Bordeaux Blends
Free tasting | Saturday, March 3, 2018 | 4-6PM
Bordeaux Blends with The Wine Trust
Karen from The Wine Trust is opening her bag full of Bordeaux blends just for you! Ah, Bordeaux. Bordeaux is a massive region with rich history (being a coastal region and on the Garonne River helped establish its wine reputation from the onset). Its total production is around 900 million bottles a year, dwarfing all other French wine regions with the exception of the grand Languedoc-Roussillon (which makes 1.8 billion bottles! – Whoa, Languedoc, just WHOA). You’ve got your Cabernet Sauvignon on the Left Bank, your Merlot on the Right Bank, and let’s not forgot the famous 1855 classification of Bordeaux’s first growths. So much to learn, and drink! Here’s Jancis Robinson’s Bordeaux vintage summary if you’d like to take a look!
2006 Château Clos L’Eglise, Côtes de Castillon – Côtes de Castillon, $34
Back in the 14th and 15th centuries, there was an epic war between the French and British called the Hundred Year War, which involved the British spending extended periods of time in Bordeaux. This led to a long appreciation of Bordeaux wines in the UK that continues to this day. The Côtes de Castillon is named after the town Castillon-la-Bataille, which is where the last battle of the Hundred Year War took place in 1453. Zipping forward a couple hundred years brings us to Château Clos L'Eglise, an organic 5.8-hectare vineyard that is run by a mother and daughter team: Sylvaine Garcin-Cathiard and Helene Garcin. This Merlot and Cabernet Franc blend is round with frisky cherry and vegetal notes.
2009 Château Malescasse, Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois – Haut-Médoc, $36
Château Malescasse has been through some turbulent times over the decades since its founding in 1824. The last two owners have made it a mission to get the Château back to its original 40 hectares located 30 meters above sea level, which is the highest point in the Médoc! The current owner, Philippe Austruy, has helped bring the land back to its full potential with utilizing sustainable farming practices, like having barley planted in-between the rows of vines to strengthen the soil. This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot that was grown on sand and gravel-clay soil. This blend has notes that are so filling you'll want to skip dessert: cocoa, licorice, raspberries, and plums.
2014 Denis Durantou ‘Saintayme' – St. Emilion, $34
Saintayme in St. Emilion is the property of Denis Durantou, who is best known for producing Pomerol wine. Durantou has expanded his holdings in the Right Bank and his Saintayme vines are in one single plot with terroir consisting of limestone, clay and gravel soils. Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes dominate in this silky cuvée, with dark cherry notes and a slightly peppery finish.
2015 Chateau de Birot Blanc – Gironde, $18
This white blend from Cadillac, Bordeaux is as smooth and sprightly as its cars. 'Sweet ride, bro' is an apt description for the majority of wines produced from this region, as Cadillac is known for producing high-quality desert wines. But its winemakers can also produce wickedly delicious dry wines, like this Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc blend. Chateau de Birot is an old estate located on the slopes of the Garonne River. This wine is filled with flintiness, pear, and elderberry notes.
2015 Château Siran, Saint-Jacques de Siran Bordeaux Supérieur – Margaux, $17
This Château was founded around the time that the Aztec Empire was at the height of their power and Joan of Arc was alive! Doesn't that boggle the mind? Château Siran is on the Margaux border and has been owned by the same family, the Mialhe's, for over 150 years. The Mialhe's are rigorous about organic farming; all of their grapes are picked and sorted by hand. The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot is grown on a mixture of alluvial and clay soil. The wine is vinified in temperature-controlled vats and aged in French oak for 10 months. It has rich cherry and rhubarb notes with a dry, earthy body.
