Adventures in Aquitaine

“A day of adventure from the French Atlantic coast in the west to Saint-Emilion in the east “Aquitaine:  The ancient name for a region in France that includes Bordeaux within its regional outline.  It is a fascinating region having as its borders the Atlantic Ocean in the west, Spain and the Pyrenees Mountains to the south/southeast, and in the west vineyards and farms that dot the landscape.  The northern border is partially composed of the Gironde River, which is the most important natural resource for Aquitaine as this river feeds the core lands of the greatest vineyards the world knows: Bordeaux. 

Pessac-Leognan & Graves

We started the morning heading southwest from the city of Bordeaux making our way to the communes of Pessac-Leognan and the Graves for cru red and white wines.  Our first stop was in Leognan at the venerable Chateau Haut Bailey.  From there we would head to Graves for our second stop at the almost-First Growth, and just as legendary, Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion.  On our way there we drove by Pape Clement which is the oldest wine estate in all of Bordeaux that recently had its 700^th harvest.  Across the street from LMHB was Haut-Brion, but it was closed for Chateau renovations so we could not make an appointment for a tour.  We were a tad late to both appointments due to the traffic getting through that region of Bordeaux as it is quite pedestrian.  This region I would say is equivalent to what we in the US would consider to be the suburbs.  The Graves is the most populated place I have yet to see a vineyard as they sit in the middle of a regular pedestrian neighborhood.  I find this quite remarkable and a testament to these Chateau for their presence and resistance to development.

Chateau Haut-Bailly

Haut-Bailly sits in a more rural part of Leognan, surrounded by trees and fields on 70 acres of vines.  The Chateau is one of the oldest in all of Bordeaux and about 100 years ago the wines were thought of in the same class as First Growths like Chateau Lafite-Rothschild and my favorite Chateau Latour.  Its modern story begins with the Sanders family that hailed originally from Belgium and was a merchant in nearby Barsac.  Daniel Sander purchased Haut-Bailly and sold it later to American banker Robert Wilmers in 1998.

The charming and very welcoming Veronique Sanders (daughter of Monsieur Sanders) met us upon our arrival and showed us around the estate, walking us through the vineyards and the beautifully maintained grounds.  Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot vines are planted in rows 1 meter by 1 meter (1M x 1M is tight) and are planted on a mosaic of clay and limestone.  The Merlot grows primarily on the clay sections and the Cabernet Sauvignon is planted on the limestone mounds.  Veronique mentioned that Haut-Bailly is the highest part of the Graves at 48 meters above sea level.

Next Veronique led us indoors to understand better the wine-making process at Haut-Bailley.  We started in the fermentation room where the concrete vats stood side by side on two sides of the room.  This is usually the first place the grapes come inside after sorting and de-stemming.   It was surprising to see so many concrete fermentation vats in France because in the US we see mainly steel and wood vats to ferment wines.  There are steel tanks that are used to ferment the second and third label wines.  The second and third wines of a Chateau are the plots of wine that do not make the cut into the Grand Vin that allow for a better Grand Vin, or first wine, because it allows for a stricter selection process of what juice makes it into the Grand Vin.  We later made our way to a transition room where the wine goes from tank to barrel to age in newly toasted or once used French oak barrique.  The Grand Vin is aged in 50-60 new French oak, the second wine is aged in 20% new oak.  The barrel room was cool and dark, as it should be so these wines can rest from 18-24 months before they are ready for bottling.  Once they are bottled they are stored in the cellar on their sides for 1 year before they are given a label and then shipped around the world to consumers that likely paid for the wine via the futures process 2-3 years prior to this point. 

We moved to the tasting room to sample a few of the wines.  In the past I have tasted the 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and I have to say the elegance and power of the Haut-Bailly is unmistakable. 

 2007 La Parde de Haut-Bailly (2nd wine) – A typical Grave nose of scorched earth with bright red fruits.  Excellent acidity, great with food, good balance if a little lean because of the weak 2007 vintage conditions.

2007 Chateau Haut-Bailly (Grand Vin) deeper nose, more structure, more weight and palate presence.  Nose of rocks and earth, darker fruits with some toasty oak, well balanced, fine and silky tannin, good acid.

2009 Chateau Haut-Bailly (Grand Vin) Silky tannins and a really long finish.  Plush and creamy texture. finesse and power, with balance and precision. Classic Grave nose with crushed rock/earth, with darker red and black fruits, just a little toasty oak.  Black cherry and creme d'cassis, excellent oak integration on the palate.  60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, <3% Cabernet Franc, <1% Petit Verdot.  It’s really amazing how good the 2009 are drinking this early in their maturation process.

