Commanderie du Bontemps St Vincent Lunch

The Commanderie du Bontemps (Medoc, Graves, Sauternes and Barsac) celebrated the Fete de Saint Vincent on 18th January with a lunch in the centre of Bordeaux, the first time in fifty-six years.

The lunch was proceeded by Mass at the Cathedral of St Andre with a procession of the Commanderie from the Town Hall carrying the stautue of St Vincent and a barrel of wine (not sure if this came from the Medoc, Graves, Barsac or Sauternes?).

I was nominated by Chateau Haut Bailly, Grand Cru Classe of Graves for its wonderful red wine, to be intronised and to receive the title of ‘Commadeur d’Honneur’. This involved standing up in front of the six hundred people present (mostly teams of people who worked for different chateaux from owners to tractor drivers), listening to my life’s achievements, tasting a glass of wine and making a positive comment (not difficult as it was 2001 Cantemerle – “beaucoup de fraicheur et tanins soyeux”), being enrobed and accepting a gold pin to wear with honour!

Each table was hosted by a different chateau who brought their wines from their own property. Haut Bailly brought the 1999 vintage. The idea is then to exchange your bottles with your neighbours to end up with an interesting array to try. Here is our selection magnificently managed by Caroline Perromat, in charge of Wine Tourism at Chateau Haut Bailly and who works closely with Veronique Sanders who runs the Cru Classe chateau (both present at the lunch).

2006 Chateau Carbonnieux Grand Cru Classe Pessac Leognan Blanc - intense flavours of citrus fruits with complex rich palate but  with taste bud popping freshness

2003 Chateau Paloumey, Cru Bourgeois Medoc – smokey, light and fresh

2004 Chateau Luchey Halde – sweet oaky nose, bit rustic

*1999 Chateau Haut Bailly, Grand Cru Classe Pessac Leognan – creamy and minty freshness, silky, delicate and very elegant

2004 Marquis de Terme, Margaux – thin and light, bit acidic

2003 Chateau d’Issan – fresh considering the vintage with light fruit and soft tannins, pleasant but lighweight

2001 Chateau Giscours – fresh cherry still on this powerful wine the tannins of which are melting and softening. Together and smooth.

2001 Brainaire Ducru - normally one of my favorite chateaux and favorite vintages, bit disappointed by this light wine that was a seemed a little thin

*1999 Chateau Leoville Barton – absolutely delicious creamy wine with its black cherry fruit and sweet smooth tannins locked together to give an exquisite wine. Classic claret at its elegant best.

1998 Chateau Le Tertre – Perfumed sweetness but also undergrowth notes. Light wine but still enjoyable. Apparently Michel Rolland helped with this vintage.

2002 Chateau Lagrange - found quite an odd nows but lovely sweetness on the palate

2001 Chateau Lynch Bages

Smokey notes with smooth black fruit and a coffee finish. Medium weight

2004 Chateau Montrose

Blockbuster wine, very deep black in colour with still the purple hue of youth. Intense spicy nose of cinnamon and black pepper. Tannins still very firm. Lot of potential to come.

1998 Chateau Clerc Milon

Little over the hill. Nice coffee notes but lot fruit has gone.

2003 Chateau Mouton Rothschild

Grilled, toasty notes (torrefaction) and blackcurranty. Attractive touch of white pepper on the nose. On the palate sweet and thick and smooth.

1996 Pichon Baron

Little over the hill. Still pleasant graphite quality and smooth tannins. Bit thinned out.

2005 Chateau de Myrat

Afraid did not taste this wine from my friend Slanie. Sorry Slanie, perhaps next time.

Napa Women Winemakers exchange with Bordeaux

Last week Bordeaux played host to a group of fifteen women winemakers and vineyard owners from the Napa Valley including Heidi Barrett the winemaker for the cult wine Screaming Eagle. It was infact the return trip of a group of ‘women in wine’from Bordeaux who visited the most coveted new world vineyard in January of last year. The group included the winemaker at first growth Chateau d’Yquem Sandrine Garby and Nicola Allison winemaker at Chateau de Seuil, Graves. The idea of bringing two of the world’s most famous wine regions together was conceived by Sharon Harris of Napa’s Amici Cellars winery during her recent time in Bordeaux when she studied for the University of Bordeaux Tasting Diploma at the Faculty of Oenology. The American wine experts were welcomed at Chateau de Sales on Sunday evening (11th January) with a tasting of a range of Pomerol wines and a visit of the tiny region’s largest producer and grandest chateau. The 2005 vintage was presented by the different proprietors

Chateau de Sales 2005 81% Merlot 11% Cabernet Franc 8% Cabernet Sauvignon Smokey aromatic violets on the nose. Sweet and creamy finishing with notes of coffee. Medium bodied.

