Showing posts with label Bordeaux. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bordeaux. Show all posts

Friday, October 24, 2014

A Very Wine Weekend


A Very Wine Weekend
Reds to the Fore

Straccali Chianti Classico, Riserva 2004, 13.5%, €24.40 Karwig Wines

This ruby red gem is 90% Sangiovese with intense aromas. Easy drinking and Very Highly Recommended. Fruity for sure but very well balanced indeed, excellent matching acidity. Sip it on its own or with food (stews, pastas, poultry and fred meats are all recommended). A very generous wine, elegant and palate friendly with a long finish.

Nugan Alfredo Dried Grape Shiraz 2012 (Australia), 14.5%, €19.99, SuperValu

This is a highly rated wine, made in Amarone style from partially dried grapes and has spent 12 months in French and US oak. Darkly coloured it has very inviting fruit aromas. No shortage of fruit on the palate, some spice too; rich, with good depth of flavour, and quite intense; it is full bodied, very well balanced and dry to extra dry; tannins are refined and it has a long finish. Very Highly Recommended.

Stellar Winery Merlot 2013, South Africa, 13.5%, €15.00 Bradley’s, North Main Street, Cork

You immediately notice the healthy sheen on this ruby coloured wine and the nose has pretty simple direct fruit aromas. Medium bodied with lovely fruit flavours, soft and juicy and tannins have a slight grip. This is a really well balanced wine with a long dry finish. Highly Recommended.

Stellar, in the Western Cape. produce organic fair-trade wines with no added sulphites, vegan friendly too. The Indian Rubber ducks, featured on the front label, form “a highly efficient pest-control squad”. Pairing recommendations: pasta, lamb, beef.

Chateau Respide Medeville 2011, (Graves, France), 13.5%, €15.30 in Graves.

According to Hugh Johnson, this is one of the better producers in Graves for both red and white. The blend here is Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) and Merlot, all hand-picked. A surprising nose here, hints of spice and vanilla, even traces of anise, and that lively red fruit is also prominent on the palate. It is quite complex with great depth of flavour and a long dry finish. Glad I bought more than one of these last June while visiting the local Maison des Vins. Not sure you can get this in Ireland but Very Highly Recommended if you do come across it.

Friday, October 3, 2014

For your Weekend: One White, One Red


For your Weekend: One White, One Red

Vina del Sopie Verdejo DO Rueda 2013, 13.5% abv, €13.95 Karwig Wines

Venture away from the usual white grapes and you'll be richly rewarded. Especially if you try this one which is one hundred per cent Verdejo (pronounced Ver-deko) and all the grapes are from fifty year old vines.

It is yellow in colour with green tones and looks clean and bright. The nose is rather expressive, white fruits combine with floral aromas, for me it was love at first sniff. And the affair intensified when it hit the palate, smooth and round and again those fruits and indeed floral characters, ending in a long and fruity finish.

The Spanish vineyard recommend pairing it with Mediterranean dishes, vegetables, rice and seafood and flavourful fish and I can agree when they say it is exceptional as an aperitif. Quite delicious all round and very highly recommended.

If you’d like to pick up a red while you’re in Karwigs, check out the Caldora Montepulciano and the Caldora Sangiovese. I’ve had these recently and they are two really lovely reds and each is well priced.

Chateau Lezin, Bordeaux Superieur 2011, 13%, €10.00 (down from 19.99), SuperValu.

Merlot (69%) certainly dominates the blend here. Soft and lush on the palate, the fruit flavours and hints of spice are well balanced, tannins are just about noticeable and it all ends with a persistent finalé.

The renovated winery are very happy with this one, describing it as powerful and complex. Not sure I'd go that far but I'd have no hesitation in recommending it as an excellent example of Bordeaux red.

With the French wine sale still on in SuperValu, you might be tempted to get your white here as well and the one I’d recommend is the Michel Lynch Barrel Select Sauvignon blanc 2012 .