We thanked Veronique for the wonderful tour and tasting and looked forward to buying the 2009 when it was to become available via futures in a few weeks.  We also look forward to coming back sometime in the near future when we make it back to Bordeaux next.

Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion

We made our way (late unfortunately) to the hallowed grounds of La Mission Haut Brion.  LMHB is the sister property to First Growth Haut-Brion located across the street.  One our way in we also passed Pape-Clement amongst all of the sprawl and development, which comes as a surprise but when you think about how old these properties are maybe its not that big of a surprise to see all of these ancient properties amongst homes, warehouses, and condo buildings?  Thomas Jefferson himself visited these hallow grounds on his tours of France as our fledgling country’s first ambassador to France.  One can say he was the first American Oenophile, or wine geek.

As we arrived at the entrance to the grounds you knew you had arrived at a special place.  Ancient, storied, and hallowed were just a few of the words that came to mind as we walked around the property to find our tour that had started without us.  It was nice wandering through the grounds on our own, admiring the classic church-like architecture and ornamental design.

We caught up with our tour in the fermentation room as they were finishing there on their way to the barrel room.  The fermentation room was tall, but narrow and tight, almost cramped in my opinion.  The barrel room was enormous however, leaving plenty of room for 2010 that was still on the vine.  Only 2009 remained in barrel as the 2008 vintage was just bottled. 

After the barrel room we made our way to the tasting salon where we sampled First Growth Chateau Haut-Brion and Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion from the 2004 vintage.  2004 is not my favorite vintage, being a lighter, more elegant style it is less expressive than classic vintages such as 2000 or 2005.  However those great vintages would be too young to drink now, 2004 is a good choice along with 2001 and 2002 to enjoy now.  Depending on your tastes, 2003 is even accessible to an extent, but that depends on the Chateau that made the wine.

LMHB has 26 hectares of vines planted, while Haut-Brion has 48 hectares of vines planted. Only 600 cases of the white wine from LMHB are made on average in a given vintage.  Barrel aging takes place in 70-80% medium toast new oak for 18-22 months.  The barrel room is manually controlled above ground for humidity and temperature regulation.

2004 Chateau Haut-Brion – Earthy, quite terroir driven with leather, deep, yet bright red fruits like cassis and cherry, the mid-palate expands with a clear and precise expression of terroir, with some cigar box, good balance and length for the vintage.

2004 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion – 42% Merlot, 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc.  Higher acid, light to medium bodied, soft tannins, black and red fruits, currants, subtle creaminess.  Complex, yet subtle the wine grew as it unfolded in the glass. 

The Great Dunes of Pyla

We made out back to the car, took a few quick photos across the street at Haut-Brion and made our way west for lunch.  We were to take in the Arcachon Basin and the Great Dunes of Pyla on the Atlantic Coast.  About a 45 minute drive east got us to Archacon on the southern side of the basin.  We parked near the beach and walked out to the walkways along the beach lined with hotels and restaurants with wonderful seaside views.  We took a brief walk checking the restaurants out to make our pick.  We looked for one that was crowded but with a prime table available for us to sit down at.  We found the perfect place (forget the name) and sat down to put down more than our share of fresh oysters and split a whole fish entrée.  We had a dry Bordeaux white (Sauvignon Blanc with a dash of Semillon, sometimes rarely Sauvignon Gris) and also what came recommended from an American was Sauternes with oysters.  Little did I know that Sauternes with Oysters only works if it’s an older vintage, maybe 20 years of age to it, and a specific oyster that is only in season around the Christmas holiday.  Oh well, the sweet Sauternes was still good with the oysters but I still preferred the dry white wine with the oysters and mignonette.  We then walked off our lunch by cruising the walkway along the beach taking in the sunny and breezy weather; this is what vacation is all about!  We took a walk down a long pier, walked in town some and then made out way back to the car to make our way to the dunes.

The dunes were not far, maybe 15 minutes from Arcachon and we made our way quickly from the parking lot to the walk way to the stairs that scale the 350 feet to the top of the dunes.  We were shocked at how big these dunes were and how stable they seemed.  People were hang gliding and what looked like parasailing from the tops of the dunes out over the Atlantic.  It was a wonderful and refreshing change from the wine and dine that most of Bordeaux had been about for us.  Looking west from the tops of the dunes it was odd to see the Atlantic from this side and know that directly across that expanse was New York and home for us.

 

That was all we had planned for the day’s activities.  That evening we had a reservation at one of the best restaurants not only in the region but in all of France.  We made our way back to Bordeaux to relax in our hotel room at the Regent for a little while before we headed east over the Gironde to dinner on the right bank in Saint-Emilion at Hostellerie de Plaisance.

In a word, our dinner that evening at Hostellerie de Plaisance was ‘unforgettable’.  From the moment we arrived, you could sense the magic of this ancient village.  You could see and feel the history all around you in the architecture, the surrounding hills, the narrow and winding cobblestone walkways and roads that circle the ancient Romanesque village.

Hostellerie de Plaisance, Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux

We were greeted at the front of the restaurant next to the patio and asked if we would like to have our amuse-bouche outside on the patio or inside.  It was a gorgeous evening so why not!?  The sun was still up so there was plenty of light highlighting the views north, east and south east from the village center where the restaurant was located.  We started with some bubbly and were brought two cool and crisp glasses of Champagne.  

What came next was an immensely good sign of things to come.  We were brought a tree like instrument that had glass blown bowls hanging from it like ornaments.  Inside of each of these glass blown ornaments was a tasty bite combining traditional and exotic ingredients that woke up our palates with a delectable punch of flavor and creativity.  Oyster and pineapple in one, foie gras mouse and caviar in another, and the last one I recall something with those wonderful truffles and caviar!  We toasted to a start our wonderful evening and savored our first bites.  I perused the wine list that was chock full of Saint-Emilion wines I had never heard of.  We found a wonderful wine from a small Chateau that made old school claret.  I had never heard of them and have only seen the wine for sale once since we have been back here in the USA.  We wanted an older vintage with some age so that it would be more elegant and not overpower the meal so we chose a 1998.  1998 was a stellar year on the right bank and the wine had great tannic structure, yet had wonderful finesse and elegance. 

Once the tables started to be seated we were whisked inside to our table and the team at Hostellerie de Plaisance got to work.  Philippe Etchebest has assembled a solid team of men and women to ensure the diner has one of the most memorable culinary experiences one can imagine.  We selected the tasting menu and were wished “good luck” by the towering maitre’d’. 

We had a palate cleanser and then another amuse-bouche, before we got to the first dish on the tasting menu.  This happened repeatedly until we were stuffed and made our way to the end of the tasting menu.  I am butchering the descriptions here but some of the ingredients in each course were caviar and prawns; lobster and coconut; monkfish and a vegetable reduction broth; and lamb spit with a selection of licorice and balsamic and grapefruit reduction.  Next up was the cheese cart, before the 2 main deserts.  We were allowed to choose 3 cheeses, each a healthy serving.  Alongside the cheese were toasts, dried fruits, and some jams/jellies.   

Just when you thought it was over, we were surprised with more excellent food in the form of desert.  There were additional small bites, candies, cookies, chocolates, and things like lollipops that were offered from a candy cart stocked with all had made sweet treats.  There were offerings of tea made from leaves cut table-side from a selection of tea trees and bushes on the tea cart.  Freshly pressed coffee or espresso was my choice but if you love tea this was a really special treat. 

When all was eaten and we could barely move ourselves from our seats, we called it quits and ended what was one of the most memorable meals we had ever shared.  When we talk about our top 5 meals, this one is always in the top 5 and more often than not is our #1 choice.  I can’t recommend Hostellerie de Plaisance more for a meal you will never forget.

Now that was what I call a day in Aquitaine!

Cheers,

Tom

Wine Spectator's
Critic's Choice Grand Tasting 2011

"30th Anniversary"

Marriott Marquis, Times Square, New York

October 21, 2011

When the New York Wine Experience arrives each fall season, I try to go to the Grand Tasting event as it brings together some of the best names in wine from all over the world.  The price of the ticket is steep, but for the high quality of wine you have access to taste the experience is bar none for a consumer.  Trade shows happen all the time for the pros where they can taste many wines, but nothing like this at one event.

Under one roof one can taste all of the Bordeaux First Growths, the major Super Tuscans, the best Sauternes, many a cult level Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, many of the top Rioja from Spain, Barolo and Barbaresco from Italy, Chianti from Tuscany, some of the best Pinot Noir from all over the world, Riesling from Germany, as well as many, many other stellar wines from Argentina, Chile, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.  In the 2.5 hours one person cannot get to all of the wines so a "careful study the day prior to map out a strategy is necessary.  A little discipline is needed to not 'go back to the well" too many times - I was guilty of this at Chateau Latour's 2003 second wine Les Forts de Latour this time around and Paul Hobbs' 2004 Dr. Crane Cabernet.  You may even want to practice spitting a few days before, maybe at home in a big sink or in the shower.  If you don't spit you won’t make it past 20 wines and still be able to know what you are tasting.  If the person pouring the wine is generous don't feel like you have to drink it all, have a good taste or 2 and dump it in the spit bucket - it is there for just that purpose.  All professionals spit at trade tastings, in fact when you visit many places in France the Domaine or Chateau expect you to spit the sample you are poured. 

            

I made it through quite a few wines with a break or two to catch my palate and my breath.  The tables are spread out over 2 floors in the Marriott Marquis ballroom in the middle of Time Square in New York.  I was able to crack 60+ wines, much lower than what I have done in the past but I wanted to talk to some of the people this time around, mostly my favorites like Jen and Paul at Paul Hobbs, the team at Latour, Vieux Chateau Certan and and new discoveries like Evening land Vineyards and Masi.  If I could attend the two nights and the all of the weekend events it would be a dream, but two nights of the grand tasting would be quite exceptional as well.  In all honesty I think the tasting should be longer, which would allow people to get the chance to talk to the person pouring the wine more and of course taste through more wines.  Usually the person pouring is the owner of the Chateau or winery you are actually drinking.  Sometimes it’s not but either way they know the wines well and can talk to you about how your favorite producer is or more about a new discovery.

My top ten wines from the Grand Tasting are as follows:

1)   Masseto 2001 (from Tenuta dell'Ornellaia)
      Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy

2)   Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2006
       Pauillac, Bordeaux, France 

3)   Paul Hobbs 2008 Dr. Crane Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon
       St. Helena, Napa Valley 

4)   Chateau Latour, 2003 Les Forts De Latour
       Pauillac, Bordeaux, France

5)   Chateau Climens 2007 Sauternes
       Barsac, Bordeaux, France

6)   Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 2008
       St. Julien, Bordeaux, France

7)   Chateau Montrose 2004
       St. Estephe, Bordeaux, France

8)   Chateau Cheval Blanc 2005
       St. Emilion, Bordeaux, France

9)   Ornellaia 2001, (from Tenuta dell'Ornellaia)
       Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy

10) Evening Land Vineyards 2009 Chardonnay
       Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon

           Here is a view into why these wines were my top ten and how they made an impression on me to think so.  Its deep in Bordeaux, but that was what I had aimed to taste.  I am sure Vega Sicilia, Gaja, Saxum, and Salon could have made the list but there was only so much time.  I have had those wines at previous tastings or at home recently so I saw it fit to try more wines that I have not had recently.

            The 2001 Masseto was an eye opener.  I knew this was a top wine when I approached the table to taste the wine, but had no clue as to the fact is was 100% Merlot, rated 100 points, and retails for north of $1,000.  I found out these details the next morning.  A fellow taster mentioned $400-600 and I was blown away then!  Does this make it great, no, certainly not, but it was a fantastic wine showing depth, purity and length in perfect proportion and detail.  I do not have enough experience with Super Tuscan wines to rate it properly but I would say it easily is 96+.  My friends this is no ordinary Super Tuscan.  My first impression from the aromas was that it was more like a mature Bordeaux than a wine from Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast.  

           The 2006 Chateau Mouton Rothschild defines Pauillac.  A deep sense of terroir shines through in layers as this wine mesmerizes the senses.  A heady, and typical Mouton aroma leads the taster into a deep palate of black currants, licorice, and cassis that floats the taster back to the nose and then back to another sip.  In time this will be a superb example of Mouton.  One may not have tasted but more sensed the greatness of this wine on this night.  It was my favorite of the Bordeaux on the night, just eclipsing the Les Forts De Latour.  The Mouton is still a baby, it is young, tight and aggressive and needs many, many more years to show its proper potential.   2006 was not so bad a vintage, the problem is that it came right after the exceptional 2005 vintage.  I tended to buy in 2006, but in limited quantities on futures.  I tend to look back now and buy 2006 in bottle and am pretty pleased with what I have had so far.

           The Paul Hobbs 2008 Dr. Crane Cabernet Sauvignon was a luxuriously deep and complex wine.  I had to go through it 3 times, but it really needs more time to open up properly.  Waves of black and red fruits, dark chocolate, and licorice wafted from the wine and converged on the palate.  Sweet and ripe tannins framed the finish that sailed on forever echoing the currants and cassis.  A deep garnet color with vibrant red edges from the wine’s youth tells me this baby is ready for the long haul.  I have had a few 2001 of late, the Hyde Cabernet in particular and the wine was in perfect shape.  Paul has a magic touch with many grapes, but Cabernet is where he has the Midas touch.   

          I have to say I was a little disappointed that Chateau Latour was not being poured.  Only their second wine was being poured instead.  However, I am happy to write that the 2003 Les Forts De Latour was drinking superbly this evening.  Overall I do not love the 2003 vintage in Bordeaux.  It was hot, the vines were over stressed and many Chateau did not have the proper terroir or experience to know how to get through such a hot year.  The Les Forts De Latour is ripe but well balanced as the ripe tannins are big and pair well with the ripe fruit and good levels of acidity. All three of those lead to a long finish of fruit, tannin and freshness.  This was the second best Bordeaux of the night for me in that it was complete, and fully expressive.  Even at this young an age, it was utterly delicious, sumptuous even.  It had length, a wonderfully captivating aroma and a beautiful robe of deep red and garnet flecked colors.  It was as if Frederic Engerer knew that this would be a good choice for this occasion.  Whatever the logic, it was a pretty good one, albeit Chateau Latour would have been nicer.

          The 2007 Chateau Climens was the best sticky on the night, even better than the venerable 2008 Chateau d'Yquem which leaned more to the exotic side as my second favorite Sauternes wine of the night.  Pure aromatics of citrus, petrol, minerality, honey and stone fruit rose from the glass and coated the palate in a rich, yet lively feel, racy even for the Climens.    

           I have yet to receive my shipment of 2008 Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou futures, but this top wine of the night brought me great satisfaction in the depth and complexity found in this wine.  A nose of currants, spicy plum, cedar, and toasted coffee bean lead through to the palate which was full bodied, yet silky with plenty of fruit and depth through the palate expression.  Terroir rings with minerality that leads to a long finish of fruit, fine but sturdy tannins and a wealth if fresh acidity.  

           The 2004 Chateau Montrose blew me away.  I am rarely impressed by any 2004 Bordeaux, but this wine was in great form this evening.  Showing true to form with roasted and toasty notes of coffee, currants, blackberry, an earthy fall leaves note, as well as some saddle leather aromas.  The palate was round, delivering from the attack on down to the finish which delivered a stoic and tannic finish typical of young St. Estephe wines.   The beauty here was the fruit and other notes that accompanied that structure.  This wine should age nicely over the next 20 years.  At about $60 it will probably also be the last time you see a Montrose for anything close to that price as the new vintages are running close to $200 or more.

           2005 Chateau Cheval Blanc is a legend in the making.  The 2005 Cheval is way too young to drink and enjoy at its finest, but is quite a generous offering from the Lurton clan that runs thus legendary property.  This was a nice peak at how a young wine of such pedigree is in its youth, way before I would ever open to see just how it tastes at this stage.  Super tight in nose and flavor the 2005 Cheval had firm but ripe tannins, silky, even lush fruit peaks through that wall of youthful structure.  This will be an amazing wine in 10 years, but even better in probably 20-25.  

           2001 Ornellaia was rich, yet refined, structured yet seductively inviting.  The wine was at once ripe, deep, and dark and at the same time structured, noble and classy in that it could strut well in its youth but also show the structure and concentration to know this will age gracefully.  A super Tuscan of the higher order, this is the cousin to the Masseto that was my number one wine of the night.  Lisa and I had a bottle of this in Florence on our first night with a traditional bistecca alla Fiorentina, I believe it was a 1997 and was exquisite.  

           Evening Land Vineyards was pouring 2 wines, a Pinot Noir and a Chardonnay.  ELV is a unique producer of Burgundy wines from a few places in the world:  Burgundy, Oregon and California.  Mark Tarlov is the owner and was pouring his wines that night.  We talked about the difference they are trying to make in the style of wine they are crafting in California and Oregon.  Mark and his winemaking team have chosen cooler sites such as the Sonoma Coast and the Willamette Valley to showcase the subtlety  that Pinot Noir and Chardonnay can have outside of Burgundy and at the same time maintain acidity and balance.  Both wines were new world in flavor, but had exceptional freshness on the finish because of the acidity maintained in the wines.  Red fruits instead of black came from the pinot and citrus, pear, and a slate like minerality rose from the Chardonnay.  I had actually walked down about four table and the acidity in the Chardonnay came into full force.  I had to walk back and tell Mark exactly that and that his wines were superb.

           Many, many other wines were exceptional.  In fact they call it the Critic’s Choice as each wine was rated at least 90 points out of the 100 point scale that Wine Spectator uses to rate the wines they taste.  If you ever wanted to try some of the best wines in the world in one place this is it.

Cheers! 

Tom