Chateau Mazeyre 2005 (Allain Moueix) 80% Merlot 20% Cabernet Franc Smokey tobacco and grilled notes on the nose and palate. Nice concentration medium bodied wine with attractive sucrosity and bitter chocolate finish

Clos Rene 2005 (Jean Marie Garde) 70% Merlot 20% Cabernet Franc 10% Malbec Intense nose of sweet violets. Creamy elegant and thick on the palate.

Chateau Vieux Maillet 2005 (Griet Laviale) Attractive spice, noisette and vanilla. Creamy and weighty in the mouth.

Chateau Gazin 2005 (Nicolas de Baillancourt) 85% Merlot 5% Cabernet Franc 10% Cabernet Sauvignon Dense black colour. Intense nose of black cherry. Complex and silky texture on the palate.

Chateau Fleur Petrus 2005 Aromas of toffee, liquorice and violets. Very intense and fragrant. Intense sucrosity of ripe sweet black cherry on the palate.

Those participating in the exchange from Bordeaux:

Nicola Allison – Chateau du Seuil, Graves

Barbara Engerer – Chateau Paloumey, Medoc

Caroline Frey – Chateau La Lagune

Sandrine Garby – Chateau d’Yquem, Sauternes

Griet Laviale – Chatau Franc-Mayne

Laure de Lambert des Granges – Chateau Sigalas Rabaud

Marie-Laure Lurton – Chateau Tour Bessan

Lyn Maltus – Chateau Teyssier

Wendy Narby – Ecole du Vin du CIVB

Myriam Ruer – Wineprod

Laurence Ters – Chateau Franc Mayne

Sophie Thierry – Chateau Kirwan

Those participating in the exchange from the Nap Valley:

Jane Ballentine – William Cole

Heidi Barrett – La sirena

Sandy Belcher – Arrns Family Winery

Carissa Chappellet – Chappellet Winery

Carolyn Duryea Smith – Hourglass

Ursula Hermacinski – Screaming Eagle

Sharon Harris – Amici Cellars

Erin Lail – Lail Vineyards

Pavi Lawson – Pavi Wines Cherie Melka – Melka Wines

Beth Milliken – Spotteswoode Winery

Mary Novak – Spotteswood Winery

Suzanne Pavitt – Phifer Pavitt Wines

Pam Starr – Crocker and Starr

Pierrette Titus – Titus Vineyards

Michele Torres – Trincharo Family Vineyards

Chateau d’Yquem – not just a dessert wine

Lunch in the Chateau d’Yquem, 15th January, 2009

hosted by Sandrine Garbay, Winemaker and Cellar Master at Chateau d’Yquem, Superior Premier Cru Classe

to celebrate the exchange of women winemakers between the Napa Valley and Bordeaux (11th to 15th January 2009)

Aperitif: Y 2005

Chateau d’Yquem 2004 to accompany Roast Lobster with blood orange emulsion

Chateau d’Yquem 1998 to accompany sweetbreads in a black truffle sauce

Chateau d’Yquem 1988 to accompany ‘millefeuille’ of Victoria Pineapple with Passion Fruit coulis

Twelve Bordeaux Women winemakers present their wines to Napa Women Winemakers

At the Maison des Vins de Saint-Emilion  on 14 janvier 2009
I ‘animated’ a tasting of twelve wines. It was no ordinary tasting as twelve women winemakers from all over Bordeaux presented their wines ‘face to face’ to a group of 15 women winemakers from the Napa Valley. The wines ranged in style from dry white to fullbodied reds and the tasting cululated with a delicious but very unique Sauternes. The wines came from appellations as different as Bordeaux Superior to Graves, Margaux and St Emilion. Each wine was presented by its female winemaker and the Napa contingent asked questions about the wines and vinification techniques used to arrive at such distinct styles. A wonderful ambience and openness was expereinced from both sides of the Atlantic.

