Cabernet Franc

Chateau L’Isle Fort, Bordeaux Superieur: Toasted nutty nose with creamy smooth black fruit palate with slightly sharp finish.  58% Merlot 28% Cabernet Franc 14% Cabernet Saugnon

Chateau Le Pin Beausoleil, Bordeaux Superieur: Well balanced concentration of blackcurrant fruit and silky smooth tannins. 78% Merlot 15% Cabernet Franc 7% Cabernet Saugnon

Chateau La Prade, Cotes de Francs: Exotic blueberry spicy flavours fruity and soft. 80% Merlot 20% Cabernet Franc 

Chateau Le Prieure, St Emilion Grand Cru Classe: Purity of fresh fruit and smooth tannins. 90% Merlot 10% Cabernet Franc 

Chateau Branas Grand Poujeaux, Moulis: Fleshy cherry and blackcurrant fruit and firm finish. 50% Merlot 40% Cabernet Sauvignon 10% Petit Verdot

Domaine de la Soumade, Cotes du Rhone Rasteau: Les Violettes 90% Syrah 10 Viognier. Very fragrant nose of thyme and liquorice. Density of cherry fruit but still retaining uplifting freshness.

Alonso del Yerro, Ribera del Duero: Rich and concentrated black fruits of this 100% Tempranillo wine. Firm structure with pleasant freshness.

Domaine de l’A, Cotes de Castillon: Fleshy blueberries fruity soft and rounded. 70% Merlot 20% Cabernet Franc 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

Clos Fourtet, St Emilion Grand Cru Classe: Fresh blackberry fruit, soft and rounded on the palate with smooth finish. 85% Merlot 10% Cabernet Sauvignon 5% Cabernet Franc

Chateau Larcis Ducasse, St Emilion Grand Cru Classe: see 2007 Bordeaux Vintage Report

Chateau Pavie-Macquin, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe (recent promotion with Troplong Mondot): see 2007 Bordeaux Vintage Report

Domaine de Chevalier (rouge), Pessac Leognan: Complex toasty aromas of spice and black fruits and minerals. Very powerful and complex with a long finish. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon 25% Merlot 5% Cabernet Franc 5% Petit Verdot

Chateau Prieure Lichine, Margaux: see separate entry

Chateau de Chamboureau, Savennieres, Loire (blanc): Organic production of this complex smokey mineral (schist soils) white wine from 100% Chenin from “Roche Aux Moins”. White peach and caramel notes on the nose of this dry powerful wine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2007 Bordeaux En Primeur: Vintage Update

Best red wines for me of the 2007 Vintage were Cabernet Sauvignon based wines in the Medoc. The sunny Autumn ripened the late maturing Cabernet Sauvignon well providing wines with smooth tannins and blackcurrant flavours. The wines were fresh with high levels of acidity and had fresh fruit flavours – light to medium bodied wines for earlier drinking. If prices are not too high these wines will provide a good supply of early drinking wines.

What was imperitive this year was a lot of work in the vineyard to minimise any rot (prevalent due to the wet conditions) and a lot of travaux en vert to maximise aeration and exposure of the sun to the grapes. This costs money and can only be afforded by vineyards with means. It was also imperative to reduce the amount of wine that went into the final blend to make up the concentration that lacked in the vineyard. At Chateau Margaux for example only the very best 32% (a record) of the total wine produced went into the ‘Grand Vin’ .

Merlot was a disappointment this year as the wet Summer meant that the concentration of flavours which happens when the vegetative cycle stops (usually due to lack of water) did not happen. The best Merlots (as always) were on soils that restricted access to the vine of too much water. The best Merlot based wines this year were produced in Pomerol and the Graves of St Emilion.

Undoubtedly the best wines produced this year were the whites. The dry whites were aromatic and fresh with lots of citrus flavours. The better terroirs produced rich white wines with volume and freshness.

The sweet wines built on the white wine success and further added the complexities provided by Botrytis cinerea. Sweet wines produced are elegant and refined with a purity of flavour that marks this as an outstanding sweet wine year. It was these wines that benefitted most from the warm Indian Summer.

