More on Parker's 2009 Bordeaux Ratings

Now that Robert Parker has released his ratings I can share some of them with you. First the wines that he rated 99/100 points:

• L'Eglise Clinet 98-100
• Chateau Haut Brion 98-100
• Chateau Hosanna 98-100
• Lafite-Rothschild 98-100
• Chateau Latour 98-100
• Chateau Margaux 98-100
• La Mission Haut Brion 98-100
• Cos d'Estournel 98-100
• Chateau Cheval Blanc 98-100
• Chateau Clinet 97-100
• Chateau Trotanoy 97-100
• Chateau Pontet-Canet 97-100
• Chateau Leoville-Poyferre 97-100
• Chateau Leoville-Las Cases 96-100
• Chateau L'Evangile 96-100
• Chateau Montrose 96-100
• Chateau Pavie 96-100
• Chateau Petrus 96-100
• Chateau Vieux Chateau Certan 96-99
• Chateau Clos l'Eglise 96-100
• Chateau Angelus 96-100
• Chateau Bellevue Mondotte 95-100

Some other highlights:

• Chateau Brane Cantenac 93-95
• Chateau Lafon Rochet 91-93
• Chateau Lynch Bages 94-96
• Chateau Magdelaine 92-94
• Chateau Palmer 94-96
• Chateau Lascombes 94-96
• Chateau Coutet 96-98

It is worth subscribing to the newsletter to read the full reviews. Whether or not you agree with Parker's methods or scores, you can't argue with his influence.

Robert Parker Releases 2009 Bordeaux Ratings

Robert Parker has released his scores for the 2009 Bordeaux vintage. There are 20 Chateaux that scored potential 99+ ratings. More tonite after they are posted online,

En Primeur Focus: Chateau Lafon Rochet

After the Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Estephe and Haut-Medoc tasting at Chateau Gruaud Larose I had the opportunity to sit down and talk to Basile Tesseron the winemaker at Chateau Lafon Rochet in Saint Estephe.

My tasting notes on his vintage:

Chateau Lafon Rochet: Amazing, deep purple color. Really coated the glass. Got aromas of blackberry and vanilla. Very fruit forward with a medium body and nice tannins.

Chateau Lafron Rochet has been around since at least the 6th century, and has been producing wine since the 16th. In the earlier half of the 20th century the Chateau fell into disrepair, but it was purchased in the 1960 buy Guy Tesseron and slowly began producing quality wines again. Today, they make an excellent value wine.

The Chateau produces 12,000 cases of their first wine and 8,000 cases of their second. They have 45 hectares under vine, with an average age of 35 years.

According to Basile, the wine this year will consist of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The Petit Verdot, in particular, was highly concentrated and showed excellent fruit flavors.

He also told us about a snail problem he was having in the vineyard. Snails are, obviously, very bad for budding vines and they were all over the place. Like most wine producers in Bordeaux, Basile does not like to use pesticides if he can avoid it, so he wanted to find a natural way to get rid of the snails.

His grandmother told him that they used to use beer to get rid of nails. So, he put a case of beer in the vineyard and soon all of the snails were gone (apologies to readers, I neglected to ask what kind of beer).

Graves and Pessac-Leognan Tasting

The term bandied about most often when describing the 2009 vintage from Graves and Pessac-Leognan is fresh. Fresh is not normally a term used to describe red wines, but in this case it has a lot to do with the fact that both the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Cabernet Franc had a chance to fully ripen during the 2009 growing season.

There seemed to be an interesting dichotomy in the wines from these two regions, there were some that had excellent, full, body with well-structured tannins and there were others that were surprisingly light, faded quickly off the palate. If you have been reading my tasting notes thus far, you know that I prefer the former and that will be reflected in the selections below.



Graves and Pessac-Leognan was the last of the formal, blind, tastings. But I still have a dozen other tastings to report on, so this is not even close to the last En Primeurs post.



As with the previous tasting notes, these are listed in the order in which they were tasted:

Chateau Rahoul: Lots of red fruit on this wine, a big wine with lots of body.

Chateau Carbonnieux: Deep red color, black currant and plum on the nose. Medium body with soft tannins.

Chateau de France: Black fruit and smoke on the nose, good body with firm tannins really lingered on the palate.

Chateau Haut Bailly: Rich purple colors, lots of black fruit on the nose, especially blackberry and hints of pepper. Very well-structured tannins, full body that fills the mouth, lingers.

Chateau Larrivet Haut Brion: Aromas of red fruit, especially raspberry with a little caramel. Tannins are still harsh, but the wine is well-balanced and they should smooth out for an excellent wine.