Vins blancs :

Château Thieuley 2007  AOC Bordeaux Blanc presented by winemaker Marie Coursell. 35% Sauvignon, 15% Sauvignon Gris (gives spiciness to wine), 50% Semillon. Wonderful aromatic citrus aromas, nice freshness on the palate. Round and quite luscious onthe palate but nice acidity makes it thirstquenching and quite delicious. Fantastic value for money. Made by two young sisters. Skin contact for 12 to 24 hours. Pneumatic press under nitrogen to protect the white juice from oxidation (white grape juice is much more prone to oxidation which destroys the fruit aromas as it is not protected by the antioxidising tannins that help protect red grape juice).
Château La Tour Martillac 2005  Cru Classé AOC Pessac Léognan Blanc presented by winemaker Valérie Vialard. 55 % Sauvignon 55% Semillon and 1% Muscadelle. Complex, intense aromas (notes of white peach but also quite minerally) and rich fullness in the mouth but without being heavy due to its surprising acidity fwhich comes from the cold nights during the 2005 Summer according to Valerie. Long finish showed that this wine has further potential to age.

Vins rouges :

Château La Peyre du Tertre 2007 AOC Bordeaux Clairet presented by winemaker Caty Lucas. 50% Cabernet Franc and 50% Merlot. Fresh summer fruit flavours. Made from the Merlot saignee (pre fermentation maceration of 12 to 36 hours) and pressed Cabernet Franc.

Château La Peyre du Tertre 2005 AOC Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge presented by winemaker Caty Lucas. 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot. Fermented in barrels and 12 months in barrels ageing. Toasty wood with black fruits with firm tannins.
Château Guibot Fourvielle 2004 AOC Puisseguin St-Emilion presented by winemaker Brigitte Bourlon 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Brigitte explained  how a lot of care was taken int he vineyards to ensure minimum spraying treatments were necessary. 60% new oak and 40% of one wine. This was a real discovery for me. Wonderful concentration of blackcurrant fruit and wonderful vanilla notes. Sweet perfumed concentration. Powerful mouthfilling wine but with wonderful texture of velvet. Fresh finish for this complex powerful yet elegant wine.

Château Bourgneuf Vayron 2000  AOC Pomerol presented by winemaker Dominique Vayron. 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. A big powerful wine for a Pomerol. Quite muscular and robust for this family owned property of 22 acres well situated in teh centre of the appellation , west of Trotanoy.

Château Dassault 2003  Grand Cru Classé de St-Emilion presented by winemaker Laurence Brun. Located between Montagne and St Christphe des Bardes. Twenty four hectare estate owned by Laurent Dassault. Smooth texture for this straight forward wine of riep black cherry. Often we find cooked notes in this heatwave vintage but not here. Hot notes and low acidity but not cooked.
Château Malartic Lagravière 2001 Grand Cru Classé de Graves Rouge presented by winemaker Séverine Bonnie. Cru Classe for both red and white wines (one of only six). 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc. Single parcel of vines of 91 acres on high gravel terraces. This wine was sweet seduction. Perfect for drinking now. refined and elegant with a lovely silky smooth texture and long finish.
Château Rauzan Gassies 2003 2nd Grand Cru Classé de Margaux presented by winemaker Pascale Quié. Another heatwave wine and gain not the cooked overripe notes we find sometimes with this vintage. 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot 30%, Cabernet Franc 6%. Licorice and blackcurrant flavours and also a herby graphite quality. Big wine with high tannin levels.

Vin Liquoreux : 1983 Château Gilette Sauternes presented by winemaker Julie Medeville. 90% semillon, 8% Sauvignon and 2% Muscadelle. 4.5 hectares of vinesin Preignac. They only produce their wine (called Creme de Tete) in only the best of years.

We did not know which vintage we were going to be trying at the tasting. Had I known that this was actually a key characteristic of this unique Sauterne chateau, I would not have been surprised. In fact these wines are aged for a minimum of twenty years in concrete vats. That is the wines are made and left without being touched at all for two decades! The story goes that in the 1930s Rene Medeville built cement vats as wood was in short supply. When he left for the war he told those he left behind not to touch the wine. When he returned some years later he found the wine to be inperfect condition and to have aged with such freshness and preserved fruit that the tradition remains today! Honey, flowers, wax, ginger, caramel and orange blossom are amongst the wealth of aromas found in this amazingly fresh sweet wine. Very different from any other Sauternes and a wonderful discovery.