Bordeaux - The Aristocratic Way Pt 1

Bordeaux is one of my favourite wine regions, through the years I have been able to taste more of these wines than any others (except maybe Burgundy). You can see some of my recent Bordeaux encounters here.

The Region of Bordeaux and it appellations.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Before we get into the wines themselves perhaps some background on the region will put it into perspective.
The region is most famous for its savoury, structured and long lived red wines and intensely sweet botrytised white wines. It is important to remember that with Bordeaux about 10% of the production takes about 90% of the wealth and 97% of the attention. For the most part we are going to be talking about the 10%.

Bordeaux is situated near the Atlantic coast of France and is shaped by the Gironde, Dordogne and Gironne rivers. Cool conditions and frequent rainfall, including during harvest time, makes Bordeaux quite a marginal region with vintages frequently ruined by rain or saved from the rain at the last minute by timely sunshine. This makes knowning the vintages quite important when buying Bordeaux, but knowing the good producers will be safer still. On the plus side, the rainfall does help to facilitate the productions of wines affected by botrytis such as Barsac and Sauternes.

Merlot

Wine making was brought to the area by the Romans sometime after 48AD. The region developed a strong link with England in the 12th Century when Henry Plantagenet and Aliénor d’Aquitaine married and Aquitanine became a province of England. This link remains to this day despite a few hiccups to the relationship, such as The Hundred Years war and France reclaiming the land.
The region makes red, sweet white, white and sparkling wines. A lot of this wine is sold as cheap generic 'super market' wine. A small percentage is the high quality wines that are celebrated and sought afters by wine lovers and investors all across the world.

Sauvignon Blanc

Approximately 89% of the production is red wine. Merlot is the most commonly used grape followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Depending on terroir and historical importance Malbec, Petit Verdot and handful of other varieties such as Carmenere are used, generally in small quantities. There are very few high quality wines that are made of a single variety. The sum of the parts add up to more than the individual components.

The famous Left Bank of Bordeaux exalts the grape Cabernet Sauvignon which makes elegant and fragrant wines of high acidity and tannin that allow the wines to age for 30 to 50 years depending on the vintage. The best appellations on the Left Bank include Medoc, St-Estephe, Pauillac, St-Julien, Margaux, Haut Medoc, Margaux and Pessac Leognan.

Semillon

The Right Bank wines use a lot more Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The Merlot provides plushness, silk and softness while the Cabernet Franc gives acid and fragrance. The two main appellations on the Right Bank are St-Emilion and Pomerol.

The sweet and dry whites are made from Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. Botrytis affected white wines made in appellations Sauternes and Barsac have spawned many imitators all over the world. There is a lot to love about the unctuous, apricoty, creme brulee, vanilla bean and floral lift that these wines offer. The best wines such as Chateau d'Yquem age gracefully for many decades.

The dry whites can rival the best white Burgundy, Loire white or Rheingau Riesling. The top end wines show racy acidity, tropical and floral perfumed notes, a fair lick of oak and nice texture. They have the ability to live for a long time. The only draw back is they tend to be comparatively expensive. Look for whites from Graves, Pessac Leognan or from well regarded producers.

The other point of difference about the region is the En-Primeur system of sales. The top wines of the regions are offered for sale 18 months before they are ready to be shipped. The wines are tasted unfinished by experts and punters and given scores representing what they will taste like and the rest of the world buys (or not) on the back of this.

If you want to be part of the excitement we have the 2011 En-Primeur Offer currently available for sale now (with the wines arriving in 2014). Available for sale and enjoyment now are Reds from the charming 2008s, classically styled 2006s and the brilliant 2004s.

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Glassware, when, what

A brief discussion (I could go on a lot longer!) about glassware and how it makes a difference to your wine tasting/drinking experience. Originally featured in TWD Magazine January and February Issues.

Does glassware make a difference? The answer is yes, no and maybe. The hardest part about glassware is a lot of it comes down to personal preference, although it is quite a fascinating topic once you delve into it. A lot of factors effect how a glass can change the way you perceive a wine; the size and shape of the bowl, the size of the aperture, the lip - is it a cut or rolled rim and how it is shaped to deliver the wine onto your palate. And not to be overlooked is aesthetics. If it looks good before you've taken a sip, you will probably receive the wine more favourably. Thankfully there is no right or wrong on this topic as stated before, a lot of it comes down to your preference.


Riesling Style Glass

To continue our study on glassware, this month we will focus on shapes and styles. First up, everyone really needs the classic Riesling/Sangiovese shape as modelled above (Riedel Vinum Riesling Grand Cru glass). It is a great shape for most varieties and most occasions. It is especially good for aromatic whites - Riesling, Pinot Gris and lighter reds - Sangiovese and Gamay. If you were going to buy one glass, this is the one.



Burgundy Style Glass

Aromatic reds such as Pinot Noir, Grenache or Nebbiolo and fuller whites like big Chardonnay or Viognier benefit from large bowled glasses that are akin to brandy balloons to allow the aromatics to shine. I'd recommend a shape like the Burgundy glass above.



