See below for what happened.........

Let’s Revisit Bordeaux

Let's revisit the largest appellation-controlled wine region of France and taste the excellent vintages of 2003, 2004, and 2005. 

We have assembled a group of wines that will let us taste and enjoy vintages from the Graves region, the right bank of the river at Blaye, St. Emilion (Montage), and the appellations of the Médoc, the Haut Médoc, Pauillac and Sauterne (Barsac).

Aperitif

2005 Château Sansey, Graves Blanc

Tasting

 2005 Château Gontier, 1ere Cotes de Blaye

2003 Château La Clare, Cru Bourgeois, Médoc

 2003 Château Senéjac, Cru Bourgeois Superieur, Haute Médoc

 2005 Château Beausejour, Montagne-Saint-Emilion

2004 Château Pédesclaux, Grand Cru Classé, 5th Growth, Pauillac

 Château de Myrat, Grand Cru Classé, 2nd Growth, Barsac

Cheese and breads will accompany the wines.  Please bring your own glasses.  Coffee and dessert will follow the tasting. 

Attendees recognize they will consume alcohol and assume responsibility for having done so.

Members  $29.00            Guests   $34.00

What Happened.........

This tasting was organized and presented by Bernd and Maryse Mueller and Frank and Jackie Carson. 

Bernd and Maryse are among our very friendly members, and Maryse is part owner of Château Pédesclaux in Bordeaux.  Along with Frank and Jackie, they selected a variety of Bordeaux wines that provided a tour of the region, and included their very good 2003 Château Pédesclaux. 

Frank introduced the tasting with an overview of the Bordeaux region, noting that it goes way back before 1300. He pointed out the constituents of the wines which are cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, petite verdot and malbec, the latter two used in smaller quantities. He told us that it has been confirmed by genetic studies that cabernet sauvignon is a cross between sauvignon blanc and cabernet franc.

Bernd introduced the various red wines, explaining the terroir of the respective areas, which have 9000 châteaux and 13,000 growers.  He told us of blending differences, wherein some wines may be primarily of cabernet sauvignon, and others may emphasize merlot and cabernet franc. The latter was particularly evident in the St. Emilion, with 80% merlot and 20% cabernet franc, in contrast to the Medoc and Haut Medoc, with 55% to 60% cabernet sauvignon and 25% to 40% merlot plus cabernet franc and some of the lesser used varietals.

Bernd participates in the harvesting and production of the wine at Château Pédesclaux and gave us insights into its making.  This vintage, made of 50% cabernet sauvignon, 45% merlot and 5% cabernet franc, is a fine example of the Pauillac wines.

Breads and very good cheeses from France were served with the wines. The cheeses were Compte le Montagnard, Brie Couronne, and Cantalet. With the Chateau Gontier wine, which had some prominent tannin at its young 2005 age, Bernd wisely suggested tasting it with the Brie to soften the tannins.

The last wine was a white dessert wine made of primarily semillon with some sauvignon blanc. Frank explained the process for making this wine which involves allowing the grapes to be affected by botryitis. This dries them and increases sugar content.  Jackie selected a special cheese, Bleu d’Auvergne, to accompany this wine.  The unexpected combination worked well.

The tasting was enthusiastically received by the attendees. We closed with coffee and profiteroles and madeleines made by Jackie.