Pomerol:

2007 Chateau Petit Village: Exotic black fruits, complex with notes of spice and vanilla. Weight of of thick ripe pure fruit balanced with freshness and elegance. 78% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc. 2007 Chateau La Pointe: a real surprise to taste such a fruit focussed wine after the hardness of past wines (under new ownership and managed by Eric Monneret). Spicy wood, abundance of black cherry fruit. Firm structure. 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. 2007 Chateau Clinet: Deep in colour. Dense intense blackcurrant fruit. Long finish. 2007 Chateau Gazin: Creamy oak and blackcurrant. Good balance. Smooth tannins and volume of fruit. High percentage of fragrant Cabernet Franc.

Saint Emilion:

2007 Beausejour Becot: Violets and spice on the nose with blackcurrant and caramel on the palate. Medium structure with a soft finish. 70% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon.  2007 Balestard la Tonnelle: Fragrant fruit, cream and vanilla, rich and soft on the palate. 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet France, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. 2007 Chateau Berliquet: Cherry and toast on the nose. Fresh and fruity red fruits with good structure. 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. 2007 Chateau Canon-La Gaffeliere: Creamy black fruits on the nose. Soft tannins and concentrated fruit on the palate. Slightly bitter end. 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. 2007 Chateau Dassault: Well balanced wine of vanilla and creamy black fruit with high level of acidy providing freshness. 72% Merlot 21% Cabernet Franc 7% Cabernet Sauvignon. 2007 Chateau Figeac: Refined, elegant and restrained. The elements of this wine are already well integrated. Soft and round, fresh fruit flavours on the palate. The Leoville Barton of Saint Emilion? 40% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. 2007 Chateau Larcis-Ducasse: Incredibly concentrated, amost cherry liqueur like on the nose and palate. Good structure and long finish. 2007 Pavie-Macquin: Smooth blackcurrent sweetness of this well balanced refined wine. 2007 Chateau Troplong-Mondot: Plummy, creamy complex aromas with wonderful concentration and freshness. Slightly harsh finish. 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. 2007 Chateau Trottevielle: Smokey coffee, cherry and mint on the nose with soft fleshy cherry fruit and smooth tannins. 50% Merlot,  45% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon 

For tasting notes for the following wines see separate individual entries

St Julien: 2007 Leoville Barton: , 2007 Chateau Langoa-Barton, 2007 Chateau Beychevelle

Margaux: 2007 Chateau Margaux

Pauillac: 2007 Chateau Pichon Comtesse, 2007 Chateau Pichon Baron

Sauternes: 2007 Chateau d’Yqeum, 2007 Chateau Sigalas Rabaud, 2007 Chateau Suiduraut

Pessac Leognan: REDS 2007 Haut Brion, 2007 La Mission Haut Brion, 2007 Pape Clement 

Pessac Leognan: WHITES 2007 Haut Brion, 2007 Laville, 2007 Pape Clement

2007 Chateau Margaux: less is more in 2007 says Pontallier

The Cabernet Sauvignon makes up the body and soul of this wine. The final wine is made from only 32% of the total production. The wine is blended from no fewer than 36 different lots – the most rigorous selection ever. There is a move towards reducing yields to concentrate the juice in the grapes that are harvested.  This year the yields were 26 hl/ha. Note there is no Petit Verdot although at other properties further up the Medoc, Petit Verdot was an important (if small) part of the final blend. When Cabernet Sauvignon is ripe, the Merlot grown cannot match the class and nobility of this grape variety with its complex fruit flavours and silky tannins.

Paul Pontallier, Director of Chateau Margaux, explained that 2007 (2002 and 2004) is a classic Bordeaux year with climatic conditions are more typical of Bordeaux than years with hotter summers such as 2003 and 2005. These years are characterised by having a cool summer with hotter Autumns which ripen the grapes later in the season with long cool ripening perfect for producing complex fresh ripe flavours.

2007 Chateau Margaux: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Black cherry freshness with minty overtones. Silky tannins,ripe fruit but elegant and fine. Medium-bodied wine with accent on pure black fruit flavours and freshness.

Pavillon Rouge 2007: 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Soft and forward in style focussed on fresh red fruits and vivacity.

 

Prieure Lichine lures right bank star winemaker to Margaux

Spoke to Justin Onclin Director of fourth growth Chateau Prieure Lichine in Margaux about his decision to employ winemaker Stephane Derenencourt as consultant at the Margaux property. ‘We like his style of making wines and are looking for the purity of fruit and the smoothness of the tannins that are his hallmarks.’

The 2007 is made up of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 15% Petit Verdot (a surprising record amount this year for this very late ripening grape variety which seemed to respond well to the warm autumn).