Friday, September 26, 2014

Little Listrac Delivers

Little Listrac Delivers
Excellent Wines from Margins of the Medoc


Listrac is one of the smallest appellations in the Medoc and its wines have often been dismissed as “rustic”. But, in recent years, according to the prestigious World Atlas of Wine, its reputation (and that of its neighbouring village Moulis) has risen. Better winemaking and the planting of more Merlot has led to an increase in reputation and, going by the three wines below, the adjective “rustic” may be consigned to the past.

Chateau Saransot-Dupré, Listrac Medoc Cru Bourgeois 2009.

Saransot-Dupre have long been among the frontrunners in Listrac. They also make a very stylish white. This medium bodied red, their main wine, is produced only from the property’s old vines. The vineyard is planted mainly with Merlot and, contrary to the Medoc practice, Cabernet Franc is more planted here than Cabernet Sauvignon.

Aromas are invitingly fruity. Superb flavours on the palate, fleshy with some spice, tannins present but barely noticeable; the abv is 14.5% but this lovely dry wine is well balanced with a lengthy finish.

Lestage, improving the Listrac image

Chateau Lestage, Listrac Medoc Cru Bourgeois 2008, 13%.
Sixty five per cent Merlot accounts for the fruitiness here; the balance of the blend is 32% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. Again it is the first wine of the estate and has spent 18 months in oak barrels (one third of which are replaced each year).

Color is dark red and aromas are of the darker fruits (plum prominent for me). Far from the robust style once associated with Listrac this tends to the slender side but with a supple fruity element, mainly blackberry; softened tannins and no shortage of flavour or freshness, well balanced and with a decent finish.

Chateau Veyrin, Listrac Medoc Selection Chateau 2010, 14%.

Merlot is again the main grape here and its companions are Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Colour is purple and it has an inviting nose of red fruits (Including cherry). On the palate is is ample and so well balanced, and a wee bit spicy with some vanilla notes. All add up to quite a rich wine with a persistent finish.

  • Very happy with my little haul from Listrac, all bought at Le Relais de Listrac where we also dined. There is a large shop in the middle of the village where many local producers sell their wines and you might well get them cheaper there but they were closing for lunch as we arrived. To read more on that little day trip (from our base at Arcachon) click here.

    • I’d have no hesitation about buying Listrac wines again. In Ireland, a quick search on Wine-searcher reveals that you may be able to get them at Mitchell & Sons, From Vineyards Direct Ireland, Bubble Brothers and Greenacres.
     

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Dipping into Bordeaux and its 6000 chateaux. The easy way!

Dipping into Bordeaux and its 6000 chateaux.
The easy way!

In Bordeaux last June, while I was searching in vain for a particular local wine, a wine-shop proprietor said to me, by way of excuse for not having it in stock: “You know there six thousand castles in Bordeaux”. That is a lot of wine, hard to get around to all those chateaux.


But you don’t don’t even have to go to Bordeaux at the moment as the Supervalu French wine sale kicks off this week. Most areas of the France are covered and there are quite a few wines on sale. While Bordeaux often gets a bad press because of “gambling” at the higher end, it is hard to go wrong with a regular wine from the area. The sale starts tomorrow (Thursday September 25th) and goes on until October 10th.
No need to go to Bordeaux!

Chateau Haut Bertinerie, Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux, 2011, 13.5%. (12.00, down from 15.99)

A blend of sixty per cent Merlot and forty per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, this has dark fruits (plums mainly) and traces of spice on the nose. It is good and fruity, smooth and elegant, tannins barely noticeable. It is an excellent well balanced wine, with second glass appeal.

This is a rather special wine for the chateau, a “terroir cuvĂ©e” produced from a selection of their oldest vines, the fruit hand-picked and sorted. Lots of TLC too in the wine-making which includes 12 months in new French casks. I reckon all the effort pays off. Very Highly Recommended.


Saint-Emilion

Les Hauts de Gros Caillou, Saint-Emilion 2011, 13% (14.00, down from 27.99)
A different blend here: Merlot (65%) and Cabernet Franc (35). This beautiful dark red wine has an inviting nose of ripe red fruit. It is rather soft and lush on the palate, flavours of dark fruits, some spice too; tannins present but nothing approaching severe.

