Tag Archives: Bordeaux

Chartier Créateur d’Harmonies Fronsac 2015

14 Thursday Mar 2019

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I love good Bordeaux but it has gotten a bit expensive for my wallet. So when I hear, under $20 and the reputation of an excellent vintage for Bordeaux is music for ears. Add to this, a famous name behind the bottle and I got myself a symphony.

Chartier is a well know personality in the world wine industry. Either you love or hate it, it is up to you. He was best world sommelier ( Grand Prix Sopexa 1994) and has published more than 24 books since 1996. Now he makes terrific wines. His critics say he is a sold out, making commercial wines. I totally disagree, he is a pragmatic businessman making outstanding value wines.

Since 2011 he has been on the other side of the fence with his French and Spanish wine project. He is a producteur négociant-éleveur and his wine get better and better with each vintage. It success can be attributed to of course his experience but also his collaboration with Bordeaux winemaker Pascal Chatonnet, his partner in the enterprise.

Fronsac is a “satellite” appellations of Bordeaux that includes Côtes de Castillon, Lalande de Pomerol, Fronsac, Canon Fronsac, Bordeaux Superieur, Entre Deux Mers and Côtes de Bordeaux and it shined on the 2015 vintage.

In recent years Fronsac has been enjoying great critical acclaim for high quality Merlot driven wines made from top notch clay and limestone terroirs.

The 2015 vintage is terrific displaying ripe but not overly concentrated notes of morello cherry, raspberry with leafy blackcurrants and cedar. On the palate, it is round with sweet mouth coating tannins. The wine spent mostly 14 months in one and two years old barrique which gives the wine a creamy and satiny texture with not too much wood retronasal flavors. It is racy and quite long in the mouth. If you have some in your cellar, hold to it for another 5 years and you will be pleasantly surprised. If you don’t, get yourself a case and stash it away. The 2015 currently retails at the SAQ ( 12068070 ). One of the best Bordeaux available at the SAQ for under $20. ( $18.05)

 

Think strategically when building your wine collection

26 Sunday Aug 2018

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Wine-bottles

Over the past three years I have amassed a sort of nice collection of wines. To my own amazement, I don’t really know the exact amount but it falls between the 750-800. A few weeks ago, I finally realized the meaning of my collection as I was going through my wine bottles.

Why meaning?. At the present day, I like to reflect on the things I buy being wine or something else. However, it was not like this a few years ago, when I used to buy a lot of things compulsively including wine. The reasons for my compulsive behaviour remain private and prefer not to share them in this post. Lets say that 60% of my collection is composed of bottles that I really like and the remainder does not make sense to me. Generally speaking, I am not a person that regrets past actions but I feel today disappointed about my erratic wine purchasing behaviour. I would like to  call this a misguided use of passion

What’s the point of me telling you this?. Perhaps you are in a frenzy wine shopping behaviour and you don’t recognize it. Around me, there are some people who appear to be in this state and they could be in denial. I wish that somebody could have told me about this some time back and prevent the damages.  Building a wine collection is a beautiful project that could bring you many years of satisfaction but you got do it right since the start. If not you risk turning it into a sickness.

Here is my advice:

Buy what you really like: I have been drinking wine for the last 25 years and it took a decade to have the big picture of what regions, styles and grapes I truly like. I started my wine journey exploring the classical wine regions of Italy, France and Spain. Bordeaux, Tuscany, Piedmont, Rhone are for me. Burgundy and the Loire I like less. Your collection should reflect your unique taste. It is easier say than done?. Before investing significant financial resources, ask yourself, do I really like that wine?. Instropection can be a very uncomfortable, but if you can get past that, you will reap the rewards.

If you don’t have the cash dont buy it:  Now that you have determined what you like, the other question to ask yourself is: do I have the money to buy it?. There is always a new wine to try, or a new vintage. I maxed out credit cards, lines of credits and a bit of my savings. If you cant pay off your wine purchases by the end of the month and have leftover money, you are in trouble.

Beware of social media. Facebook and Instagram are wonderful tools to transmit wine information. Sadly, it has been misused by fake communicators. One of the problems of these “influencers” is that they promote wine for the importers without disclosing it. There are many varieties of these people. Lets just say that they put a toxic charming spell and influence you to buy wine that you might not really like. My advice is that you should research these people before and what to they promote.

