Bordeaux

Bordeaux-
Bordeaux wine is one of the great wine regions of the world. Bordeaux is located in the Southwest of France where the Gironde River empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Although it can sometimes feel intimidating, like all other wine regions in France there is a clear system to understanding. Bordeaux is really one of the original blending regions. Unlike Burgundy, Bordeaux allows for a winemaker to really change his or her cuvee from year to year using multiple varietals. The reasons for these changes are because of the different ripeness levels one desires to achieve with each varietal. Bordeaux is one of the very vintage sensitive wine regions of the World and luckily we have had two very excellent vintages back to back with 09 and 10.Although they do grow quite a bit of white wine in Bordeaux (Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon primarily) we are going to focus on the red wine production.
There are five classic red Bordeaux grapes that are allowed to be grown: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc.
Bordeaux is primarily split into two main sides; Left Bank and Right Bank (Gironde River) and within these two sides there are many different communes
Right Bank- Pomerol, St. Emilion, Bordeaux Superieur, Cote de Bourg and Cote de Blaye- These wines tend to be Merlot driven.
Left Bank- Haut Medoc, Medoc, St. Estephe, St. Julien, Margaux, Pauillac, Graves, Sauternes- these wines tend to be Cabernet driven. (Graves/Sauternes is mainly focused on white and dessert style wines)
Unlike Burgundy with its negociants, Bordeaux wine production is done from single properties or Chateaus. Some Chateaus are obviously situated better than others. So in 1855 the French wine lawmakers categorized the best into 5 distinct Grand Cru groups called growths. 1st growths, 2nd growths and so on… if you didn’t make the cut in 1855, sorry. Haven’t reclassified anything since; by the way Pomerol and St. Emilion did not even make it into the discussion so they did their own thing a little later on.

Here are some wines currently available from the distinguished 09 vintage…

Ch. Teyssier- Wine has been here since the 1700’s. It is one of the larger Bordeaux producers with the 2009 vintage yielding over 15,000 cases. Recently the estate has changed ownership and the new team has transformed the wine and the estate. They have renovated the estate, vineyard, winery, barrel cellar, and the approach; taking a more modern stance on the wine. Eighty-five per cent Merlot with the remainder being met by Cabernet Franc, the wine originates from the communes of Saint Sulpice de Faleyrens and Vignonet. Most of the soil type in these regions is sand which is common on the right bank of the Gironde. The wine now can be approached young, out of the bottle but still possesses potential to age. $44.99
Robert Parker POINTS 89-91: This is a big production cuvee of 15,000 cases from a vineyard whose terroir is not considered to be particularly good. Consequently, it is always fascinating to see how much character proprietor Jonathan Maltus is able to extract. The 2009 Teyssier possesses a dense ruby/purple color as well as smoky barbecue notes intermixed with creme de cassis, black cherries, and earth. Ripe, generous, and medium to full-bodied, it should drink beautifully young yet age for 10-12+ years.
Ch Beaumont- Beaumont is located in the Haut-Medoc on the left bank of the Gironde River. The wine is composed of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. It has a production of about 42000 cases. This region of Bordeaux is famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon and the Garonne Gravel Ridges that make up the soil are assumed to be some of the best in the world for this varietal. The 2009 vintage was fruity and dark, absent of some the herbaceous notes that can sometimes be associated with wines of this region. Ripe tannins allow for a smooth finish and this wine can be enjoyed now or cellared for 10-15 years. $29.99
Clos des Moiselles- This is a great little Cotes de Bourg, which is northeast of Bordeaux itself. There are a lot of value driven wines coming from this region and Bordeaux Superieur. This wine is composed of 45% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec grown on clay and limestone soils. This wine is dark and ruby in color and is a wine meant to be enjoyed sooner than most Bordeaux style wines. With a touch of oak ageing this is a great alternative to Bordeaux being that it is ready to drink and value driven. $19.99

Enjoy Bordeaux,
Nick, Buyer.