This is a well made wine, typical of the area, and very highly recommended. Pair with red meats and cheeses. Label also recommends turkey but I'm not too sure. Depends on the sauce, I suppose. Then again, if you like red wine with your turkey, go for it.

Michel Lynch Barrel Select Sauvignon Blanc Bordeaux 2012, 12% (10.00, down from 19.99)

Bordeaux whites are generally taken as being a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon but that is not always the case and indeed the area is making some terrific wine with one hundred per cent Sauvignon, as is the case here.

In the glass it is pale gold and stunningly bright and has aromas of citrus, pineapple and blossom. On the palate it is fresh and fruity (maybe without the rush of flavour you’d get from a Marlborough SB), with an almost creamy mouthfeel and a persistent finish. In terms of Sauvignon Blanc, this is well up the rankings and highly recommended.

* Getting the correct serving temperature is quite important - I’ve had a few hiccups recently. There are some good guidelines here.





Thursday, August 14, 2014

Marvels of Moulis

Marvels of Moulis
Moulis is not the first name that trips off the tongue when you are asked about Bordeaux. It is indeed the smallest appellation in the area but that doesn't prevent it from producing some very fine wines. I got to know the little village fairly well this summer, driving up and down the street quite a few times in a vain attempt to find the region’s Maison du Vin (closed down, methinks).

If you’d like to try a wine from Moulis, you could well be in luck as my search on Wine-searcher.com revealed that both wines below (maybe not the exact year) are available in Ireland. If you do get your hands on the 2006 Brillette, decant and make sure it is at room temperature before pouring.



L’Oratoire de Chasse Spleen, Moulis 2011, 13%

Chasse Spleen, according to Hugh Johnson, is “one of the surest things in Bordeaux” and the current edition of the Wine Atlas says “it can be viewed as an honorary St Julien for  its smoothness, its accessibility”. High praise indeed for the chateau with the unusual name, sometimes credited to Baudelaire, sometimes to Byron.

This is a second wine of the estate. Cabernet Sauvignon (50%) and Merlot (40) are the main players in the blend. The chateau says the Cab Sauv helps make it fresh and velvety while the Merlot is credited with giving it opulence and smoothness.

But I've been told forget the label: “Listen to your palate”. So here goes. The wine is a brilliant medium red with fruit aromas, including plum, some mint and pepper. On the palate, there is no shortage of fruit flavours; fine tannins are present but nothing too gripping. This is a fresh well-made well-balanced wine with a persistent finalĂ©. Wouldn’t mind renewing acquaintance with it in a few years time.
Chateau Brillette, Comte de Perier de Larsan, Moulis 2006, 13.5%

This wine, a blend of Merlot (52%), Cabernet Sauvignon (40) and Petit Verdot (8), comes well recommended. A Jancis Robinson tasting gave it 16 out of 20 which equates to “distinguished”. She also advised drinking it between 2012 and 2018. Guess I got that right!

This is a dark rich red, lighter towards the rim, and it has complex fruit aromas (mainly plum, for me). Rounded fruit flavours on the palate, generous with notes of pepper and wood, soft tannins and good acidity. Decent enough finish as well. Think I’d be happy to agree with the rating by Jancis!

Friday, July 11, 2014

Satellite Merlot

Satellite Merlot. Lussac Saint-Emilion
Chateau Haut-Jamard 2011, 12.5%, €8.00.
Chateau Busquet 2008, 13%, €13.35.
Chateau Lucas, Grand CuvĂ©e de Lucas CuvĂ©e Prestige 2010, 14%, €12.35.

You like Merlot in a Bordeaux blend? But how much of it?

If you buy a bottle in Lussac, one of the four satellite towns of St Emilion, you’ll have a choice. Take the three bottles above, for instance. All are from Lussac and all have Merlot but the amount in the blend ranges from 50% in the last to 80% in the first!

