A BORDEAUX PRIMER

I know that when people talk about Bordeaux wines they are filled with questions and confusion. After all, the region is  the largest vineyard in the world.  There are over 15,000 growers and dozens of famous estates.  With a bottle production of some 700 million, it seems a daunting task to make sense of it all.  Many people think of the “First Growths”, the Lafittes, the Latours, the Margauxs,  the Haut Brions and lump all Bordeauxs  into the too expensive category relegated to just the rich and famous. The reality is that these wines make up only a small percentage of the total wine production.  

Most Bordeaux are neither famous nor expensive but are good everyday drinking wines.

Bordeaux translates as “along the waters” and the rivers of the region, the Gironde and its two tributaries, the Garonne and Dordogne help  to simplify matters by making a left bank and a right bank.  Bordeaux is a red wine driven region with over 80% of wine produced in the red category.  It should also be said that there is no “Bordeaux Grape.”  All wines are blends of two or more varietals. This makes for potentially very complex and elegant wines.  Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the leading varieties and it is easy to remember that most left bank wines are Cabernet driven (60% or more) and most right bank wines are Merlot driven.

Not to be forgotten, are the white wines where Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon are the major players; in fact up until the 1970’s Bordeaux produced more white wine then red wine.

Let’s look more closely at what each grape brings to the table in forming these  blends: Cabernet  Sauvignon brings structure, intense and deep flavors and enormous tannins; Merlot can add character,roundness and suppleness to rein in out of control Cab at times; then there are the co-stars: Cabernet Franc which can add a little spiciness, Malbec a touch of softness and Petit Verdot  alcohol and backbone.

With the whites: Sauvignon Blanc brings its crisp, lively freshness; Semillon gives its weight and depth; Muscadelle gives its light floral character and Ugni Blanc its neutral blending.

The Medoc(including Haut Medoc) contain the four most prestigious regions : Margaux, St. Julien, Pauillac and St Estephe.  Along with Graves and Pessac-Leognan makes the Left Bank

The Right Bank features St. Emilion and Pomerol

Generally speaking the smaller the Appelation(read geographic area), the finer the wine.

Of course with all the Bordeaux’s around someone needed to classify them.  At the Paris Exposition of 1855 they came up with a list of 61 wines; all red wines that mainly focused on the Medoc and excluded both St.Emillion and Pommerol.

The wines were broken down into 5 categories:  there were 4 1^st growths, (Chateau Mouton-Rothchild was elevated to make 5 in 1973), 14 2^nd growths, 14 3^rd growths, 10 4^th. growths and 18 5^th  growths.  To add to the confusion there are also three classification levels:

1 Premier Grand Cru Classe

2 Grand Cru Classe

3 Grand Cru

All these rankings can be helpful as a guide but don’t waste your time memorizing them.  In the end all these ratings are fragile and temporary at best . The thing to do is TASTE!  There is no substitute for that.

There are three things I will leave you with that are important:

First, note  that in recent vintages there were three spectacular ones: 2000,2003 and 2005.  ANYONE with a brain and some land could make great wine during those years!!!  If you see them buy them.  The 2000’s are starting to drink well now and the others will follow.

Second, learn about Bordeaux “Second Wines”. When a Chateau makes its “First” wine it blends all the best lots together but what becomes of all that wine that is left over?

It goes toward a Chateau’s less promoted, sometimes secret 2^nd wine.  It is important to learn these wines because they sell for up to 50% less than their primary wines and based on the wines that I have tasted can be just as good if not better than their much publicized relations.  Below are a list of some of my favorite 2^nd wines:

PRIMARY                                                 SECOND

Mouton  Rothchild                                     Chateau Clerc Milon

Leoville-Las Cases                                      Clos du Marquis

Chateau Latour                                            Les Forts de Latour

Chateau Margaux                                        Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux

Chateau Palmer                                           Alter Ego

Chateau Cos d’Estournel                            De Marbuzet

Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou                       La Croix

Chateau Lynch-Bages                                Chateau Haut-Bages-Averous

Chateau Haut-Brion                                    Bahans Haut-Brion

Chateau L’Angelus                                    Carillon de L’Angelus

I have given you 10 for starters. There are many more and often times 2^nd wines extend beyond Bordeaux into other wines.  Every winery has a portfolio of wines that they make.  Be aggressive, find a wine guy in your favorite store and pick their brain and always be trying new things.  Sometimes you will be surprised atwhat you find in those 2 for $15 bins

Finally, in the Medoc, there is a collective name for some 200 chateaux. None of these wines are classified. These are called Crus Bourgeois.  Here is where you can find the true bargains.  This is where drinking and discovering these wines can be so much fun! I will give you three of my favorites: Chase –Spleen, Potensac and Maucaillou

This is just a primer on Bordeaux wines and I am just scratching the surface.  There is so much  for you to continue learning.  In 2000 I discovered the pleasures of a good Bordeaux and of course it was the year for one of the great vintages, but I did not have a lot of money.  I talked 2 of my close friends to pool funds with me and I bought  6 cases of wine from all different parts of the region as Futures.  It is like playing a wine Stock Market.  You just have to believe in Delayed Gratification.  Just based on what critics have to say about barrel samples you chose your wine and lock in a price.  The WAITING begins.  After two years the wine is bottled and shipped to the U.S. for delivery.  Once in your hands, you need to lay it down for three, five, maybe ten years before drinking! It is just good that there are so many other great wines to drink.  I found that the price I paid per bottle and the price on the shelf could be $20 or more but there are no guarantees

I formed the Howberlisi Wine group and we have continued to buy Bordeaux Futures. In 2003 I purchased 10 cases and in 2005 12.  Sthe group has also expanded to six people. There are lots of ways that you can get great wine at good value. Be Creative

Cheers

Wine Worthy!