Chateau Les Carmes Haut Brion: Green pepper and earthy aromas. Good body with well-structured, subtle tannins. A very elegant wine.

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte: Black fruit and spices on the nose. lots of depth to the wine with firm tannins and a good body, lingering palate.

Liv-Ex En Primeur Best Values

The Liv-Ex blog has a great post about the En Primeurs Best Values. Its worth a read.

They took a look at 81 chateaux and compared the En Primeur price to the release price from 2000-2007 and came up with a top 20. Some of the names on the list aren't a surprise (Chateau Margaux, Chateau Latour Chateau Lafite Rothschild), but some of them took me by surprise: Chateau Lynch-Bages, Chateau Cantenac Brown and several of the second wines from the first growths.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating. En Primeurs can be a really good deal if you know what you like and when you are dealing with a great vintage, like 2009.

Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Estephe, and Haut-Medoc Tasting

For the 4th day of En Primeur tastings we headed up the D2 to taste the Grand Crus from the Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Estephe and Haut-Medoc regions. This tasting was held at Chateau Gruaud Larose (their website is currently down).

There was less consistency in these wines compared to those from the Margaux region. They were still, overall, very good, but some of them had a higher alcohol content than what you would normally expect from the region.

The higher alcohol content was due to the fact that the Merlot ripened faster than the Cabernet Sauvignon. So, winemakers had a situation where the Merlot was sitting on the vine and no longer ripening, but still adding sugar. This led to a much higher concentration of alcohol for the chateaux who either did not harvest quickly, or use a higher percentage of Merlot in their wine.

I picked 7 wines that really stood out for me. Once again, they are listed in the order they were tasted, not in order of preference:




Chateau Beaumont: Deep red color with pepper and red fruit on the nose. Well-structured tannins, very fruit forward with a lingering palate.

Chateau Beychevelle: Dark fruit, especially black currant, on the nose. Strong tannins, fruit forward with a good body.

Chateau LaGrange: Aromas of pepper and a slight hint of vanilla. Not much fruit, but good medium body with very firm tannins.

Chateau Gruaud Larose: Green pepper and spicy aromas. A very elegant wine, tannins were subtle, with good body lingers on the palate.

Chateau Leoville Barton: Lots of red fruit on the nose and in the mouth, a surprisingly complex wine. Still a little closed, but with great potential.

Chateau Lynch-Bages: Dark fruit on the nose, especially blackberry, with a hint of pepper. A big wine with lots of body and strong tannins, very powerful.

Chateau Lafon Rochet: Amazing, deep purple color. Really coated the glass. Got aromas of blackberry and vanilla. Very fruit forward with a medium body and nice tannins.

Bordoverview Adds Decanter Ratings

Bordoverview has added Decanter's ratings to its 2009 listings. Keep an eye on that page so you have quick access to everyone's reviews.

Press Release from UGCB

The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux has issued a press release with some numbers in it:

The presence of some 6,000 importers, distributors and journalists from over 30 countries left the impression of decidedly strong interest in fine Bordeaux. The sort of frenzy one always encounters in great vintages was obvious at the chateaux hosting tastings organised by the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux.

With a nearly 43% increase in the number of visits compared to last year, the Union des Grands Crus registered some 20,000 entries during the three days of tasting.

French distributors were, of course, most numerous, while Great Britain, the United States, China, Germany and Belgium were among the most-represented foreign countries.

Congratulations to everyone involved on a very successful En Primeurs campaign!

Jancis Robinson on the left bank 2009 Bordeaux

It seems I am not the only one enamored with the left bank in the 2009 vintage:

The finest 2009 left bank reds managed to be unequivocally Bordeaux - no "Napa Valley" or "New Worldy" in the tasting notes - while harnessing 2009's exceptional natural bounty: a dry, warm-but-not-scorching summer that lasted until mid-September when a downpour revitalised vines that were on the point of suffering from the prolonged drought. This was followed by another long, unusually fine period.

Jancis Robinson is not known for being nearly as effusive as Robert Parker about Bordeaux (though, she always appreciates a good vintage), so this praise bodes well for the quality of the left bank wines from the 2009 vintage.

Margaux and Medoc Tasting

I've mentioned before that I think the 09s from the left bank were consistently excellent. Where I thought this particularly shined through was the Margaux/Medoc blind tasting at Chateau Chasse-Spleen. Part of this was due to familiarity, I like wines from the Margaux appellation, so I drink more of them and know more about them than I do other regions. But, it wasn't just me, most of the journalists I talked to noted the same thing about wines from left bank, in general, and Margaux in particular.

