September 2009 Wine Club Selections

Bring on the Bordeaux Of all the aisles in our store, the Bordeaux aisle may very well be the most intimidating for some of our guests. I can certainly see why, as the prices range all the way from the lowest end to the highest end of the spectrum and everywhere in between, and yet the bottles tell us so little about why we'd want to buy this Chateau over that Chateau with just a slightly different name. Which ones are Merlot-based, and which ones contain more Cabernet Sauvignon? Where does the Right Bank begin and the Left Bank end? And is there really so much difference from one vintage to the next? Relax. For September's selections, we've done the homework for you. Many of the wines chosen this month are from the much-touted 2005 vintage: a year that benefitted from a growing season so forgiving that bad Bordeaux was almost difficult to make. And given the fortune of a good vintage, we were able to select from both the well-known and the lesser-known appellations of the Left and Right Banks to find you the very best Bordeaux has to offer right now. See? No need to over-think...just enjoy! Cheers ~ Maggie

2008 Chateau Laulerie Bergerac Blanc Grape variety: Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc Region: Bergerac, France Food pairing: Brie, toast points, and apricot jam Technically, Bergerac isn't Bordeaux. It's an appellation located just east of Bordeaux, along the Dordogne River. Long overshadowed by its attention-grabbing neighbor, it's now coming into its own as modern winemaking techniques allow producers to make much friendlier, high-quality bang-for-your-buck wine. The Dubard family, stewards of Chateau Laulerie, have been making wine in Bergerac since the 1970s. Over time, they found that a clean 50/50 blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon gave the best balance between clean, crisp, mineral-laden acidity and soft approachable white fruit in their white wine. Grab a nice slice of runny French brie, some toast points, and apricot jam and enjoy an absolutely delightful pre-dinner combination. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/france/66550.html 2005 Chateau Saint-Genes Bordeaux Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc Region: Bordeaux, France Food pairing: Balsamic-marinated beef kebabs A lot of people may tell you good Bordeaux is too expensive to have on a regular basis - and a lot of people would be wrong. A blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the 2005 Chateau Saint-Genes is nothing less than an (affordable) force to be reckoned with. Stellar vintage aside, this wine truly is a representation of the land from whence it came, and brims with earthiness and spicy warmth. As one of our wine associates, Laura, who recently tasted it for the first time recalls, "flavors of menthol and tobacco take the reins on the entry, before giving way to a hodgepodge of ripe fruit and leathery mocha. The tannins are like tiny exclamation points on the palate, and while slightly dusty at first, they soon make a clean sweep mid-palate and mellow out beautifully for the long finish." I couldn't have said it better myself, (who doesn't love exclamation points on their palate?) and can't wait to have a glass with some tasty char-grilled meat kebabs. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/france/08597.html

2007 La Croix de Carbonneaux Blanc Grape variety: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon Region: Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux, France Food pairing: Raw oysters on the half-shell Every Chateau of Bordeaux has a long and complicated history behind it, and Chateau Carbonnieux is no exception. Too long to tell here, let me give you the abbreviated version of their history: Constructed in the fourteenth century, inhabited by Benedictine monks who aren’t that into wine, vines disappear from the estate. Passes on to a merchant family, two centuries pass, last members of this family unfortunately sent into exile, estate now in a sorry state. Back to Benedictine monks, now wine-lovers, vines replanted and reputation as a vineyard begins to grow. A revolution or two ensue, estate is sold to a wealthy family, then a few more wealthy families, falls to phyloxera and a sorry state once again. Doctor buys estate, revives it, sells it to industrialist, industrialist sells it to present owners, who finally bring it to the reputation it enjoys now... and makes this delicious white wine. (Phew!) We find it more friendly in style than many Bordeaux blancs, with good minerality and acidity but with more peachy tropical fruit than we often expect. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/france/10641.html 2005 Chateau Villegeorge Haut Medocs Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc Region: Haut Medoc, Bordeaux, France Food pairing: Seared bison filet with herbed butter It's a fairly safe bet to say that if you live in Bordeaux, and your surname is Lurton, you've got it pretty good. You may have heard of Pierre Lurton, CEO of two little properties called Cheval Blanc and Chateau d'Yquem, or Lucien Lurton, who bought up 11 very prominent properties in Bordeaux (think Brane-Cantenac and Dufort-Vivens), then passed them on to his ten children in 1992. One of those lucky children was Marie-Laure Lurton, who inherited three chateaus from her father, the most noteworthy of which is Chateau Villegeorge. Villegeorge's wines have been appreciated since the Eighteenth Century. Close in proximity to the prestigious vineyards of Margaux and sharing a similar soil type, their wines are Cabernet-dominated and elegant, with a lot of tannic structure and deep, dark fruit. Drink now or lay down for 2-3 years to mellow. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/france/75979.html