Generally you won't know from the bottle. In a conversation with a French wine worker in the Dordogne a few years back, it was suggested that France had lost out in world markets because it didn't have the variety on the label. The man, a Serb who had settled locally, was fed up with such suggestions. “Around here we can use up to 13 varieties. How are we going to get all of them on the label?” A not unreasonable reaction.

But things could be changing. Chateau Lucas had the blend on the label and it was fifty fifty Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Jamard is 80 Merlot, 15 Cab Sauv and 5 Cab Franc while Busquet is 60 Merlot, 30 Cab Franc and 10 Cab Sauv. Quite a difference between the three.

Must say I preferred the Lucas and not just because of its motto: Sans Ceres et Bacchus, Venus est de glace. My translation: Without Ceres (food) and Bacchus (wine), Venus (love) is ice. We need a little of all three. In any event, I would be disposed to a wine in which Merlot and Cab Franc are major constituents.

And some love has already been expended on this wine as it comes with three silver medals to its credit. Harvesting is manual and they've come up with a near perfect blend, full and balanced and generous of flavour, with a lovely long finish.
Who's for the washing up?
The Haut-Jamard is the youngest of the three and quite a pleasant wine. On the palate it is round, tannins present but quite soft and again the finish is long.

All three are aromatic, the Busquet perhaps a bit more pronounced. This is smooth and mildly spicy, really well balanced, the tannins present but almost unnoticeable.

All three were bought last month in the Maison des Vins in St Emilion itself. While the blend info does not generally appear on the bottles, they had mini-info cards mounted alongside each bottle that gave the breakdown and other info such as the appellation and the soil type.

The other three satellites of St Emilion are Montagne, Puisseguin and St Georges. “At their best, the wines from these areas are every bit as good as a Saint-Emilion grand cru. At their worst, they are attenuated and rustic.” I quote from the Wines of Bordeaux by Clive Coates. This was published in 2004.

Rustic is often used when speaking of lesser known appellations, often applied to the likes of Listrac and Moulis as well. But times have changed as Coates noticed in 2004 “the last few years have seen an encouraging increase in quality”.

Indeed, he also had good things to say about the Lucas wines. And the prices are attractive. Three bottles from the satellites cost me €33.70 while three from main AOC came to €64.75, not a very scientific comparison admittedly. But do watch out for quality good value wines from Lussac in places like Mitchell’s, Curious Wines, Tindals and Le Caveau.

* By the way, I have updated the 2014 list of favourite wines here.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Ferry Nice Magneau Double

Ferry Nice Magneau Double
Graves vineyards, near Podensac
Came home from the recent holiday in Bordeaux with a stash of wine. Nothing unusual about that! The advice that came it was to leave it rest for about three weeks after its travels. Could have done with three weeks rest myself!

Three weeks without touching the St Emilion and Sauternes could be fairly frustrating, I thought. On the day home though, I spotted (invented?) a solution in the wine shop on the Brittany Ferry Pont Aven. They had a well priced double, a 2011 red and white from Bordeaux’s Chateau Magneau. These are used to traveling, I thought, and so, with that flimsy excuse, the pair were the first to be opened.

I had made the acquaintance of the wines from this Graves chateau in the Maison des Vins de Graves on the outskirts of Podensac and had confidence in its quality. I drank an elder cousin of the rouge but hadn't tasted either of the 2011s. I wouldn't be disappointed! 

On board value, for wines in general, was pretty good too. Can’t find the receipt but the two bottles cost about £17.50 (about 25 euro). If you’re taking the ferry to France this year, keep an eye out for this and similar offers. Staying on dry land? Then, From Vineyards Direct have some interesting Graves here and so too have Curious Wines.

Chateau Magneau Graves rouge 2011
Grape variety here is 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc. It has spent 12 months in oak casks (1/3 new) for 12 months. It has rich aromas with hints of red fruits and it is full-bodied with an elegant mouthfeel. Tannins are well-blended and all in all it is a very pleasant wine indeed, a good complement for all red meats and cheese and likely to be even better in a year or two.