Be skeptic of the new “experts”. Anybody these days can proclaim themselves a self expert on the subject of wine. I have seen the rise of new bloggers with very little tasting experience.  Sure, they might be packed with all kind of wine credentials. The malaise that I have with these people is that they think they know everything by quickly grasping the subject. Do you prefer the wine buying advice from  veteran wine expert or the newbie wine beginner?. I will let you answer. Follow the advice of very passionate people

These is my three bit wine advice and now for a profile of  a wonderful Bordeaux estate that will make a nice addition for your cellar. Early this summer, I had a chance to meet Fanny Van De Velde from Edmond de Rothschild. I tasted a mini vertical of Chateau Clarke( 2003-2015) which was a nice opportunity to get reacquinted with the estate. The invitation was a courtesy of its Canadian importer, Philippe Dandurand

The wines of Chateau Clarke were one of the first Bordeaux that I tasted. This is classical Bordeaux left bank, although the wine have become more approachable with the latest vintages. My favorite vintages of the tasting were 2006 and 2014

Chateau Clarke

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Belonging to Baron Edmond de Rothschild and currently his son Benjamin Rothschild, Chateau Clarke is a jewel estate in the middle of the Listrac-Medoc region of the left bank of Bordeaux. The name of the Chateau derives from the original owner Tobie Clarke of Irish origin.

The Chateau was largely forgotten when Edmond de Rothschild purchased it in 1973. Right away, he pulled out  the old vines and replanted, a time-consuming and heavy financial expensive and completed until 1979. Benjamin de Rothschild took over the reins of Chateau Clarke from his father in 1999 and set about updating the winery as well as enlisting Michel Rolland as consultant oenologist.

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Chateau Clarke is the estate’s top red wine. The vineyards now have a vine age of over 30 years old and are situated on clay-limestone soils. The vineyard is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (48%), Merlot (42%), Cabernet Franc (8%), and Petit Verdot (2%). The grapes are manually harvested from low-yielding plots, sorted at the winery and and channeled into the tanks by gravity. The wines are aged mostly in new barrels, where they mature for 14 to 18 months. The final blend is 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon.

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2003 $58 ( SAQ # 13523038)

Alluring aromas of Colombian Arabica beans, cedar and cigar tobacco as well. Pleasant notes of evolution are displayed as well such as stewed prunes with delicate menthol notes. On the mouth, still powerful and structured with grainy tannins complemented by a finale that brings savoury notes of cured meat. If you still have some keep it for another 10 years to ensure proper maturity.

2005 $75( Available on demand, private import)

Beautiful nose of cassis, Szechuan pepper with dark chocolate and strawberry laced with tobacco leaf. Long and round in the mid palate. Fresh with a good acidity and a very persistent finale. Pleasant herbaceous finale.

2006 $75 ( Available on demand, private import)

On the nose dark cacao with licorice accents with very pronounced and pungent animal undertones that bring to mind truffles as well. Very elegant, long and harmonious. Classic Bordeaux structure with enough acidity and tannins to keep it for another decade.

2012 $41.60 ( SAQ # 10677550)

fragrant and very perfumed. Lovely leafy red berry expression fruit character with hints of vanilla. Polished with silky tannins. Quite the earthy finale on this vintage. Will further improve for the next 5 years

2013 $45 ( SAQ # 10677550, arriving at the year end)

Very aromatic nose. Ripe raspberry with goji berries undertones. On the palate, quite polished and very accessible. Very long and fresh. Firm tannins and a charming finale.

2014 $45 ( SAQ # 10677550, next arrival 2019)

Quite Austere. Aromas of cigar tobacco, lead pencil and black pepper with a hint of star anise. Powerful with lots of flesh in the palate and fine tannins. Great mineral finale, just give it some time.

2015 $45 ( SAQ # 10677550, arrival 2019-2020)

Leafy blackcurrant fruit, cedar with hints of tobacco. Powerful, yet in a modern style. Very fresh and refined. This wine will continue to give you pleasure for the next decade.

 

 

 

Another 07 bites the dust

15 Wednesday Feb 2017

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In keeping with the wine tradition, that i try to established since January, here is another 2007 that I picked from my cellar. My bordeaux stash is going down. Actually, no stash, more like a collection of disparate bottles from 2004,2005, 2006, 2007 and a bit of 2008 and 2009.

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Bernard Magrez is a self-made millionaire who made his fortune from drinks, creating and selling a range of drinks brands in France through his company, William Pitters. But since a long while he has been  involved in quite a different, more  high class business: for the last 20 years+ he’s been acquiring prestigious vineyards, first of all in Bordeaux, where he owns several chateaux, and more recently around the world.