What makes the 2009 vintage so outstanding and why is almost everyone fawning over it? It started with the perfect weather. With the exception of some hailstorms early in the season, the weather in 2009 was perfect for producing quality Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, this allowed the winemakers, especially on the left bank, to produce the kind of wine they wanted. As I went through my tasting notes to write this post, I realized that I had written the phrase "classic Bordeaux" 12 times.

Classic Bordeaux, to me, refers to that combination elegance, structure, and aromas that can only come from a well-done Bordeaux. Almost all the wines in the Margaux/Medoc tasting seemed to have it. But there were a few that stood out, and those are below (these are only wines from the Margaux/Medoc blind tasting, there are others from that region that I will write about later).

Remember, the wines below are listed in order of tasting, not perceived score:



Chateau Malescot Saint Exupery: Very dark color, lots of green pepper and spices on the nose, well-structured tannins and very full body.

Chateau Dauzac: Black fruit and pepper aromas. Good fruit in the mouth, very subtle, slowly worked its way back nice tannins

Chateau Kirwan: Aromas of plum and black cherry. Very powerful wine, an interesting contrast to Chateau Dauzac. This one is has a full body with strong tannins and a lingering palate.

Chateau Lascombes: Lots of pepper on this wine, some hints of black fruit as well. Well-structured tannins with a medium body.

Chateau Marquis de Terme: Green pepper on the nose, surprisingly strong aromas. Good deep purple color with firm tannins and a full body.

Chateau Brane-Cantenac: This was an all-around elegant wine. It started with very refined green pepper and plum aromas. Then soft, lingering tannins, that slowly worked their way to the back of the mouth and lingered. Incredible body, a wine that feels like it will age extremely well.

Chateau Chasse-Spleen: Red fruit and some leather aromas. Very fruit forward wine with a medium body.

Chateau Fonreaud: Lots of red fruit with a little green pepper on the nose. Good structure, with a medium body.

Chateau La Tour de By: Deep purple color, the Petit Verdot really shines through. Good pepper on the nose. A complex wine with well-structured tannins and a medium body.

Sauternes and Barsac Tasting

The blind tastings during En Primeurs are one of the week's highlights and an important part of the review process. I've done blind tastings before, but never as many as I did that week, and never with as many professionals. The journalists take this process very seriously, and it is a real treat to be able to watch/participate.

The 220 credentialed journalists were split into 5 groups, each group did their Grand Crus tastings at different Chateaux. I was in group 1, so I'll be writing about those locations.



The Sauternes and Barsac tasting was held at Chateau Coutet. There were a total of 25 wines tasted. From each group I am only going to post my notes of the top 5-7 wines. I've already posted links to the full notes of others, most of what I have in my notes would be redundant. The notes are in tasting order, not in order of preference:



Chateau Broustet: This wine had a light yellow color and I got daisies on the nose. Flavors of peach and a real effervescence to the wine.

Chateau Doisy-Daene: The wine had a lovely golden color to it and I got pear and peach on the nose and tastes of berries and raisins on the mouth.

Chateau Filhot: This wine was surprisingly clear with a beautiful color to it. Detected honey on the nose with a taste of peach and apricot. Nice long finish.

Chateau Coutet: The wine had a very nice yellow color to it. It was a complex wine with apricot on the nose. I got a taste of orange and pineapple and a tremendous, lingering finish.

Chateau Guiraud: This wine was golden in color and had great citrus aromas. A very elegant wine with a taste of orange and raisins and a nice long finish.

Note: I want to add that overall, I thought the 2009 vintage of Sauternes and Barsac is excellent. There are a lot of really good wines there and they seemed to have qualities that experts feel make for a vintage that will age very well.

More En Primeur Coverage from Bordoreview

I had the pleasure of meeting David Bolomey while I was in Bordeaux. He is a really nice guy, and he really knows his Bordeaux. He has his first post up with a run down of the wines of the Graves (Pessac-Leognan) region. Its a very good read.

Full En Primeur Coverage from Wine Enthusiast and Decanter

Wine Enthusiast has all of their 2009 En Primeur coverage online. Decanter is slower but starting to get there as well. Jane Anson should also have her notes up in the next couple of days as well.

I'll hunt around for links to tasting notes from as many places as possible, I would like to include a wide variety of sources (Parker's aren't available yet, and Wine Spectator requires a subscription, so there is no point in linking them).

Is 2009 Bordeaux the Year of the $20 Wines?

Now that I am back and getting settled I can start writing about my experience and thoughts on the En Primeur experience.

I had the good fortune of being invited to a private tasting at a Negociant's office (since I don't have permission to quote him, I won't mention the company name) during the tasting he said something that really resonated me and something that I think is worth discussing. He said he felt that the 2009 vintage is going to be about the $20 wine.