Chateau Magneau Graves blanc 2011
I do like a decent bit of Semillon in my Bordeaux whites and this, a local gold medal winner, has 40%. The other varieties, both traditional in the blend, are Sauvignon (45%) and Muscadelle (15). This, with complex aromas,  was probably the more satisfactory of the pair, well structured, elegant, fruity with a long lasting aftertaste, the perfect mix of full body and intensity.  A lovely aperitif and likely to be a good match with seafood and fish.
Mine is not the only stamp of approval! Magneau wines are produced under the method of cultivation known as Terra Vitis:  " the stamp of French vinegrower-winemakers who respect nature and Man and who craft wines to please the taste buds."

Saturday, June 21, 2014

End of the Holiday: Star Meal on Ferry - Drive Tips - Sunny Arrival


End of the Holiday: Drive Tips - Star Meal on Ferry - Arrival
Right: Scallops four ways and, bottom, crab

Our Arcachon adventure came to a very pleasant end this weekend. Left the town on Friday morning and it was sunshine all the way until we arrived in Cobh on Saturday morning.

Highlight was undoubtedly the meal in Le Flora on Brittany Ferries. We don't usually do it on the return but we were glad we did this time. Beside the great food we had a great view outside the window as the sun set to the west.


Filet (beef), Mixed Fruit, and Clafoutis!

The drive up went very well. The Rocade In Bordeaux was quite busy but there was no major build-up of traffic and it went well for us. Much the same in Nantes and Rennes. These are smaller ring roads but can be trickier, especially on the way home. For instance, there is a place a few kilometers from Rennes (towards Brest) where you exit right and stay left. Sounds contrary as the Sat-Nav shouts it but there is an immediate choice to be made once you do exit. On your guard, then!

Quite a few Irish people travel the stretch between Nantes and Bordeaux and vice versa. The toll is one payment of €28.50. It is a very well equipped road with some great stops. On the way north and just out of Bordeaux you’ll find all you want at Saugon and later at the revamped Aire Poitou Charente Sud.


Just into the harbour this morning, from the deck of Pont Aven
 If you’re on the way home and have forgotten to buy presents for your foodie friends, then don't worry. Aire de Vendee is the place to stop at. There is a separate area behind the front shop that includes an outlet selling really excellent local produce. Of course, you have all the usual food and drink facilities  


By the way, the petrol pumps here are credit card operated, like more and more in France. It is easy enough to operate as there is an English language option (though it doesn't always work). It is, in any case, easy enough to follow. You put in your card, validate it and have an euro amount (usually much more than you’ll need) approved. Then pick up the pump head and fill away.

Overall, this is one of best return trips we've ever had. The ferry even left Roscoff ahead of schedule! And wasn't it great to come back to the harbour and see all that sunshine. Happy traveling!


Cobh and its cathedral this morning.



Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Bordeaux’s Chateau Bauduc. Hail and Terroir. My 159 Steps.

Bordeaux’s Chateau Bauduc. Hail and Terroir. My 159 Steps.

Day 9 in Arcachon 10th June


Gavin Quinney knew about terroir but was somewhat sceptical when he started winemaking at Chateau Bauduc fifteen years back. Hail stones weren't in the wine equation then. But they sure are now. Fifteen years on, Englishman Gavin believes in hail and terroir. And much more besides.

Gavin checking Merlot

Chateau Bauduc is found in the area known as Entre deux Mers, the wide strip of land between the Dordogne and the Gironde. Bauduc couldn't be more entre. Gavin, and his dogs, took us around his 25 hectares of vines, some quite young, some quite old (Semillon planted in 1947). Vines are like people, mused Gavin as he pointed out the gnarly old Semillon and its lack of vigour (though not necessarily of quality). Seems though, they will not be here much longer.
This is a working vineyard and in between Gavin had chats with various people - work goes on. And it is detailed work, labour intensive, hands on. He pointed to his many rows of vines, including Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Cabernet Sauvignon, and said each single plant would be visited by man or machine at least twenty times over the year


After all that hard work we retreated to the steps of the chateau itself for the tasting. Having seen so many museum like chateaux in France, it was some change to see a lived-in one! On the steps and in the sunshine we met his wife Angela.

