September 2008 Wine Club Selections

Bring on the Bordeaux Of all the aisles in our store, the Bordeaux aisle may very well be the most intimidating for some of our guests. I can certainly see why, as the prices range all the way from the lowest end to the highest end of the spectrum and everywhere in between, and yet the bottles tell us so little about why we'd want to buy this Chateau over that Chateau with just a slightly different name. Which ones are Merlot-based, and which ones contain more Cabernet Sauvignon? Where does the Right Bank begin and the Left Bank end? And is there really so much difference from one vintage to the next? Relax. For September's selections, we've done the homework for you. All of the wines chosen this month, with the exception of two, are from the much-touted 2005 vintage: a year that benefitted from a growing season so forgiving that bad Bordeaux was almost difficult to make. And given the fortune of a good vintage, we were able to select from both the well-known and the lesser-known appellations of the Left and Right Banks to find you the very best Bordeaux has to offer right now. See? No need to over-think ... just enjoy!

2006 Chateau Larmevaille Entre deux Mers Grape variety: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscadelle Region: Entre-Deux-Mers, Bordeaux, France Food pairing: Raw oysters on the half-shell Technically, summer is supposed to end with the Autumnal equinox on September 22nd. With that, we're supposed to pull out the heavy blankets and get ready for a settling chill and falling leaves. But for me, summer is never really over until I get to sit outdoors at a café one last time and order a plate of chilled raw oysters and a glass of refreshing white Bordeaux. Sure, we had all summer to do it. But one last time is warranted before every restaurant begins serving "pumpkin" this and "root vegetable" that. Chateau Larmevaille's white Entre-deux-Mers, a crisp, unoaked blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle, is the perfect wine to grab on your way out to a local French BYO in these precious last few days of summer. Have an extra half-dozen on the half-shell for me. I may not get out there as many times as I hope. 2005 Chateau L'Escadre Premieres Cotes de Blaye Grape variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc Region: Premieres Cotes de Blaye, Bordeaux, France Food pairing: Balsamic-marinated beef kebabs The great thing about a stellar vintage is that even the lesser-known appellations get a chance to shine, because it's during these years that the producers in these areas tend to make wine of a quality that's well above the norm. Take, for instance, the 2005 vintage in the Premieres Cotes de Blaye of Bordeaux. During most years, wines from this satellite appellation are overlooked, as they don't carry the same "prestige" as a wine from Saint-Emilion, Pomerol or Fronsac. But this year, we took notice; the wines from this region were riper, friendlier, and all-around lovelier than usual. And Chateau L'Escadre was one of the frontrunners in the 2005 "Bang for your buck" Bordeaux category. A blend of mostly soft, easy-drinking Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Franc added to round out the spice and structure, this is a terrific early-drinking Bordeaux. Fire up the grill one more time this summer and throw on some balsamic-marinated beef kebabs to go with this bottle.

2005 Chateau de Callac Prestige Blanc Grape variety: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon Region: Graves, Bordeaux, France Food pairing: Brie and toast points In the spirit of full disclosure, I'll tell you that this chateau has not been owned by the same family for two-hundred years, as many in Bordeaux often boast. Philippe Riviere has been the proud owner of this property for only twenty years; a relative Bordeaux newbie. But that hasn't stopped him from making the most of his fifteen hectares in the Graves Appellation. His vineyards, stretching over the clay and limestone-rich Bel Air plateau (one of the highest in the Graves region), share similar terroir to many of the famous first-growths of the Pessac-Leognan area. His top bottling of white wine, the Cuvee Prestige, is a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon that's stored in barrels, in contact with the lees for seven to eight months. This method imparts a more complex, yeasty quality to the light white wine, balancing the biting acidity and stony minerality with soft, bread-like flavors. An ideal accompaniment to a nice, runny brie on toast points, or white fish with capers. 2003 Chateau Croix de Bonnin Grape variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc Region: Lussac Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux, France Food pairing: Grilled chicken breast stuffed with Gouda Just about any Bordeaux producer worth their salt made good wine in 2005, but 2003 wasn't such a forgiving vintage. It was a notoriously hot summer, one in which burned grapes afflicted many, and as such was a test of good vineyard management and winemaking skills. Those who were on their game made great wine in the 2003 vintage, and the rest, well, aren't talking so much about that year. The team at Chateau Croix de Bonnin, thankfully, was on their game. With dark, red fruit, rich tannins, and hints of tobacco, it's a classic example of what wine from Saint-Emilion's "satellite" village of Lussac Saint-Emilion should be: rich and solid like a Saint-Emilion, but with just a bit of a rustic edge. In 2003, that rustic edge was softened and ripened by this sunny season that, for Croix de Bonnin, turned out more of a blessing than a curse.