To understand why he feels this way, you first have to understand the Bordeaux distribution system. Most wine producers do not sell their wines directly. If you visit a Chateau and enjoy their wine, you most likely will not be able to pick up a bottle on the spot (note: not all Chateau function this way, but most do), in fact many Chateaux can't tell you where you would be able to find their wine. The Chateaux use a courtier (a broker) to sell their wine to one, or several, negociants (in the United States, this would be the equivalent of a distributor), who then sells the wine to wine merchants, who sell the wine to you. Negociants can also act as the broker for smaller estates, and many will see out the small estates in order to distribute their wines.

The 2009 vintage was very interesting. The left bank, predominately Cabernet Sauvignon based wines, was almost universally praised (a sentiment that I wholeheartedly agree with). The right bank, predominately Merlot based wines, was hit or miss. Some of them were excellent, others were good, but not great.

By my tally, I tasted just over 400 samples of the 2009 vintage during En Primeurs. There are more than 12,000 producers in Bordeaux, that leaves a lot of really good wine that won't be tried by most of the press. Negociants do try many of those producers though, looking for good wines to distribute. So, there is a lot of great wine that won't get written about in Wine Spectator or my new friends at Wine Enthuiast or reviewed by Robert Parker that will be hitting the shelves of your local wine shop in 2011.

And much of that wine will have a sub-$20 price tag.

Wine Enthusiast En Primeur Tasting Notes

I will start posting my tasting notes tonite. In the meantime, Wine Enthusiast has their tasting notes from Saint Emilion and Pomeral online.

I had dinner with Roger and Kathleen last night, they are a lot of fun and really know their Bordeaux vintages.

L'Intendant

I went by L'Intendant yesterday to look around and because it is such an amazing wine shop. The clerk recognized me from last Spetember and asked me how my bottle of 1969 Brane Cantenac was.

That is impressive customer service.

Derenoncourt California Shipment

I mentioned Derenoncourt California in a post last month. Being a fan of Derenoncourt, I signed up on his site and was lucky enough to be allocated 3 bottles of his 2006 Red Hills Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.




I got my shipment last week and the packaging is absolutely beautiful. The wine was shipped in a well-protected box. Inside the shipping box was a gorgeous wooden box. It was secured by screw and signed by Derenoncourt. The bottles have linen labels.

If the same care was taken with the wine as the shipping I cannot wait to try the wines! I am going to let them sit until after I get back from Bordeaux. By then bottle shock should have settled and it should be great to crack open a bottle.

Hip Bordeaux Hangouts

Caroline Tiger has a post on the New York Times Style Magazine blog about "hip" places to visit in Bordeaux:

The city's new youth infusion has brought with it a swarm of locavores; find them grazing on boeuf de Bazas at La Brasserie Bordelaise (50, rue Saint-Remi; 011-33-5-57-87-11-91) and sipping the 30 Bordeaux wines by the glass at Bar à Vin (above; 3, cours du 30 Juillet; 011-33-5-56-00-43-47). Hipsters head to Utopia (5, place Camille Jullian; 011-33-5-56-79-39-25; cinemas-utopia.org), an art-house cinema and cafe in an old church, and to Le Seeko'o Bar (54, quai de Bacalan; 011-33-5-56-39-07-07; seekoo-hotel.com), the popular watering hole in the Seeko'o Hotel overlooking the Garonne River.

I've actually been to several of the places on her list, which I guess makes me hip, who knew ;)?

Ireland and Bordeaux

Nick Stephens at the Bordeaux Undiscovered blog has a great post about the ties between Ireland and Bordeaux:

Wine flowed back to Ireland from these families and in the 18th century it was said that Ireland 'flowed with wine as much as the land of Canaan with milk'. For instance in 1740, 1,000 caskets of wine were supplied from Bordeaux to England and 4,000 to Ireland. The tradition continues today with Irishmen at the helm of several chateaux: Tony Ryan at Chateau Lascombes, Lochlann Quinn at Chateau de Fieuzal and Terry Cross at Chateau de La Ligne.

You might be surprised to know that three First Growths have Irish connections. In the 1780s and 1790s Château Margaux was run by Richard and Christopher Gernon from Drogheda, Co. Louth. Other Irish families who held leases on the property over the next 15 years included the MacCarthy brothers from Cork, the Johnston family from Armagh, the Barton family from Kildare and the Fosters from Dublin.

It is absolutely worth reading the whole post. One of the things that struck me while I was in Bordeaux was the diversity of backgrounds of the people there. Obviously, the fact that Bordeaux has always been an important port town had a lot to do with it, but it seemed every Chateau I went to had a story about someone from Ireland, England, Denmark or another European country having owned the property at some point.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Chateau Palmer En Primeur

Chateau Palmer has a new video up previewing the 2009 vintage and En Primeur. Check it out!