We started with his 2012 Bordeaux blanc, all Sauvignon blanc, and a real beauty. Then we moved onto the lightly oaked Clos des Quinze 2012 Bordeaux, a classic blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Just sipping a glass of it again now as I type and it is just perfect, a great balance of fruit flavours and acidity.
From the 159th step!
They just kept getting better.  Next up was the 2010 Les Trois Hectares, a Bordeaux superieur Merlot. Marvellous. And the good thing about these wines, unlike many that I write about on these trips, is that they are available in Ireland via Curious Wines http://www.curiouswines.ie.
Crossing the Gironde at Langoiran
Bauduc is near the town of Créon and here we enjoyed a lunchtime sandwich and a drink in a bakery recommended by Gavin. Headed on then to a local landmark, the Abbaye de la Sauve Majeure. It is now a ruin but much of the shell remains as does the bell tower. The receptionist more or less dared me to take that on and, with some power from the Bauduc wines, I scaled the 159 steps in record time.

Had been hoping to visit a top restaurant in Arcachon but it closes on Tuesday. Luckily for us, we found another traiteur just across the road and the madame here was welcoming and smiling. We liked that and liked her food as well, including a main course of beef tongue. Three courses costs us about twenty one euro. And we had lots of Bauduc to wash it down! Say no more.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

In the Heart of Graves. A Sweet Surprise.

In the Heart of Graves. A Sweet Surprise.
Day 3 in Arcachon
Dessert at Chez Charlotte:
 an apple roulade, with vanilla ice-cream and caramel sauce

We had something of a dilemma when we arrived at the Maison des Vins de Graves this afternoon: they hold more than 350 wines of the region which stretches about sixty kilometres (and about 15 wide) from the suburbs of Bordeaux to the villages of Langon, all on the left bank of the Gironde. Didn’t think I was up to tasting all 350.

Luckily, we had a great tasting (of about nine!) and were able to make some choices and, of course, purchases. Back at the ranch now with some red and white and sipping away happily from a bottle of Chateau Magneau rouge 2008.
 
Lillet Distillery in Podensac
While they do hold the reds of Pessac-Leognan, the dessert wines of Barsac and Sauternes are not on show here. But I was surprised that they did have some sweet wines of Graves itself, those blanc moelleux coming under the AOC of Graves Superieures. Tasted some and bought the Tour de Calens, “the exception that proves the rule”. The other Graves dessert wines come from the borders of Narsac and Sauternes and the micro-climate there but Calens is up by Pessac-Leognan.
Wines of Pessac-Leognan

The Maison des Vins is in the town of Podensac and one of our main reasons for visiting was to see the distillery that makes the rather famous local aperitif called Lillet. Unfortunately the public area is undergoing some renovations and not open for about another three weeks or so.

Not a great reward after braving the busy Bordeaux rocade (ring road), a place where you keep your eyes open and your hands and feet at the ready, where drivers make manic moves like the fellow in the artic that swept into our lane this morning and swept back out again, all in the one movement. Phew! But it is something we are getting used and will see more of if we are to see more of the vineyards.


Before the aborted visit to Lillet, we had called to a lovely restaurant in the town called Chez Charlotte where a three course meal cost us €22.00 each. It was quite a good one too and the proprietor had good English and was eager to engage in conversation. He was quite proud of his food, especially the rabbit and pistachio terrine starter, all made in house.

He was also proud of the area, listing the main attractions as Charlotte (big smile!), the Lillet Distillery, The Maison de Vins and the fact that they had a water tower by the famous architect Le Corbusier. You can see the latter from the grounds of La Maison des Vin. In fact, you will see two towers, but the smaller older looking one is the effort by the renowned Le Corbusier.