At the April tasting of the American Wine Society (John Marshall Chapter in Virginia), Annette Schiller, ombiasy PR & WineTours, provided an introduction to Bordeaux in the Barrel Room of Pearmund Vineyards, a leading Virginia wine producer.
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$10 to US25 range. Yet, Annette managed to pour many wines of famous Bordeaux producers.
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 and Bordeaux.
See:
Heads up for the 2017 Tours - to Germany and France - by ombiasy WineTours
Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
The John Marshall Chapter of the American Wine Society meets at Pearmund Cellars, a leading producer of Virginia wine, every 2nd Sunday of the month, 6:30pm.
See for recent tastings led by Annette Schiller: A Visit of the Vineyards of Alsace – Presented by Annette Schiller at the John Marshall Chapter of the American Wine Society, USA/ France
Invitation
Bordeaux – the name is synonymous with the wines of legend: Chateaux LafiteRothschild, Latour, Margaux, Mouton, Petrus – wines that cost thousands of dollars a bottle, that Robert Parker routinely gives 95 points and up.
You and I can’t afford to even smell the corks on these suckers, but come Sunday 9, we are going to learn what Bordeaux does hold for us straphangers. Because experts know that wines from lesser–known producers of Bordeaux can sometimes offer comparable quality for north of $30. Per bottle. Not per taste.
And Annette Schiller is an expert. She leads wine tours thru France and Germany – just got back from one – and hosts wine events here in DMV. She has 10 wines selected for this event, coming from the important Bordeaux appellations including Médoc, Saint-Emilion, and Graves.
HOWEVER – because wines from this region are more costly, she has had to spend a bit more, so the charge for this evening will have to be $25 per person. But this will be a special evening with some fascinating backstory and wines not to forget.
So if you’ve been thinking Premier Cru is a French street gang, here’s your opportunity to see what the posh people drink, for pretty much a pittance.
This event is expected to be a sellout, so we will start a waiting list after 34 reservations. Your confirmation will tell whether you made the cut.
PLEASE – email your RSVP quickly to the link below, tell us how many you will be so we can plan food and space. Then set your calendar for 2nd Sunday in April.
A bientot!
When:
Sunday, April 9
6:30 PM ~ social time
7:00 PM ~ meeting begins
Where:
Pearmund Cellars winery
6190 Georgetown Road
Broad Run, VA 20137
How much: $25 person – special charge this evening only
RSVP: Please email JMarshall_AWS@yahoo.com, tell us how many people attending
ALSO – consider bringing a wine for the social tasting. Perhaps a plonk you’re proud of, a great value you’ve found and want to share. Let us know in your RSVP.
ALSO ALSO – if you’d like to help out with the foods by bringing something in (you’ll be reimbursed), note that also, and our Queen of Cuisine will contact you.
Thanks and see you soon!
Best Value of Bordeaux Tasting
Best Value Wines
All wines were "best value" wines, for a variety of reasons:
First, two wines were petit château wines (Château Haut-Sorillon and Château Les Arromans) wines made by the 7.500 no-name Bordeaux producers that are not in the limelight but make excellent wines at reasonable prices.
Second, one wine was an entry-level wine (La Petite Lune) made by a world-renowned, classified producer (Domaine de Chevalier) with star wine consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt, with grapes bought from other producers.
Third, three wines were the second wines of world-renowned, classified producer: La Parde de Haut Bailly is the second wine of Château Haut Bailly; Les Pélérins de Lafon Rochet, Saint-Éstèphe, is the second wine of Château Lafon Rochet, Saint-Éstèphe; Baron de Brane is the second wine of Château Brane-Cantenac,a Deuxieme Grand Cru Classe en 1855 in Margaux.
Fourth, one wine was the little brother (Château Daugay) of a world-renowned, classified Bordeaux producer (Château Angélus).
Fifth, there one classified wine (Château Moulin), classified as a Cru Bourgeois only. Generally, Cru Bourgeois wines are "good value" wines.
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Sixth, one wine was from a non-classified producer (Château Chantegrive); but Château Chantegrive is a member of the prestigious Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGC).
One wine was the little sister (Château De Fargues, Sauternes) of a world-renowned, classified Bordeaux producer ( Château d'Yquem). The owners of .Château De Fargues, the Lur-Saluces family, also owned Yquem for more than two hundred years.
Rouge
2015 Château Haut-Sorillon, Bordeaux Superieur
Trader Joe`s (US$8.99)
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-S0rillon 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.
2015 La Petite Lune, Bordeaux
Chain Bridge Cellars, McLean (US$16.99)
La Petite Lune is the new entry-level wine of Domaine de Chevalier in the Pessac Leognan region. Domaine De Chevalier is classified as a Graves Cru Classé, both for its red and white wine. Stéphane Derenoncourt is consultant winemaker. The wine-searcher average price for the 2005 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge is $91.
La Petite Lune is a collaborative effort of the Bernard family that owns Domaine de Chevalier and Stéphane Derenoncourt. The grapes are bought from selective producers. The wine is made at Domaine de Chaevalier by the Domaine de Chevalier team.
2012 La Parde de Haut Bailly, Pessac
www.mycanals.com (US$25.99)
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 an American banker, Robert G. Wilmers.
2012 Château Daugay, Grand Cru, Saint-Émilion
MacArthur Beverages, DC (US$21.99)
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 Moulin, Cru Bourgeois, Médoc
www.fassselections.com (US$18.99)
This is the only classified wine of the evening, a Cru Bourgeois. See: What is a Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois? France
2010 Les Pélérins de Lafon Rochet, Saint-Éstèphe
MacArthur Beverages, DC (US$22.99)
Les Pélérins de Lafon Rochet, Saint-Éstèphe, is the second wine of Château Lafon Rochet, Saint-Éstèphe.
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.
2009 Baron de Brane, Margaux
MacArthur Beverages, DC (US$27.99)
Baron de Brane is the second wine of of Château Brane-Cantenac.
Château Brane-Cantenac is a Deuxieme Grand Cru Classe en 1855 in Margaux. In 1922, it was acquired by the Lurton family. In 1992, control passed to the current owner Henri Lurton.
Blanc
2015 Château Les Arromans, Entre-Deux-Mers, Blanc
Unwined, Alexandria, VA (US$11.99)
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.
2012 Château Chantegrive, Pessac-Léognan, Blanc
www.grapesthewineco.com (US$15.99)
This is the white wine of Château Chantegrive, a member of the prestigious Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGC).
Visit: Château de Chantegrive, Appellation Grave, with Owner Marie-Hélène Lévêque - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
2002 Château De Fargues, Sauternes (sweet)
MacArthur Beverages, DC (US$74.99)
Château de Fargues produces a noble-sweet Sauternes wine that was not classified in 1855 for the simple reason that the property did not make any wine at the time. After more than 500 years, the owner is still the Lur-Saluces family, which also owned Yquem for more than two hundred years. Not surprisingly, the two wines are quite close in style, if only for the reason that both wines receive identical care and attention to detail in the vineyard and in the cellar.
After Tasting - Special Wines
Three of us brough very special wines to the event, which we tried at the end of the tasting.
1996 Château Lynch Bages Pauillac
1996 Château Pichon Longueville-Baron, Pauillac
Good Night
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