Chateau Coutet Master Class

I talk a lot here about red Bordeaux wines, but there are other types of wine produced in the Bordeaux region. One of the most well-known is Sauternes, and one of the best known of those is Chateau Coutet.

Sauternes style wine is a blend of Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes that have been affected by Botrytis Cinerea (also known as noble rot). The Botrytis Cinerea eats at the grapes making them raisin-like in appearance and intensifying the flavor and sweetness of the wine, and giving it a distinctive gold color.




Traditionally thought of as a dessert wine, Sauternes wines actually pair very well with spicy foods and shellfish. In fact, Aline Baly, who conducted the Master Class, prefers drinkers not to think of Sauternes as a dessert wine and instead concentrate on other pairings.





The Chateau Coutet that Aline conducted for the wine club was engaging and informative. Aline is passionate about Sauternes and it comes through in her presentation. She sees herself not just as a representative of Chateau Coutet, but of all of Sauternes, and that night all of Bordeaux.

The class started with background information about the Sauternes region. We got to learn about the soil, the grapes and why Botrytis Cinerea occurs so reliably in that area.



But, more importantly we got to taste three amazing vintages. Aline brought along samples of the 1989, 1998, and 2006 vintages for us to sample. Combine that with the great appetizers Jason, at Vinifera Wine Bar & Bistro provided and it made for a great evening.

It was fascinating to see how the wine has changed over the 20 year span. While the basic elements of freshness and acidity with hints of honeysuckle and floral character that are standard in most vintages of Chateau Coutet were present in all vintages, there were some variances. The 2006 had more citrus notes, especially peach, while the 1998 vintage had more character and the 1986 vintage had a deep golden hue with a strong marmalade flavor.

We paired the wines with crab cakes, risotto balls, tuna tartare and several different types of cheeses. And, of course, since we were at Vinifera Wine Bar & Bistro we ended the evening with a cork pyramid :).

Wine on the Rocks Interview with Thomas Duroux

Thomas Duroux is the CEO of Chateau Palmer, one of the most well-known wines of the Medoc region in Bordeaux.

Wine on the Rocks has a good interview up with Duroux. In the 5 minute segment, Duroux talks about the blending process, the 2009 Bordeaux vintage and the importance of En Primeurs.

Even More on 2009 Bordeaux

It is just over 2 weeks until the start of En Primeurs, and the articles about the 2009 Bordeaux vintage are starting to flood news outlets. Here are a couple of new ones:

Everyone has acknowledged that 2009 will be an incredible vintage, so now there is a lot of worry about pricing. From this article in Drinks Business:

In terms of pricing 2009 he said: "Unfortunately, because the vintage resembles 2005 in quality terms they are talking about 2005 prices."

With the 30% depreciation of the pound versus the euro since the 2005 en primeur campaign, if 2009 release prices were set at a similar level it would be the most expensive vintage on record for UK merchants.

The expectation of increased Asian demand for the vintage is providing further encouragement to price the wines ambitiously.

However, Staples warned: "The interest in Hong Kong is only in the top five or six wines and all we've been selling over the last year has been Lafite, Mouton and Latour."

He also questioned the potential impact of Robert Parker on this year's pricing. "He was the only person on the planet who thought that 2008 was sensational - and it was better than we initially thought - but how can he upgrade 2009 on that."

The other big story to follow is the impact the Chinese will have on this year's En Primeurs:

China bought 13.7 million litres for 74 million euros (£67 million), overtaking the United States, which took 11.6 million litres for 139 million euros. Japan came third, with the same volume as the United States.

Hong Kong is counted as a separate market, where 4.2 million litres were sold for 109 million euros.

"The rise of China is undeniable and we expect that market to move up the value chain just as has happened in Japan," said Bertrand Carles, a wine trader for the Ginestet group.

More on 2009 Bordeaux

Bibendum Wine Ltd. has a report on the 2009 vintage:

There is a big vintage buzz in the air round here and the 2009s we have tasted so far are living up to the hype - full of silky fruit and ripe round tannin.

The first gulp of a hyped up new vintage is always an interesting one - will it live up to expectation? The anticipation was heightened by the fact we were tasting Gruaud Larose and Gruaud can be difficult from barrel. In fact, it was easy: lovely silky texture and oodles of blackcurrant flavour. It was supple, natural and unextracted with fresh and rich ripe fruit. And just 13% alcohol which is great. A delicious start.

I am really looking forward to En Primeurs this year!!