Bordeaux Style Glass

For more structured reds - Cabernet, or Shiraz, taller glasses with a smaller opening do the trick, putting the focus on the structure. They tend to deliver the wine is such a way to focus the structure on the palate. The Bordeaux style glass above is the go.

For Champagne or sparkling wine, flutes are great for traditional styles. But when I am drinking Grower Champagne or sparkling with a really interesting base wine, it has to be in a proper wine glass like the Riesling style. Is that wrong? No, I feel it allows the bubbles to die off and the more interesting characters in the wine to flourish. But ultimately it comes down to my preference. I would recommend you give it a go: The worst that could happen is you drink some Grower Champagne!

Not recommended is drinking from the following wine 'glass'...

Not crystal clear? Let me know what you think

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January Sale

It seems somehow unbelieveable but I forgot to mention we have a sale going for the month of January.

For all wines we currently have in stock we are offering:

10% off 6 bottles or more. Or
20% off 12 bottles or more.

Below are the up-to-date lists:

Cellar List Highlights include an amazing array of Aussie Semillon -  world class wine! Some truly great Burgundy, and some really fascinating wines from Loire, Bandol and the Rhone.

Stock On Hand There are notes on most of the wines listed. These are all well worth tasting, and it really depends on what you like to drink or are looking to cellar.

All wines can be dispatched immediately, or repacked and left in our cellar and out of tempations way until they are mature.

For more information or for orders you can email, call 0418 23 04 82 or post comments.

Happy shopping.

FINE PRINT:
This is for January only.
It applies only to wines we have instock and will be first in best dressed.
Payment must be made in January. The wines can be dispatched at anytime that is convenient.

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The Wine List Code

Wine lists can sometimes be like a Dan Brown novel, loosely based on fact and surprisingly popular. Sometimes they are great and sometimes they are not. Like a Dan Brown novel you have to read it before you can tell if you like it or not. This article will hopefully give you a few tips to make things a bit easier when it comes to choosing the wine you have with dinner.

First off, talk to the Wine Waiter (aka Sommelier). If they seem confident, knowledgeable and passionate about the list then it might be best to listen to their advice. If they suggest a wine by the glass they may even be able to give you a small taste of the wine they are recommending before you commit.

The problem comes when the waiter doesn’t seem all that confident (or competent) and you have to make your own choice. Or if you are trying to impress someone and don’t want to be seen taking advice.

If the wine list has interesting wines on there, such as; Gruner Veltliner or Blaufrankish (both Austrian varieties), a good selection of wines from all over the world or even a wine from Marlborough in New Zealand that isn’t Sauvignon Blanc then it could be safe to assume there has been some thought put into the list and therefore most of the wines are good quality and interesting.

In the event that it is quite a conservative list, you can always stick to the classics (after all there is a reason they are classics). Riesling from Clare Valley, Sauvignon Blanc from Adelaide Hills, Hunter Semillon, Coonawarra Cabernet and the like.

If you are feeling adventurous and you spot them on the list the following are usually very reliable: Wines from Waiheke Island in New Zealand.
Chardonnay or Pinot from Marlborough.
Wines from Tumbarumba in NSW.
Shiraz or Riesling from Canberra District and Hilltops Regions.
Austrian Gruner Veltliner (think Riesling).
Riesling from Rheingau in Germany.
South American Malbec or blends or Malbec.

The other consideration is the best three letters in the English language B.Y.O – most restaurants will allow this (generally with a corkage fee) and this obviously gives you a chance to take whatever you can lay your hands on.

Is It Cellarable?

Originally feature in our TWD Magazine October and November Issues.
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So I do bang on a lot about cellaring wine. You've all probably heard me talk about it or read how good and important it is. So I guess I should equip you with at least the basic knowledge on what makes a wine cellarable (it's not price!). For me it is balance. If all of the wines' parts; acid, tannin, flavours, sugar (where applicable), alcohol and even savouriness are all in balance and nothing sticks out overtly then it will probably age quite well. In the same vein, if a wine is seriously lacking in any of these qualities then it will probably struggle. The problem with a balanced wine is that is it often easy to overlook. Wines with a strong defining feature will often stick in our brains for that very reason. It is the one flaw in Australia's excellent show judging circuit... More to come on this topic.

Last month I started explaining what makes a wine cellarable. To summerise; the balance of the wine is the key. There are, of course, always exceptions. Hunter Semillon, which can seem so piercingly acidic young, ages so well and so gracefully it is truly one of the treasures of the world. It builds weight and stuffing in the bottle. Nebbiolo (especially from the regions of Barolo and Barbaresco) is another example. Traditional styles are unbelieveably tannic on release; so astringent they can border on unpleasant if you have to taste more than a few. But these tannins (somewhat) meld into the wine so the beauty and elegance comes to the fore.
Is there a quick way to know this? No, apart from asking someone who has experience in the matter. The only way to learn is to taste wines both young and old and try to see the connection. It takes a lot of practise. Yep, that's right. Practise drinking wine.
Does this help or does it pose more questions? Let me know via email, or on Facebook.

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