At the April 2018 event of the American Wine Society (Northern Virginia Chapter), Annette Schiller, ombiasy PR & WineTours, provided an introduction to Bordeaux.
The focus was on good value Bordeaux wines. The American Wine Society charged US$25 for this event, including wine and food. As a result, the focus was not on the ultra-premium wines of world class Bordeaux producers that are known all over the world. The wines Annette poured were mostly in the US$20 to US40 range.
Annette led a similar tasting about a year ago at the John Marshall Chapter of the American Wine Society. See: Best Value of Bordeaux Tasting with Annette Schiller at the American Wine Society, USA/ France
Almost all of the wines Annette presented were from producers we know personnally and have visited on a Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours. Annette Schiller organizes wine tours to Germany, Burgundy, the Rhône Valley and Bordeaux.
See:
Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017
Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
Invitation
BORDEAUX - the name is synonymous with the wines of legend: the 1crus such as Lafite-Rothschild, Mouton-Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, Haut-Brion, Petrus, Cheval Blanc, Yquem, which costa thousand $ or more a bottle. Howeve there is an ocean of wines from lesser known Châteaux and the second and third wines of famous Châteaux, that do not at all break the bank and are of stellar quality. Annette Schiller, who leads tours to the Bordeaux wine region, has 10 wines selected for this event from all important Bordeaux appellations: Médoc, Saint-Emilion, Graves, Sauterne, and she will show us that there are a lot of excellent, very affordable Bordeaux wines on the American market.
See you there.
Angela Grant
American Wine Society (Northern Virginia Chapter)
Best Value Wines
All wines were "best value" wines, for a variety of reasons:
First, 3 wines were petit château wines (Château Haut-Sorillon, Château Beauséjour and Château Les Arromans) - wines made by the 7.500 or so no-name Bordeaux producers that are not in the limelight but make excellent wines at reasonable prices.
Second, there was 1 Cru Bourgeois wine (Clos du Moulin). Generally, Cru Bourgeois wines are "good value" wines..
Third, 2 wines were the second wines of world-renowned, classified producers: La Parde de Haut Bailly is the second wine of Château Haut Bailly. Les Griffons de Pichon Baron is one of the 3 wines of Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron, Appellation Pauillac, 2ième Grand Cru Classé.
Fourth, 2 wines were the little brother of a world-renowned, classified Bordeaux producer (Château Daugay/ Château Angélus and Clos des Lunes/ Domaine de Chevalier ).
Fifth, we had 2 grands vins of classified producers (Château Lafon-Rochet and Château Doisy-Védrines). Château Lafon-Rochet is a 4th Grand Cru en 1855 in the Saint-Estèphe appellation of the Medoc. Château Doisy-Védrines, the largest of the Doisy estates and a 2éme Cru Classé Barsac property.
The prices below are including taxes and freight.
Rouge
2016 Château Haut-Sorillon, Bordeaux Superieur
Trader Joe`s (US$9.53)
Château Haut-Sorillon is not one of the 300 or so winemakers in Bordeaux that produce a premium Bordeaux which sells en primeur for 50 to 500 Euros per bottle. No, Château Haut-Sorillon is one of the other 7.500 producers or so that are not in the limelight and that make so called petit château Bordeaux wines. These producers have to struggle against the competition of wines from all over the world, including the New World. In my view, many of these petit château Bordeaux producers, such as Château Haut-Sorillon, offer very good value for the price.
2014 Château Beauséjour, Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion
www.moraswines.com (US$25.90)
Château Beauséjour is another petit château Bordeaux producers, located in one of the Saint-Emilion satelite regions, Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion. We always visit Château Beauséjouron the ombiasy tour and have lunch there. For centuries Château Beauséjour (and Château Langais) have been in the possession of the Dupuy family. Since 1947 Gérard’s father Alain has been convinced that the best wines stem from vineyards and cellars that are managed acroecologically, in harmony with the ecosystem. Since 1996 the château is certified organic by “Ecocert”.
Recently, Château Beauséjour wines have become available in the US.
2012 Château Daugay, Grand Cru, Saint-Émilion
MacArthur Beverages, DC (US$27.48)
Château Daugay is linked through ownership to Château Angélus. In fact, there was a period where the vineyards of Château Daugay were part of Château Angélus. Château Daugay is owned by the Grenié-de Boüard family that co-owns Château Angélus. Château Angélus is one of the only four (Angelus, Ausonne, Cheval Blanc, Pavie) wine producing estates classified as premier grand cru classé A in the Saint-Emilion appellation.
Jacques and Christian de Boüard de Laforest ran Château Angelus until 1985, when Hubert de Boüard de Laforest took over. He was joined in 1987 by Jean-Bernard Grenié, then by Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal in 2012. Looking ahead, Angélus is henceforward helmed by Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal, soon to be joined by her cousin Thierry Grenié-de Boüard. Both represent the eighth generation of the Boüard de Laforest family.