2005 Chateau Corbin Saint-Emilion Grape Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon Region: Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux, France Food pairing: Chicken and cherry yakitori The 2005 vintage was an excellent one for Bordeaux - many said the finest since 1982. Because of just the right ripening conditions, overall they have the concentration and tannic structure to be drunk young or allowed to evolve for years to come. In fact, while Bordeaux is often looked upon as wine that we can't even touch for at least five years after release, the 2005s have repeatedly been deemed "massive, hedonistic, plush" ... words more often used to describe California Cabernets! Critic Robert Parker advises that if we're looking for a fruit-forward rather than structured, massive 2005, we should look no further than Chateau Corbin in Saint-Emilion. This Merlot based wine is a perfect candidate to drink young (young, in Bordeaux, meaning ten years or less.) "Deliciously fruity... offering notes of herbs, black cherries, currants and a judicious touch of toasty oak," Parker calls this "lush, round and generous wine that'll drink nicely for 10-15 years." More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/france/07745.html 2005 Vieux Champs de Mars Cuvee Johanna Cote de Castillon Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc Region: Cote de Castillon, Bordeaux, France Food pairing: Blackberry-glazed roast pork loin Those who know the producers of Bordeaux know that they're confident enough in the pedigree of their wines to insist that they don't need to take any lessons from other wine regions and their winemakers. But it seems that the folks of Vieux Champs de Mars in the Cote de Casillon have taken a winemaking trick or two from their counterparts in Burgundy. Their Cuvee Johanna was made by employing malolactic fermentation in wood as well as lees stirring, followed by aging in 100% new oak. Rather progressive of them, and the innovation paid off. Robert Parker called this wine a "big-time sleeper of the vintage, possessing superb intensity, full-bodied power, a dense purple color, sweet truffle-infused black raspberry and blackberry fruit, a beautiful texture, and long, chocolatey, heady mouthfeel as well as finish." Drink now through 2015. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/france/63064.html

2005 Chateau Lagrange Saint-Julien Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot Region: Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France Food pairing: Dry-aged Porterhouse steak Ok, folks, a cautious word to the wise. Throughout this newsletter and throughout the press, you've been told that the 2005 vintage of Bordeaux is one that can be drunk young or aged - a miracle vintage that goes both ways. But house style trumps general vintage every time, and frankly, Chateau Lagrange doesn't "do" young-drinkin'. So unless you love, and I mean loooove a glass full of strong tannins, give this one another year or ten. One of only fourteen Troisieme Crus (Third Growths) in the Bordeaux classification of 1855 and the largest single vineyard among classified estates in the Medoc, Chateau Lagrange has been revived as a successful and well-respected chateau under the direction and winemaking of Marcel Ducasse. Most of the Cabernet, Merlot and Petit Verdot planted to the property average 30 years in age, and the 2005 was one of the most heralded in recent decades. The Wine Spectator called it "beautiful, superbalanced and ultrasilky," while Robert Parker noted "Once again, the provocative words 'the best ever made' appear in my tasting notes. In twenty-eight years, I have never tasted a Lagrange as amazing as this 2005." He went on to call out notes of olive, blackberry, cassis, cedar, barbeque smoke, but ended with a warning: "but, wow, what an excruciatingly high level of tannin." Patience, friends, patience. This should begin to drink at its best three or more years from now. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/france/75851.html 2004 Chateau L'Evangile Pomerol Grape Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc Region: Pomerol, Bordeaux, France Food pairing: Duck confit over greens and lentils Unlike the 2005 vintage, the 2004 vintage in Bordeaux was not a particularly touted one.But that doesn't mean that no one made good Bordeaux in 2004. L'Evangile, as a matter of fact, cranked out 3000 cases of 89% Merlot, 11 % Cabernet Franc that, as it turns out, are drinking beautifully right now. When Robert Parker first reviewed the 2004 L'Evangile in April of 2005, he had high hopes for the wine. "This... boasts a sexy, upfront bouquet of raspberries, black currants and sweet smoky notes. Lush, seductive and ripe, although not terribly deep, it offers delicious fruit in its forward, elegant, finesse-styled personality. Think of it as a lighter version of the brilliant 2000," he said, and anticipated a score of 90-93. Just over two years later, he retasted, and decided a 93 it was after all. "A stunning example of the vintage, the 2004 l'Evangile is not far off the pace of their brilliant 2005." After noting elements of licorice, truffle, and acacia flower, he concluded, "this knock-out effort is surprisingly rich, opulent and fruity with good glycerin, medium to full body, and a stunning finish. It should drink beautifully young yet age for 15 or more years." In other words, drink this while you wait for your Lagrange to come of age. More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/france/09868.html