Since taking over this fourth-growth estate, La Tour Carnet, Magrez did a complete makeover of  the vineyards, cellar and ancient Château, which now look pretty splendorous. . As with all his properties, winemaking is under the wingof consultant winemaker Michel Rolland, who Magrez has been working with for more than 20 years.

The style is lush and concentrated for a 2007’s. Clearly, the signature of Michel Rolland. However, despite its modern approach, the wine reflects its Medoc character. This was a pretty good wine despite the fact that2007 was a difficult vintage.

Tasting Note:

A Bordeaux of grand breed. Very enticing aromas of ripe cassis, grilled bell pepper, coffe, black cherry jelly. Cocoa powder with a meaty angle. An strange note of coal ashes, mingled with licorice and graphite On the mouth, very ample, lots of finesse. Suave in the midpalate with silky tannins. Decadent, with a delicate minerality. Ready to drink to know but will reach its peak in 5-7 years. I had it filet mignon on the BBQ

 

Smart Bordeaux drinking after the holidays

06 Friday Jan 2017

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So, the holidays are over and a lot people are broke from holiday splurging. Welcome to the nasty reality!!!. Plus, if you live in the northern hemisphere, winter is in full swing. And of top of that, the kicker is that you you problably took a few pounds for overindulging during the season. Shoot me already!!!.

First thing that most people do after December is cut on the vino!. I get your point that is not necessary to drink wine everyday and you would want to keep it for the weekend. This is what my wife has been telling me for years but I simply dont listen. If you are foodie and a wine lover, it will be extremely difficult to sacrifice those goodies. So for the cause, it is better to drink and eat less but in good quantity. You will be able to pay your debts and save a bit of money for St-Valentines. Also, drop a few pounds to eat some chocolates

If you like drinking Bordeaux once in a while and do not want to spend an arm and a leg, it is still quite possible. All you have to do is focus on lesser known appellations such as Bordeaux Superiour, or the satellites appellations of the right bank.

The terroir of the satellites is almost identical  to Saint Emilion with its limestone, clay and gravel soils. However, the St. Emilion satellite appellations usually have fresher temperatures than those from St. Emilion and as the region is further away from the Dordogne, it has a different climate as well, requiring later harvesting dates. The various St. Emilion satellite appellations do have many old vines. As a matter of  fact, some of the oldest vines in the various regions are over 100 years old! Merlot is the dominant grape while Cabernet Franc is next in line and other Bordeaux varieties planted in the Right bank  can be found in the vineyards as well with plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

The four Saint Emilion satellite appellations are: Lussac St. Emilion, Montagne St. Emilion, Puisseguin St. Emilion and St. Georges St. Emilion. Some of the top Bordeaux value wines come from those appellations. When added together, the satellite appellations of St. Emilion cover a large area close to 5,485 hectares planted with vines.Many of these areas have ancient histories as they were some of the first areas the ancient Romans used to cultivate vines.

The best vintages for the St. Emilion Satellite appellations are: 2015, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2005, 2001 and 2000. Older vintages are ready to be consumed

The coop of Puisseguin and Lussac Saint-Emilion was founded in 1937. It groups 150 vignerons that cultivate 1000 ha of vines in the appellations of Lussac Saint-Emilion and Montagne Saint-Emilion.

The wines from this coop has won numerous prizes,including the contest of best French wines in Miami and their winemaker get on a regular basis distinctions in the Hachette guide for their wines.

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1938 – Depuis Un Esprit D’exception Puisseguin Saint-Émilion 2010. SAQ # 11655601. $26.20

Aromas of black cherry in confit. Wild licorice and spices such as cinnamon, cloves. Blackberry and cassis character with notes of toasted bread, cocoa and strawberry jelly. A pleasant hint of ash. On the mouth, dense and mouthcoating. Abrasive  tannins with a mineral texture in the mid palate. Flavors bring to mind indian spices, dry blood and iron. Oak well integrated. Magnificent wine for the price. Very promising for cellaring. 97/100

 

 

Chateau Lilian Ladouys 2006

02 Sunday Oct 2016

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When I started drinking wine, I was often frustrated because I did not have the cash to buy French Grand Crus or expensive Italian or Californian wine. Today, I still don’t have the money to buy those wines. Over the years, i learned to  compromise but it still difficult to resist the temptation to buy an expensive fine bottle of wine.