Vintage Wine Bar in Dubai

The other wine bar I visited in Dubai was Vintage. Vintage is located in Wafi a "city within a city" in Dubai. Wafi is a series of shops, restaurants, a spa and a hotel situated inside four pyramids in the middle of Dubai.




Vintage has a very different vibe to it than The Agency. It is a more formal environment, the type of place where you might bring a client for a dinner, and the wine list reflects that.

There is a heavy concentration of Bordeaux, and less emphasis on by the glass selections. The wine bottles decorating the bar include a bottle of 1983 Petrus. In fact, the manager was very proud to point out a lot of the one of a kind bottles of Bordeaux they have available.




To complement the wine, they have a tremendous selection of cheese, a fact they brag about on their menu with the phrase, "Blessed are the cheese and wine makers, for they shall inherit the earth." They serve a wide variety of these cheeses in fondue form, and the staff there is very good at recommending a fondue to pair with your wine.

Brane-Cantenac on Pardon that Vine

I always worry that people will think I spend too much talking about how great Chateau Brane Cantenac is. But, I am not the only one. Chris Riccobono, from Pardon that Vine feels the same way. You can watch the video on his site

He even got to taste their 2009 vintage, which was recently blended.

Collective Brands in Wine

Evelyne Resnick, author of Wine Brands (great book) has a blog post about promoting collective brands:

One of the most interesting challenges for a wine marketer is promoting a collective brand. Champagne was certainly the most successful example of such a strategy: it is now synonymous with party, special occasion and pleasure. Unfortunately we know it backfired: consumers don't see Champagne as an everyday drink but more as the special drink open for a specific event. High prices, down economy and depressed consumers halted the trend.

The second side effect of this collective promotion was the emergence of a few internationally recognized brands and a lot of brands left in the shadow of the leaders. That's at least what a lot of smaller Champagne producers complained about. It's the case also in other areas where an umbrella brand is carried to the front. But is it really the case? Wasn't there a missing step in the Champagne smaller producers' strategy?

I see two different ways this type of collective branding occurs. The first occurs in homogenous regions like Champagne and Bordeaux, where the style of wine is similar across all producers. In this case, I think Bordeaux has actually done a better job of marketing its brand then Champagne has.

While I agree with Evelyne that Champagne has done a great job of associating itself with special occasions. I think Bordeaux has done a better job of associating itself with good wine. of course, like Champagne, it is has also come to be associated with expensive wines. Hopefully that will change with campaigns like Enjoy Bordeaux that highlight some of the more affordable Bordeaux wines while still focusing on the quality of those wines.

But, I also see the collective branding in emerging wine regions. For example, Loudoun County has its DC's Wine Country Campaign, the Winegrowers of the Grand River Valley in Ohio have Ohio Wines, Love at First Sip, and Georgian Wines have the Georgian Wine House.

These efforts are different because they aren't marketing a style of wine, instead the focus is on the region. All of these regions boast wine producers with a variety of types and styles of wine. I think this makes it hard to associate these regions with a type of wine, instead they work as a destination, or a new region to explore.

The Chinese Love Affair with Bordeaux

While naysayers like Gary Vaynerchuk are telling people to stay away from Bordeaux because it is overpriced, the Chinese are embracing and even accelerating their purchases. From the article:

The 10-hour sale yesterday of more than 800 lots tallied HK$52.9 million, beating host Sotheby's own forecast of HK$40 million. Bidders at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel drank glasses of Louis Roederer Blanc de Blanc 2003 and Haut Brion 1998 as they competed with online bidders for choice items, such as twin 1.5- liter bottles of Chateau Petrus 1982 that fetched HK$435,600, against the lot's top estimate of HK$130,000. Estimates don't include commission.

If you visit the websites of the top Chateaux in Bordeaux almost all of them have Chinese versions of their pages and many offer tours in China.

I have heard the argument that the Chinese only buy older Bordeaux, they won't embrace the En Primeurs system and the futures market, which is what people like Vaynerchuk are recommending US wine buyers avoid. That doesn't appear to be true, there are going to be many wine buyers from China at En Primeurs this year.

Top Bordeaux are always going to be a scarce product (as they should be), if the Chinese eat into that limited quantity in significant amounts that will make it more expensive to buy top Bordeaux in the US.

Un week-end d'exception a Margaux

Maria, from Chateau Brane-Cantenac sent me a note about this event, hosted by Terre de Vins.

Un week-end d'exception a Margaux an incredible weekend-ish getaway to Margaux! The trip starts off on Friday with lunch at Chateau Brane-Cantenac, followed by a tasting at Chateau Margaux.

After the Margaux tasting, the next stop is Chateau Palmer for dinner. After dinner, guests will spend the night at the Relais de Margaux.