2010 Château Clos du Moulin, Cru Bourgeois, Médoc
Sherry Lehman, NYC (US$19.95)
Château Clos du Moulin is located in Bégadan, way up in the North of the Médoc. It is owned and operated by Stefan Paeffgen, a career changer who holds a Doctorate in agricultural science. In another life he worked in the agriculture industry in his home country Germany and in Scandinavia. He always had a passion for the wines of the Médoc and at age 46, he was at a crossroad and made the decision to go back to practical agriculture. He searched for a winery and finally settled in Bégadan, north of St.-Estèphe. Today, his Vignobles Paeffgen comprise 4 châteaux: Château Le Reysse and Château Lassus as well as Château Clos du Moulin and Château Moulin de Lestagne.
When we visit him, we always stay for the evening and have a charcuterie and cheese dinner with Stefan and Heike Paeffgen.
The roots of Château Clos du Moulin can be traced back to the 19th century. The Boyer family, the former owner, used to live there. Château Clos du Moulin is also a Cru Bourgeois in the original classification of 1932. The Cru Bourgeois status was however lost in 2003. Stephan Paeffgen was successful in regaining it in 2011, after he had taken over.
11 hectares in St. Christoly and Couqueques. 45.000 – 56.000 bottles. 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot.
2012 La Parde de Haut Bailly, Pessac
www.mycanals.com (US$29.15)
La Parde de Haut Bailly is the second wine of Château Haut Bailly. Château Haut-Bailly is in the Pessac-Leognan appellation, classified as a Graves Cru Classé. The estate was established in the 16th century but got its name in the 17th century, when it was purchased by Firmin Le Bailly, a Parisian banker. It was bought and sold numerous times during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Today it is owned by the family of the late Robert G. Wilmers, an American banker who passed away in 2017.
2014 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron, Pauillac
www.grapesthewineco.com (US$40.32)
Les Griffons de Pichon Baron is one of the 3 wines of Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron, Appellation Pauillac, 2ième Grand Cru Classé.
2014 Château Lafon Rochet, Saint-Éstèphe
MacArthur Beverages, DC (US$42.31)
Château Lafon-Rochet is a 4th Grand Cru en 1855 in the Saint-Estèphe appellation of the Medoc. It is one of the 5 classified properties in the appellation of Saint Estèphe. Its grounds are separated from those of Château Lafite to the north by the width of the road and from Cos d'Estournel by a dirt path.
Blanc
2015 Château Les Arromans, Entre-Deux-Mers, Blanc
Rodman's, Washington DC (US$13.20)
Château Les Arromans is a petit château Bordeaux producer. Joel Duffau is owner and winemaker. The wines of Joel Duffau are widely available in the Washingtin DC area.
2015 Clos des Lunes, Lune Blanche, Blanc, Bordeaux
The Vineyard, McLean (US$18.00)
Clos des Lunes in the Sauternes Region was founded a little before 2012, its debut vintage, by Olivier Bernard, owner of Domaine de Chevalier, in Pessac Leognan. His son Hugo manages the estate on a day-to-day basis and the same winemaking team that makes Chevalier's rarefied bottles is responsible for Clos des Lunes' portfolio of three white wines (Lune d'Or, Lune d'Argent, Lune Blanche).
"With Lune d’Or, our ambitions are extremely high. Everything comes down to a meticulous selection that produces a very small quantity of just 20 barrels each year. This wine sits alongside the world’s greatest.
Lune d’Argent is the heart of Clos des Lunes’ production. We firmly believe in the future of this legendary terroir and its truly original style. With a touch of French oak, the Sémillon is dense and rich, the Sauvignon Blanc refined and precise. This cuvée of dry white wine promises to convey all the magic of Sauternes.
Lune Blanche provides ultimate refreshment. Soft and harmonious, it is not matured in oak and intended to be enjoyed in its youth. It offers vivacious, pure ripe fruit that will bring pleasure to all occasions."
This is Clos des Lunes "entry-level" cuvée. 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc. Olivier Bernard advises to "drink young, on the fruit," so Lune Blanche should be enjoyed at peak from now up to 2019.
There is also La Petite Lune, Blanc and Rouge. La Petite Lune is a collaborative effort of the Bernard and Stéphane Derenoncourt. The grapes are bought from selective producers. The wine is made at Domaine de Chaevalier by the Domaine de Chevalier team.
Noble Sweet
2013 Château Doisy-Védrines, 2éme Cru Class, Sauternes
Total Wine McLean (US$31.76)
Berry Bros. & Rudd: Château Doisy-Védrines,the largest of the Doisy estates and a 2éme Cru Classé Barsac property has been owned by the Castéja family since 1946. The family also own Batailley and Trotte Vieille.
Doisy-Védrines's 27 hectares of vineyards are situated on the highest plateau in Barsac and are planted with 80% Sémillon, 15% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Muscadelle. The grapes are picked in several "tries" and the yields are painfully low, even by Sauternes standards. Fermentation starts in temperature-controlled, stainless steel vats for around a week before the must is transferred to 100% new oak barriques. The wine remains in barrique for 18-20 months.
Doisy-Védrines is one of the richest and most full-bodied wines in Barsac and it significantly uses the Sauternes AC rather than the Barsac one. It needs at least 5 years of bottle ageing and the best vintages will keep for up to 25 years.
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