Please save the date Jan 23-24 for the Boston Wine Expo.  Doors open at 1pm and you can sample quite a few Gewurztaminers!  If you want to join me, I will be there both days.  My email is alanswinecellar@gmail.com   Do check out the various seminars offered.  I learned so much from attending them over the years.  This year there is a spectacular Corton Charlemagne and Corton Grancey vertical tasting, there is a Rubicon terroir tasting and a Cristal champagne tasting too.  If you have to pick one day, Sunday is usually the less crowded.  Go on line and see what wineries will be represented and plan out your day ahead of time.  Also pack some crusty French Bread and cheese.  It will help soak up all the wine that you may taste.  REMEMBER to SPIT especially if you do not like something. Those are my Expo tips

Friday Jan 29 6pm-7:30pm

Our Fruit Center Wine class this month will feature Tim Paulus’s Excellent adventure in California’s Central Coast.  This is one of Ca.’s most underrated growing areas

Tkts are $25 which includes a $10 Fruit Center gift card.  Call 617 696-5274 for reservations

Hope to see you there!

THE SCARIEST GRAPE VARIETY

Because so many people can’t pronounce Gewurztraminer, (it took me years to feel confident in my pronunciation), they are afraid of it.  Try saying : ga VERZ tra mee ner. There, that was easy. It is in my book one of the most exotic grape varieties on earth.  Because it is so aromatic, I can pick it out in a blind tasting very easily.  The prefix “gewurz” translates from the German as spicy but I believe what they are saying is perfumy.  When you stick your nose in a glass you get intense aromas of rose petals, lychee fruit and spice.  Now you might think from such floral and fruity smells that the wine will taste sweet.  Wrong… it is a surprisingly dry wine. 

Looks can also be deceiving because in a long slender green bottle it would appear German like the name suggests but it is really Italian in origin having its roots in the village of Tramin in the Tyrollean Alps and its greatest expression in Alsace, France.

The grape is a deep pink color that produces a full-bodied deep golden wine. Viticulturally speaking , it can be a nightmare to grow which is why you don’t see much of it outside of Alsace.  First of all it is prone to virus diseases and if it survives that because of its early budding it can easily fall prey to spring frosts.  If that is not bad enough, because it grows in small bunches some people tend to overcrop it thus diluting its concentration of flavor.  The berries with their thick and tough skins can reach high sugar levels of incredible concentration thus increasing alcohol levels in the finished efforts

Gewurz has a touch of sweetness and can sometimes  be seen as a late harvest dessert wine or a Vendange or Tardive in Alsace  

Like anchovies, Gewurz is not for everyone, but its flavors can cut thru the spiciest of Asian dishes. It is also perfect paired with Munster cheese or Smoked salmon.

In addition to Alsace there has been some nice production from both New Zealand and our friends in the great Northwest.  At the Fruit Center we carry a great one from Oregon—Montinore Vineyards that we sell for $12.99.  So overcome your fears and try a glass.

Cheers!

Decanting Wines

DECANTING WINES

To insure the maximum in taste and flavor it is always a good idea to decant a wine especially if it is either 5 years or older and if it is 14% or more in Alc. Wines can some times be tight upon opening and can use some oxygen to help open them up.

I have just started selling a wine aerator called Soiree in my store. It is quite a cleverly designed mini decanter bottle topper and makes the perfect holiday gift for any wine lover

Our price is $19.99

Cheers

Alan

Upcoming Events:

Jan 23-24 Wine Expo Seaport World Trade Center: This is a must for any one interested in wine

See: www.WineExpoBoston.com

SEND IN THE CLONES

When I think of the word clone, the first thing that comes to mind is a 2^nd rate Sc-Fi novel or the duplicating of sheep and goats in Great Britain.

In the wine industry cloning has actually been going on for quite some time. One just has to seek out a vine nursery for a selection. In some countries there is a formal process of evaluation and number assignment. In Germany there are even government agencies involved. If a clone is outstanding it can even get international distribution.

Climate and terrain play a large role in the success of a clone. Didn’t you have a favorite Aunt who was great with plants and would give you cuttings every time you visited. You were actually practicing the art of Cloning.

The first thing to keep in mind is that grapevines do not come from seeds. Whatever the varietal, you must get cuttings and plant them. On the average it takes a good five years for the vineyard to unfold

Remember that growing a clone in an area where it doesn’t fit will result in some pretty mediocre wine. There are several key characteristics that need to be considered when selecting a clone. They are budbreak ( you do not want to select an early budbreaker because frost will kill it and there goes your crop), berry color, disease resistance cluster size, yield, flavors, aromas and how the grapes ripen

Once it is planted clones may develop different characteristic from its parent based on their surroundings. This is where climate and terrain play such a large role. For example when growers in Oregon were thinking about planting Chardonnay they turned to neighboring California for cuttings. The result was a dismal failure because Oregon is a much cooler environment. When they brought in clones from Burgundy,France they had much better results because of similar climate and soils.

Once a clone has had proven success it is assigned a number to help vintners in the selection process. A nurseryman can be a wine makers best friend. This is just part of the science that goes on in the vineyard. Who would have thought how much goes into that glass of wine you are pouring now!

Cheers!!