In the morning guests will do tastings at Chateau Kirwan and Chateau Rauzan-Segla. The weekend finishes up with a lunch and reception at Chateau Lascombes.

The best part, is that these are not the ordinary tastings, the Chateaux have really gone all out. Chateau Palmer is serving their 1998, 1990 and 1983 vintages and the 2000 vintage of their Alter Ego. Chateau Brane-Cantenac is serving their 2004, 2002 and 1996 vintages and Chateau Lascombes is serving their 2007, 2006, 2005 and 2001 vintages, plus the 2005 vintage of their second label.

The price is 1290 Euro per person and there is only space for 25 people. This is an incredible opportunity, one that I would take advantage of, if I wasn't already going out to Bordeaux in March/April.

Chateau Palmer and You

I am a sucker for unique marketing ideas, especially when they come from old-school companies and it does get much older than Chateau Palmer. Labelled a third growth in the 1855 Classification wine has been made on the Chateau Palmer property since the 1750s. It is one of the top wines from the Margaux region, and one of the few to have a Twitter account.

They've set up a website called Palmer and You where visitors can "share a memorable moment with a wine of Palmer..."

It is a very simple idea, but I think potentially very powerful. Wine is all about the moment, a great bottle of wine is great because of the people you share it with or where you are experiencing it. Reading through the stories reminded me of the last bottle of Chateau Palmer I had, and makes me want to order more.

Betting on Bordeaux

I feel like a broken record with repeated articles on the value of Bordeaux wines. But, I think someone has to counteract the impression most most Americans seem to have that Bordeaux wines are overpriced.

Will Lyons has an article in the WSJ about 2009 Bordeaux and what people are saying:

One Bordeaux buyer quietly confided in me that when he visited the region a couple of months ago he was allowed to taste the juice. "It's very rare that growers let you taste anything at this stage," he said. "It was really rich and sweet -- 2009 will be a cracker."

He goes on to compare 2009 Bordeaux to 2005 and talks about some of the great values that wound up coming out of that vintage. If 2009 is as good as everyone has been saying, then there will be incredible deals. Sure, Chateau Margaux may be priced out of most people's reach, but but there will be great value in some of the 2nd and 3rd growths, just like there always is.

Remember, too, that the Bordelais do not live in a bubble. When I was in Bordeaux all of the winemakers I talked to do were aware of pricing and the economic conditions. I think that will factor into the pricing considerations for the 2009 vintage, no matter how good it is.

We'll know for sure beginning in April.

On the Cost of Classified Bordeaux Wines

Lindsay Morriss is a very good young writer based out of Bordeaux. She has an article on the Cork'd website about the cost of Classified Bordeaux wines. She makes some excellent point, most notably that most Bordeaux wines are actually quite affordable. But, the classified growths will always be more expensive because:

However, looking ahead, basic supply and demand factors virtually guarantee that the region's Grand Cru wines will continue to fetch high prices. The supply is static - government regulation ensures that vineyards don't overproduce in order to maintain high quality. Globally, demand is actually rising, with new markets emerging in China, Russia and beyond. Couple this with a great image and reduced wine tariffs (just look at Hong Kong) and you've got your answer to the original question..basic supply and demand.

A very good article.

Brane-Cantenac Part II

After my tour of the property, I was invited to have lunch at the Chateau. Keep in mind that (as I am sure you all are aware) I'm nobody. I am not a buyer and while I write about Bordeaux a lot on this site a good day for me is 100 visits, so I have no influence in the wine world whatsoever and yet Henri, Corinne and Maria took time out of their day to have lunch with me.

This is one thing that stood out during my trip to Bordeaux: just about everywhere I went I was met with warmth and openness. Everyone was friendly and accommodating - which was especially nice considering how bad/non-existent my French is. In America, we often see French people portrayed as snotty and stand-offish. That may be true in some parts of France, but it was definitely not true in Bordeaux and the surrounding regions.




Lunch started off with hours hors d'oeuvres served with Champagne. This was followed by a 4 course meal, each course paired with a vintage of Chateau Brane Cantenac, selected by Henri. It was excellent, and by far the best meal I had while I was in Bordeaux (i didn't have any bad meals while I was there, this was just the best :)).

Aside from the great food and superb wine what made the meal great was how quickly the conversation ramped up. Very quickly it felt like I had known these people for years and the two hours I had set aside for lunch passed so quickly that I almost missed my appointment at Chateau Margaux.

One of the advantages of being a blogger and not a wine journalist is that I get to show my love for wine properties that I think do everything right. You read that here in my constant posts about Breaux Vineyards, Fabbioli Cellars and when I write about Chateau Brane Cantenac. To me, these wineries not only make great wine but do a tremendous job of taking care of their fans and I have no problem repeatedly telling the world how great they are :).

