BORDEAUX
Bordeaux at The
Winery? Has the world gone mad? Or did we just find the most toothsome
selection of Bordeaux to hit London? Is Bordeaux the new Burgundy?
When we told our
W9 wine writer friend Stephen Brook, who's writing another book on Bordeaux, he
told us "go to the Right Bank. There you will find what you are looking
for." Alright then.
Not only did we
find lovely wines on the Right Bank, in St Emilion, in Cote du Bourg, in Blaye
but also on the Left Bank, in the Medoc, in Moulis and in Graves.
We have always
railed against the Bordeaux system. Our previous trip involved the besuited
negociants on the Quai du Chartron and Chateaux with Export Directors.
And then there is
the influence of a certain American writer still felt in the region.There
were a couple of meetings where within seconds of arriving we were handed
review packs and scores, Parker, Wine Spectator, Revue du Vin France, Bettane
etc, and told the name of their Consultant Oenologist (generally the same
name). "That's nice" we said. "Well done".
This time we found
proper wine makers - growers with gnarly, wine-stained hands and soil on their
shoes. And the wines? Ah, the winesÉ
Bordeaux, the new
Burgundy!
Red Bordeaux, almost invariably a blend, is the
benchmark for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. There are
differences across the region. Left bank refers to the left (south) bank of the
Gironde, home to appellations like Haut Medoc,
Pauillac, St Estephe, St Julien and Margaux.
These wines tend to be dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and are often stern in
their youth. On the Right Bank (the north bank of the Gironde and the Dordogne)
you find St Emilion, Pomerol, Blaye and Fronsac. Here the wines are more Merlot
than Cabernet Sauvignon making them softer and richer.
Xavier PitonÕs Chateau Belles-Graves is in the Lalande-de-Pomerol appellation, a neighbour
of Pomerol. We love the soft, succulent, supple depth of XavierÕs 2004, a blend
of mainly Merlot with the adult tones of Cabernet Franc providing the backbone.
A new pair from the rolling, green countryside of the
Entre-Deux-Mers, the bit between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers, 25kms to the
east of downtown Bordeaux. Firstly a zingy, grassy white made from 85% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Semillon and 5% Muscadelle
by Jean
Gueridon and his elderly father, Jean-Bernard, of Chateau Haut-Pougnan. Secondly a cheeky, punchy, juicy red made from 80%
Merlot with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Chateau Les
Jonqueyres - Pascal Montaut is held to be the champion of Blaye,
on the opposite bank of the Gironde to Pauillac. Joined by his ex-Paris Media
wife Isabel, there is something slightly battle weary about him. He is
passionate and his wine is excellent. Supple, balanced, judging the fine line
between traditional and modern. One of the best we tasted on the whole trip. At
one point Isabel brought a plate of snacks, including the snowy white shrimps
that can only be found in the estuary here once a year. Who says you shouldn't
have red wine with seafood?
Our neighbour from
the Art world Charles Asprey put us in touch with friends of the family the de
Lavaux in Libourne. They co-own several Chateaux on the Right Bank including Martinet (St
Emilion), Clos des Galavesses (Lalande de Pomerol), St Pierre, Renaissance
(Pomerol). Sounds very grand, what with offices on the Quai in Libourne. What
we found was a very down-to-earth family with wines which were a welcome relief
after days of tasting St Emilions that were so oaky it was like licking timber.
Gentle, classic, round. A lunch (07) at daughter Inez and her husband
Stanislas' saw us walk out with a massive jar of Lamprey a la Bordelaise. River
Lamprey is certainly one of the ugliest creatures on the planet, like some
razor-teethed monster from Alien, the stuff of nightmares. In fact, the Romans
would often feed their least popular prisoners to pools filled with Lamprey.
Nice. They may look horrific, but they certainly have the sweetest flesh of any
eel, particularly cooked in red Bordeaux with Leeks. Who says you shouldn't
have red wine with fish?
Madame Christiane
Renon has two Chateaux in Margaux - La Galiane and Charmant. We enjoyed the
soft, easy style of her Chateau Charmant 2002.