My love affair with Bordeaux started in my early 20’s. Once  upon time in my undergrad student days, having saved around $70 bucks, I went to buy a bottle wine. I decided to try the Carruades de Lafite 1995. Lafite was like a fairy tale to my mind. I knew it was real but unreachable in my reality.

This was a revelation bottle for me. It was the first time that I discovered the  bell red pepper and cassis aromas in a wine. In my mind, it was also clear the aromas of cassis and gunpowder.  On the palate, this wine tasted like not other Cabernet that I tasted from the New World. I was perplexed with the austerity but even more of the elegance of the wine. It was love at the first sight, but soon I realized that fine Bordeaux was like a fine girl but with high maintenance-luxurious but dangerous. Fine Bordeaux can take you fast to the cleaners.

As time went on on my wine education, I discovered about Cru Burgeois and I came to realize that it was a good compromise between quality and price. Crus Bourgeois are Médoc châteaux that produce  wines of typicity and quality but generally without the pedigree and fame of their finer aristocratic cousins from the 1855 Classification.

The Cru Burgeois systems dates back to the middle ages. The bourgeois were citizens  of the “bourg” of Bordeaux, a community  of merchants and craftsmen. During the period of English rule in Bordeaux, they obtained certain rights and privileges, such as tax credit  on the sale of the wines from their vineyards both domestic and overseas.

By the fifteenth century, enriched by their international commerce, the bourgeois of Bordeaux were able to acquire the finest properties in the region, which were initially referred to as the “Crus des Bourgeois” and then simply the “Crus Bourgeois”. Since the inception, the classification went to various member changes with its share of polemic and problems. The association has a strict quality program and to be a member a estate has to pass some rigorous standards. This guarantees that the customer is getting quality for a specific quality of wine.

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Château Lilian Ladouys is Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois wine property located in Saint-Estèphe with 40ha vineyards on gravel rich soils and well-drained slopes overlooking the Gironde. Plantings are 58% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc. Lilian Ladouys goes back to 1564 when it was held as feudal estate Jacques de Becoyran, lord of Lafite.  In fact, Château Lafite Rothschild is just a  hundred meters away. The estate had a golden age during the 19th century. In 1850, the first edition of Cocks & Féret named the estate as one of the best in Saint-Estèphe. In 1932, the estate received its status as cru burgeois which was confirmed again in 2003.

My wine collection started with Bordeaux vintages such as  2004 and 2006. Both vintages were classic despite weather problems and uneven quality. I bought a few bottles of Lilian Ladouys 2006 in the future market withouth knowing anything about the wine. I tasted my first bottle last year and it was just stunning. Lovely classic mature Bordeaux character.

On the nose aromas that bring to mind cassis cream with gunpowder and cherry puree. Cedary with note as well of dead leaves and barnyard. On the mouth, full body. Structured and racy with lots of finesse. Nice roundness in the mouth with fine and ripe tannins. At its point at the moment. 95/100.

Over the years, I have barely bought Bordeaux for my cellar as the prices have become quite unreasonable to be polite. But I am looking foward to buy more Cru Burgeois.

 

Chateau COS d’Estournel vintage tasting

07 Sunday Aug 2016

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Cos d’Estournel cellar

The vineyards of Cos d’Estournel have a surface around 91 hectares. Oriented south, the sit on gravelly soils composed mostly of chalk. Most of the vines are Cabernet Sauvignon ( 60%) with the remainder Merlot.

The Chateau was founded in the early 19th century by Louis Joseph Gaspard Lacoste de Maniban Marquis d’Estournel. He was also known as the Maharadjah of Saint-Estephe. The architecture of the Chateau is inspired by the trip to oriental lands of the Marquis.

The blend of COS varies from year to year reflecting the particular conditions of the vintage. Only fruit from the vineyards 20 years or older go into the grand vin.

I had a chance to attend a tasting of selected vintages at SAQ Signature a few years ago. It was an amazing experience having taste the wine for the first time and in different vintages. Comparative tastings like this one gives you a chance to get to know the personality of a wine.

Cos d’Estournel 2013 retails in the Quebec province of Canada  for $195 ( 12380741) and in Ontario the 2010 retails for $479.85 ( 262576). For older vintages, contact both monopolies.