Brane-Cantenac Part I

This is the first part of my last post about Chateau visits while I was in Bordeaux and the one that I am the most excited to write. Chateau Brane-Cantenac has long been one of my favorite wines. To me, it is the quintessential Bordeaux: complex and elegant, with well-structured tannins and a long finish. Plus, with most vintages in the $50-$70 range it is a wine that I can (and do) drink regularly.



The history of Chateau Brane-Cantenac dates back to at least the early 18th century when the property was known as Chateau Gorce. Even then it was recognized as a quality wine. The estate was purchased Baron Hector de Brane in 1833. Baron Hector de Brane -- a staunch advocate for making Cabernet Sauvignon the primary grape in the Medoc -- renamed the property to Brane-Cantenac in 1838 and that is the name that was used in the 1855 Classification.

Chateau Brane-Cantenac is classified as a second growth.




Like many properties in Bordeaux, the estate fell on hard times between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It changed owners several times before finally being sold to Leonce Recapet and Francois Lurton in 1925. The estate was passed to Francois' son Lucien Lurton (I have a couple of bottles of Brane that have L. Lurton etched into the wax covering on the bottle). In 1992 Lucien passed the property to his son, Henri Lurton. It is Henri who runs the Chateau today.



Henri Lurton is well-known for innovations in the wine making process. While I was visiting the Chateau I was fortunate enough to have him give me the tour, and I have to say it was a real honor talking to him about his winemaking process and philosophy.

There is an old adage that if you want to sculpt an elephant you simply get a block of marble and chip away anything that doesn’t look like an elephant. That appears to be Henri's philosophy when it comes to making wine: Because of Brane-Cantenac's terroir and the care he shows the vines there is great wine in the fruit, he just needs to chip away everything that is not great and the wine will manifest itself.

Of course it helps that Chateau Brane-Cantenac sits on one of the best spots in the Margaux region. Directly in front of the Chateau is the Plateau de Brane. The Plateau de Brane has an elevation, at its peak, of 22 meters above sea-level. It is comprised of large gravel that extends as deep as 10 meters. This is an ideal environment for Cabernet Sauvignon. The gravel improves the resilience of the vines and generates additional heat.




Harvesting and sorting are done by hand. Initial fermentation is done in temperature controlled steel, concrete and oak vats (Henri has a preference for oak). Malolactic fermentation is done inside the barrel, one of Henri's innovations. Racking is done every three months. To make that process easier Henri has begun using twist on bungs (see the last picture) in the barrels. Fining is done with egg whites and the wine is typically aged 18 months.

There are a total of 75 hectares under vine. 55% of those are Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and .5% Carmenere. The average age of the vines is 35 years.

Chateau Perenne

When I went to Bordeaux, I had some very specific destinations in mind. I've been drinking wine from Bordeaux for more than 10 years, and I have a really good idea of what I like and what I don't. The first part of my trip was spent visiting those Chateaux that I have always wanted to see: Margaux, Brane Cantenac, Lynch Bages, Lascombes, etc. The second part of the trip was spent exploring the city of Bordeaux.

The last leg of my trip was supposed to be spent in St. Emilion, but rental car issues (thanks again, Hertz) made that difficult. Instead I decided to explore regions that I wasn't as familiar with; to do that I turned to the Office de Tourisme de Bordeaux. The Office de Tourisme de Bordeaux has a number of vineyard tours including one out to Blaye and Bourg. It was reasonably priced at 30 Euros and it gave me an opportunity to see part of the region that I other i probably would have missed.

Obviously touring a chateau with 40 other people is not nearly as personal as the one-on-one or one-on-handful tours I did at the chateaux in the Medoc, but it was worth the trade-off to explore new regions.




Cotes de Blaye is just north of Cotes de Bourg (well, north and west) on the right bank. Vines have been planted here since the Greeks and Romans first settled the land, wine has been made in this region for thousands of years.

Cotes de Blaye is also home to the Citdel of Blaye, which is extremely imposing, even from a distance.




On the tour we visited Chateau Perenne a Bernard Magrez property. If you take a look at the 4th picture one of the first things you'll notice is all the grass between the vines. Unlike the more gravelly terroir of the Medoc, this part of Cotes de Blaye is mostly limestone.

Harvest and sorting are done by hand. Depending the quality of the fruit fermentation is either done in steel or or oak vats (the best of the fruit is isolated, fermented in oak, and used to make the equivalent of a reserve wine) and then barrel aged. There are 57 hectares under vine (for red vines) with an average age of 30 years. The wine is 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec.