Type & Time Bordeaux Liquid Geography

host
Ajay and Anna Chawla
at
Wilder’s, Birmingham, Michigan
Saturday, March 8th, 2025 – 7pm

In any wine region, a system of regulations limits what a winemaker can do. At first glance, this may seem repressive, but in fact, centuries of experimentation have generally precede it. Most wine commissions operate on the principle that past trials were performed to eliminate modern errors. So now, bound by a matrix of allowable grape varieties, crop yields and production methods, vignerons are charged with performing to a set of quality standards and their wines are expected to showcase the style proven most advantageous to the appellation.

Of course, there are plenty of iconoclasts who choose to think outside this grape crate, and we can celebrate them with cautious optimism, and always with a honed palate to gauge quality.

That quality is often determined by vintage and many wines that are heavy and clumsy at release mellow with proper storage methods. This journey of evolution is one of the most intriguing aspect of the art of vinification.

“Art is the understanding of beauty through the senses, and in order to understand the dream of a Vinci, or the inner life of a Bach, one must be capable of adoring the scented and fugitive soul of a passionate wine.”

Marcel Rouff
La Vie et la Passion de Dodin-Bouffant (1924)

With Appetizers

Detailing Champagne
Part & Parcel

The devil may be in the details, but so is the deity. Champagne has always celebrated its hierarchy, its Premier and Grand Cru villages, but the contemporary focus is on an even more concise exploration of terroirs. In an approach that takes cues from Burgundy, parcels—what the Burgundians call ‘climats’—are appearing on more and more on labels intent on moving beyond House styles, which have traditionally relied on uniformity rather than specificity. These wines are marching steadily toward a more reflective and immediate sense of the land on which its grapes are grown.

Champagne Lacourte Godbillon ‘C.H.V.’
2016 Petite Montagne-de-Reims Premier Cru Écueil Blanc de Blancs Extra-Brut en magnum

Champagne ‘en magnum’ is the ideal method of moderating the aging process; the bottles are larger but the necks are not, and this leads to slower oxidation and a more harmonious maturation. 2016 was a difficult year for Champagne’s Chardonnay vines, except those grown on lower and warmer slopes like Écueil. This Blanc de Blanc shows nicely integrated notes of warm brioche behind creamy apple and crisp citrus.

Course I

White Bordeaux
Raising the White Flag

Although white Bordeaux is hardly an unknown commodity, it is remarkable that so much of it flies under the radar. With high marks for quality, complexity and age-ability—on par with many white Burgundies—the style remains one of the best values among world’s truly outstanding white wines. Like the reds, Bordeaux whites are a blend of specific varieties ideally suited to the climate: Sémillon, the most planted white grape in Bordeaux, offers a rich and honeyed texture; Sauvignon Blanc is often second fiddle, bringing grass, citrus and gooseberry to the party. As a third wheel, Muscadelle may often lend floral aromas.

A handful of Bordeaux Blanc producers also make Sauternes and Barsac, some of the region’s most classified; morning fog and mist couple with afternoon heat causes the growth of plant fungus called botrytis which concentrates the juice, forming the basis for the legendary dessert wines

Château Lynch Bages  ‘Blanc de Lynch-Bages’ 2022 Bordeaux Blanc

Château Cheval Blanc ‘Le Petit Cheval’ 2020 Bordeaux Blanc

Both 2020 and 2022 were hot but spectacular vintages. 2022’s heat waves came in four short bursts and the nights remained cool; 2020 was the final part of a Bordeaux triumvirate, and stylistically, the wines bear semblances to the decadence of 2018 and 2019.

2022 Blanc de Lynch-Bages is 67% Sauvignon Blanc, 22% Sémillon and 11% Muscadelle and shows sliced lemon, grapefruit and mineral behind crisp acidity. Petite Cheval Blanc, the estate’s second wine, is 82% Sauvignon Blanc and 18% Sémillon, expressing bergamot, citrus and touches of pear.

Course II & Course III

Red Bordeaux
The Art of Blending Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

The Bordeaux blend—Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (with a handful of crony grapes) has become an international template. There are as many proportional blends as there are seasons and winemakers, but the Big Two are generally revered as soulmates. And for good reason: Merlot is supple and opulent, often expressing dark cherry, plum, and grilled notes, while Cabernet Sauvignon is full-bodied and tannic, providing blackcurrant, licorice, and mint. Together the complexities are emblematic of synergy—a total greater than the sum of its parts.

Château Angélus 2014 Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A, Bordeaux

Château Angélus 2000 Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A, Bordeaux

Storied Château Angélus is an estate with celestial aspirations; it is said to be the only winery where the voices of angels—l’angélus—can be heard. It comprises a 67 acre vineyard planted on clay-rich slopes with 50% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon.

2014 Bordeaux reds were, quite rightly, hailed as the best since 2010 and ten years on, they have really begun to spread their wings. The 2014 Angélus is, like the vineyards, half Merlot and half Cab Franc; it shows fine tannins, spice from a touch of wood and swathes of rich fruit.

The 2000s, of course, come from a legendary vintage, and having crested a quarter century, still showcases Saint-Émilion earthiness anchored by tobacco and pencil and framed by restrained cassis and black currant.

Château Ducru Beaucaillou 2019 Saint-Julien, Bordeaux

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou 2000 Saint-Julien, Bordeaux

Ducru-Beaucaillou’s vineyards consist of 125 well-drained acres planted to 70% Cabernet and 30% Merlot. It’s deep Günzian gravel that earns the terroir both angst and praise from farmers, but Ducru-Beaucaillou’s reputation for excellence has held strong for three centuries.

The 2019 vintage in Saint-Julien is considered excellent and one of the most consistent of the 21st century; Ducru-Beaucaillou’s offering is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, and shows explosion of floral fragrances backed by roasted and woody notes and gourmet touches of cocoa with fruit represented by rich currant, raspberries, and orange peel.

The 2000s were spectacular out of the gate and have only gotten better; they show deep, full-bodied and impeccably balanced core with sweet black fruit, a stunning soil signature and a long, focused and utterly seamless finish.

Course IV

Sauternes
Liquid Gold

You might argue the point, but not too strenuously: In the world of dessert wines, there is Château d’Yquem, and there is everybody else. This syrupy nectar from Sauternes—Bordeaux’s only appellation devoted exclusively to white wine—d’Yquem is recognized even there as first among unequals. Unlike the red wines of the Médoc, which received five degrees (from Premier Cru to Cinquième Cru) of quality, Sauternes wine is classified in two—Premiers Crus and Deuxièmes Crus. But d’Yquem receives the unique classification of Premier Cru Supérieur. No other winery in the Bordeaux wine area, whether red or sweet, has received the classification of Supérieur. Noble rot, or botrytis, is the fungus that foments all the fuss: This marvelous mildew consumes the grape’s liquid content, concentrating its sugars and tartaric acid, which helps produce wines with beguiling exotic aromas and thick viscosity.

Château d’Yquem

2010 Sauternes Premier Cru Supérieur, Bordeaux

The 2010 vintage was superb for d’Yquem. Heat and drought are not conducive to noble rot, but October rains saved the day, and the grapes were picked during a misty, humid Indian summer. The wine is maturing beautifully, showing notes of creamy lemon curd, green mango, wafts of honeysuckle, spice cake, sea spray and beeswax, plus a hint of gingerbread.

Notebook …

What Makes A Wine Great? 

Superlative winemaking involves a formula that’s part science and part soul. It’s not a stretch to liken the process to a recipe, and so a comparison of a great wine and the steps required to produce a perfectly prepared, top-end Wagyu ribeye steak may be apropos. Like wine, an exceptional piece of beef must trace its origins to the earth itself: Wagyu cattle are pampered from birth, fed a high-protein diet, often massaged and given beer to encourage marbling. Likewise, the vineyards that produce top quality wines enjoy both breeding and babying; adding to the natural elements is a cycle of biodynamics to mollycoddle microbic life, with the correct attention paid to moisture, food and pruning. While in the growth stage, all possible care is taken so that the vines do not fall prey to disease or mismanagement.

And the same holds true for the steer.

Once harvested, both products are handled with extra care, but in the cellar—as in the kitchen—the skill of the creator is paramount. A misstep along the way may result in a whole lot of wasted effort earlier in the game.

Of course, for both beef and bottle, the consumer is the ultimate benefactor and the decisive judge; the time the wine spends maturing toward an ‘ideal’ state is the time the steak spends over the flame. This is, of course, an optimal and somewhat measurable period depending on individual tastes, but a given consensus can certainly be formed and debated.

And this is precisely the key factor separating great wine (and great cuisine) from the also-rans, just as it is true that the broader the consensus, the pricier the product tends to become.

The esoterica we consider when we call a wine ‘great’ are nuance and identity. The former is formed purely through organoleptic sensations, the latter via reputation and history—how well the wine represents and reflects its place of origin. The status of ‘great’ must always be opinion, but at the same time, the more you know and the deeper you look, the more credible your opinion becomes.

Decanting and Aeration 

Once opened, wine immediately begins a dynamic process of oxidation, encouraged when you swirl the wine in your glass. (Have you ever had a host top off your glass and wonder if the refill came from the original bottle?) Aeration smooths harsh tannins while swirling dissipates the undesirable volatiles that may have developed inside the bottle as acid and alcohol intermix; the warmth from the room and your hands concentrates the aromatics. For most well-produced wines, a period of ‘acclamation’ is necessary for a freshly uncorked wine to reveal its full potential, and with older wines—those that have been cellared for a number of years—this is especially true. Decanting is aeration on a large scale, where the wine is poured into a second vessel, preferably one with a broad bottom to give the wine more surface exposure to oxygen. Since winery labels and bottle design are part of experience, it’s recommended that the wine be returned to its place of origin before serving.

These wines are best served at cellar temperature, 60 – 64 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Posted on 2014.03.07 in France