2007 Chateau Prieure Lichine, 4th Growth Margaux

Cherry fruit flavours on the nose with an appealing mintiness. The long cool ripening of the Cabernet Sauvignon in 2007 produced ripe blackberry flavours and smooth tannins. Firm finish but overall a wine whose elements came together with purity of fruit and freshness.

2007 Chateau d’Yquem; rich and exotic and made by a woman winemaker

Welcomed by Sandrine Garbay, the woman cellar master at First Growth Superieur Sauternes for the past 10 years. Tasted the 2007 en primeur (started selling en primeur with the arrival of Pierre Lurton also in charge at top growth St Emilion property Cheval Blanc). The most amazing thing about Yquem is the severe selection that is carried out each year. This year only 55% of the production went into the final blend. The rest is declassified as generic Sauternes. This is a large property has 100 hectare with four main soil types so there is a lot of choice of lots.

In 2007 there were six different ‘tries’ of pickings. Small parcels of vineyards are scored for the perfectly ‘ripe’ grapes. Similar style of grapes (regarding soil type and grape variety are grouped together) to make up a particular lot.  All selection is done in the vineyard so training the pickers is key to the ultimate quality of the wine.  The pickings took place over two months (usual) with individual berries being picked at perfect stage of noble rot – only when the the Botrytis cinerea (a tiny fungus) has punctured the skins of the raisins enabling the water to evaporate leaving the sugar in the grape behind (stage 5 ‘raisin en debut de fletrissement’ et stage 6 ‘raisin pourri roti’).

The assemblage (blending) is done in May which in 2007 made up of a record 37 different lots. Blending is rather like taking 37 different colours and choosing only those lots (or parts of these lots) that add something to the final painting of the 2007 Chateau dYquem. The yield this year was a plentiful 18hl/ha – 10 is the average which amounts to not much more than a glass a vine!

2007 Chateau d’Yquem

Very intense spicy and floral aromas on the nose. Rich exotic fruits of mango and pineapple on the palate. Powerful and dense with wonderful lifting acidity. Caramel butterscotch flavours on the very long finish. 

Bordeaux weather in the future will favour the Cabernet Sauvignon rather than Merlot

Philip Blanc, General Manager at Beychevelle  4^th Growth St Julien

Today the fruit produced in Bordeaux is different to say ten or so years ago. Winemaking has not changed that much recently but the fruit that is harvested is much riper today with both good levels of sugar and tannin ripeness (polyphenols). This is due to practices in the vineyard such as leaf pulling (so sun has direct access to the grapes reducing levels of the vegetal methoxypyrazines),  bunch thinning (so sugars go into fewer grapes and for better aeration in the bunches to preclude rot), reduced yields (by short pruning in February/March) and with global  warming. Today better Cabernet Sauvignons are being produced with ripe tannins. Merlot has a tendancy to have high alcohol levels and with warmer weather can easily become over alcoholic.

2007 Beychevelle, 4th Growth St Julien: fragrant and elegant, almost Burgundian in style

Philip Blanc, General Manager at Ch Beychevelle explained that 2007 was an expensive year to produce in terms of number of man hours in the vineyard that was required. The wet conditions during the summer encouraged the development of rot in the vineyard which necessitated additional spraying (2 to three times more than usual against Downy Mildew and Botrytis). In order to limit foliage growth and enable aeration it was necessary to carry out many  ‘travaux en vert’ such as leaf plucking and bunch thinning. He hoped to recoup some of these costs in the price but was aware of the fragility of the markets against the strong Euro. Mother Nature helped to save the day with the sunshine that arrived, at last and fortunately not too late, at the very end of August. Fifteen days later and it would have been a disaster.

In 2007 the level of ripeness that was achieved was higher than in 1989 (considered a ripe year than!). It is a fresh year with late ripening (fresher than 2004)  – conditions well suited to the Cabernet Sauvignon.  More went into the blend this year. Harvest started on 22 September, similar date as 2005 and 2006. It is a vintage for consuming rather than speculating.

2007 Beychevelle, 4^th Growth St Julien

62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31%  Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot

Took time to open up and then displayed herby, fragrant aromas with black cherry fruit. Silky smooth with high levels of acidity almost more like a Pinot Noir with its elegance. Light and fresh in style. Slightly sour, slightly vegetal finish.