Grand Bordeaux tasting

My last week of work went by as normal and we had some spare time to practice rugby and golf outside the cellar. The big event of my week was the Grand Bordeaux tasting at a fancy hotel in Wellington. Our consultant winemaker, Gerhard, Olivier, Clara, and I all went to try to bring some class to the $130 tasting. I'm fairly certain we were the only ones there who made wine. I have some tasting notes for those who care about such things, as well as prices if you just want to be shocked into disbelief. Warning: You may have to care about wine to bother reading this entry.

Champagne Ayala Brut Majeur NV was great. It had subtle yeast/nutty flavors with good fruit and full-bodied for a champagne (US$55).

Chateau Durandal '08 from St. Emilion was a good starter; a Merlot/Cab Franc that was pretty soft, on the light side but well-balanced ($43).

Chateau La Gaffeliere '00 from St. Emilion was mainly Merlot with Cab Franc and Cab Sauv, but it tasted like green Cab Franc. It was decent, but not for $216. Robert Parker liked its "nobility/subtlety." Side note: Gerhard agreed with me that Robert Parker should die.

Cheval Blanc '07 from St. Emilion was the favorite among everyone we talked to. It was 55% Cab Franc, 45% Merlot, but wow! they fit a lot of layers into it. The nose: a hint of tobacco, definite coffee and some chocolate. Flavors: coffee, green Cab Franc, softness, good fruit, great finish. Silky smooth with amazing texture, lots of subtlety and complexity. A truly incredible wine at a more incredible price, $983! It is notable also for being different from anything else out there.

Chateau Beauregard '05 from Pomerol was decent, a softer green Merlot/Cab Franc for $197.

Chateau Siran '07 from Margeaux was a bargain at $43. It had very good black fruit flavors with strong front tannins, needing aging.

Chateau Poujeaux '08 from Moulis en Medoc was a 50% Cab Sauv, 40% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc, 5% Petit Verdot. This was getting to more my (California) style just because Cabernet Sauvignon was the dominant grape. It was good, well-balanced and smooth.

Chateau Chasse Spleen '00 from Moulis en Medoc was another favorite among us. 65% Cab Sauv, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. Big Cab flavor with soft elegance, very concentrated, excellent integration and amazing tannins and acid to age for only $200 for a magnum!

Chateau Citran '98 from Haut Medoc was a 58% Cab Sauv, 42% Merlot that had great balance, perfect integration, seemed near its peak age-wise, subtle berry flavors. Robert Parker had to be drunk when he gave this only and 86/100 ($55).

Chateau Camensac '05 from Haut Medoc was an enderwhelming Cab Sauv/Merlot with strong tannins and a hint of fruit. It needs age but I couldn't tell if it would open up ($58).

Chateau Talbot '05 from St. Julien was 66% Cab Sauv, 26% Merlot, 3% Cab Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. It had a subtle fruit nose of Cab Sauv/Merlot. On the palate it was soft, supple, integrated, leather with blackberry fruit. Exceptional ($86).

Chateau Leoville Poyferre '04 from St. Julien had vineyards that were mostly Cab Sauv, some Merlot and a bit of Petit Verdot and Cab Franc (not sure about the wine). I got cab Sauv fruit, great balance, subtle oak (75% new), spicy, excellent. It was more California style with potential for aging and the group with me liked it a lot (as did Parker) ($138).

Chateau Pichon - Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande '05 from Pauillac was incredible. 64% Cab Sauv, 29% Merlot, then Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. There was cherry, complex fruit, hint of tobacco on the nose/cigar on the palate, big, can age 5-10 more years because it was just a tad bit short on the palate. Peak said to be 2012 to 2025 ($252).

Chateau Haut-Brion '95 from Pessac Leognan was the oldest wine there and it showed. The vineyard was 40% Cab Sauv, 37% Merlot and 18% Cab Franc. The nose had old leather (in a good way), and Cab Franc. It was well-aged with great integration but I felt it would not get better and didn't have the fruit to live up to its $1,180 price tag. Clara said I should taste it a second time because it got better when she did, but it was gone by then. I wouldn't buy it for $100 let alone $1,000.

Chateau Climens Cypers de Climens '06 from Barsac was a dessert wine Semillon at $67 for a 750ml bottle but I tasted rot, a bit dirty, but still honey and fruit flavors. Tasting the rot and dirt weren't terrible because they added some complexity, but there was too much for me, but it wasn't as popular as the next one.

Chateau d"Yquem '97 from Sauternes was highly praised by all. It got a 100 from one reviewer and a 96 from Parker. The vineyards were 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, and a larger estate at 280 acres. At first I got clean, long, honey, apple, and nuts with incredibly subtle oak, smoky and a bit dirty (in a good way). Great ($390 for a 375ml bottle).

The ones with Cab Franc had that usual green flavor to them. The wines were usually more subtle, sometimes erring on that side instead of the California style of erring on the big and fruity side. The wineries all seemed to be fairly small (40 to 200 acres). Gerhard worked near St. Emilion in '01 and '03 and said all the best vineyards are on small, gravel hills that have better drainage because the sites nearest the Atlantic are almost a swamp.

Olivier and Clara said they would not be able to do a tasting like this in France for less than 500 Euros. Olivier is very difficult to impress with a wine, and Clara thinks people as well as wine should have elegance. To me, elegance in a wine means less fruit.

Overall some wines were very good and some were less than stellar, which I've found in any region I've tasted. I've had bigger (in my opinion) better wines tasting around Sonoma and Napa, especially for the price which did not always match the quality. But you can find overpriced Bordeaux varietals in Napa just as easily.

I might have to get used to this French style though because I'm trying to work there next harvest. I have a Skype interview with a winemaker in the Southern Rhone soon, but it sounds good so far.