The wines:

The White 2006

( 80% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Semillon) Aged 100% 1 year old barrels

Nice golden colour. Very complex nose. Lots of aromatics bringing to mind old spice and papaya cream. Full body, structured. Very elegant and fresh despite its age. Long finale. Drinking well now but could be kept for another 5 years. 95/100

Cos d’Estournel 2007

( 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc) Aged 80% in new oak barrels

An underrated vintage in Bordeaux, reflecting more the terroirs. Harvest benefited more Cabernet Sauvignon than Merlot.

Very fine nose reflecting mineral and tertiary notes. Nose bringing to mind iron, red earth. In addition redcurrants, cofee and dry flowers. Full body and long in the mouth. Structured, yet with fine tannins. Retronasal flavors bringing to mind menthol, confited cassis with criollo cocoa beans. Outstanding balance. Drinking well know but it has room for improvement until 2030. 97/100.

Cos d’Estournel 2006

A problematic vintage with hot weather pockets in June, July and the beginning of September. Good wines with some Bordeaux reds reaching unusual concentrations.

( 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc). Aged 80% in new oak barrels

Nose dominated by balsamic notes, dried cassis and stewed cherry and plums. Full body, sensual with a polished mouthfeel. Silky mouthfeel with lots of complex flavours bringing to mind cinnamon, cumin and other oriental spices. Needs more years for optimal tannins maduration. Drinking well until 2030. 96/100

Cos d’Estournel 2001

Harvest got to a rainy start with a wet winter and spring. However, the good weather appears in may with a healthy floraison. September also had optimal weather ensuring a late harvest.

( 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot. Aged in 80% new oak barrels.

Deep and breathtaking nose with lots of red and black fruit character in a spicy and seasoned wood background. Elegant and polished in the mouth with dense but smooth tannins. Subtle and reaching maturity by 2020. 98/100

Cos d’Estournel 1998

This was a particular year sine Cos only utilized 48% of their harvest for the grand vin. Nevertheless,  they were able to produce an amazing wine with lots of depth and concentration.

Full blown tertiary aromas. Hummus, black truffles and very leathery. Stewed black fruits such as cassis and cherry. Full body, round, elegant and above all very graceful. Complex finale bringing to mind aromas of licorice, smoke wood and green pepper. Drink now. 100/100.

I am not scared of violence

15 Friday Jul 2016

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The recent attacks of Nice have left me shocked and angry. I stand in sympathy with the French citizens and the European Union as well. Devastating as the attack was, I don’t doubt that the French will come stronger than ever.

More than ever, it is important to protect our values and way of life. No group based on extremist religious or political has the right to stumble and destroy the values of Western Civilization. Our society was founded in this type of values and this type of acts goes beyond acts of aggression, they are a declaration of war

Wine is an integral part of western values and serves as a social cohesive. Wine gathers us around the table and helps us tell our happy and sad tales. It is there to celebrate the important moments of our life and give us consolation and strength for the hardest ones.  It also represents cultural identity.  Beyond red, white, orange, etc, the contents of the glass, is a symbolism of history, social customs and life.

I raise my glass to the French with these recommendations. Let’s all drink for life  and hoping that all this come to an end soon. By continuing our lifestyle and protecting our values, we show the terrorists that we are not afraid.

Voir la photo agrandie du produit. Cette photo s'ouvre dans une visionneuse et peut comporter des obstacles à l'accessibilité.

Chateau La Nerthe Blanc 2010. Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Very vibrant. Aromas of lemon, wax and a hint of roasted apple with spice. On the mouth, round and very fragrant. Refreshing considering 6 years of age. Perfect to drink at the moment. 96/100

Domaine Hauvette- White Jaspe 2011

Super aromatics in this white from Provence. Ripe fruit nose with notes of almond cream and ground cherry jam. On the mouth, very structured and aromatic. My first impression was like drinking perfume. White flower power with lavender and honey blossom notes. The fruit came in after a while, reminding me of Cantaloupe. Poetic finale.

Voir la photo agrandie du produit. Cette photo s'ouvre dans une visionneuse et peut comporter des obstacles à l'accessibilité.

Chateau Bujan 2009
Cotes de Bourg, Bordeaux

On the nose, classic aromas of Bordeaux. Cassis, black cherry with touches of peppermint, and black tea. Lead pencil shavings as well.  In addition, leather nuances in a background of greenpeppercorns and celery puree. On the mouth, rich with lots of amplitude. Oak is very well integrated. Showing initial tertiary notes such as mushrooms ( dried porcini), blonde tobacco. Meaty Tannins. Still youthfull. Give it another decade in the cellar to be fully matured.95/100