2005 Chateau La Vieille Cure Fronsac Grape Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon Region: Fronsac, Bordeaux, France Food pairing: Barbecued beef ribs Chateau La Vielle Cure is easily one of the favorite chateaus of Fronsac, so it wasn't surprising that the stellar 2005 vintage brought good things for this lauded winery. Though the wine is Merlot-dominated, it wants for nothing when it comes to bold flavors and sound structure. The Wine Advocate called this vintage "even better than their terrific 2003 and 2000." With "a gorgeously sweet perfume of charcoal, black cherries, black currants and spring flowers," plus a "superb concentration, full-bodied power, wonderful symmetry, purity and texture and a multidimensional mouthfeel,' it almost seems that Parker was running out of synonyms for great when writing up this 93-point review...Did he mention he liked the stuff? Yeah. We did too. And we're pretty certain that you will as well. 2005 Chateau Richelieu La Favorite Grape variety: Merlot (69%), Cabernet Franc (31%) Region: Fronsac, Bordeaux, France Food pairing: Blackberry-glazed roast pork loin In 2003, inspired by extraordinary weather and harvest conditions (a hot year in which good wineries thrived and the rest fretted), Chateau Richelieu created a special cuvee called La Favorite, in commemoration of a legendary mistress of Richelieu who once lived at the Chateau. The grapes were selected from a plot on the region's highest hill, the famed Tertre de Fronsac, and the reception to the new cuvee was very positive. Two years later, in 2005, the grapes were good enough to warrant another bottling of the special cuvee. Parker called it a "sleeper of the vintage," noting superb intensity and sweet, supple tannings, while Stephen Tanzer found lingering blackberry, blueberry and tar. A beautiful and pure wine, it should drink well for a decade. 90 Points - Robert Parker.

2005 Chateau Langoa Barton Saint Julien Grape variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc Region: Saint Julien, Bordeaux, France Food pairing: Dry-aged porterhouse If the Clos des Jacobins is an example of a wine that is just too good NOT to drink right now, then the Langoa Barton may be our exercise in patience. Yes, the wine in this bottle is tremendously promising. But as the saying goes, good things come to those who wait, and waiting may indeed serve you well when it comes to this, and many, good 2005 Bordeaux's. Parker's summation of this point in his last three reviews bordered on comical. April 2006: "A behemouth possessing huge tannin, density and extract, as well as mouth-searing levels of firepower, this inky/purple St. Julien is a classic vin de garde".Potential purchasers over the age of 50 may want to reconsider" Again, he tasted it this April and confirmed, "This primordial-styled, incredibly tannic St. Julien reveals...aromas of roasted meats, tapenade, cassis, melted licorice, and chocolate. Following a promising aromatic display, the wine shuts down in the mouth...it will not be ready to drink for at least 15 years." Though we wouldn't go quite so far as to say you need to wait another decade and a half to even think about enjoying this wine, we do agree with Mr. Parker in that the more time this wine is given, the better your reward. Think of it as a savings account. An inky-purple, deliciously liquid little French savings account. Cash it in when you must. But Grandma warned you about spending it all too early, now didn't she? 2005 Chateau Clos des Jacobins Grape variety: Merlot (75%), Cabernet Franc (23%), Cabernet Sauvignon Region: St. Emilion, Bordeaux, France Food pairing: Duck Confit There's certainly something to be said for paying little attention to the reviewers, and for developing our own opinions of each wine. I always encourage following your own tastes rather than the scores. That said, the Parker reviews for this month's Premiere Selections were just too fun not to share with you. We begin with the 2005 Chateau Clos des Jacobins. Without any reviews, we know it's a phenomenal year, and a beautifully made wine full of dark brooding fruits and bitter chocolate and espresso notes, drinking well even in its early years. But on to the Parker reviews. April of 2006: Parker tastes the 2005 Clos des Jacobins for the first time. He's moderately impressed. "This is the finest Clos des Jacobins since the 1982, and unquestionably marks the resurrection of this long-moribund estate." Ok, not bad. Off the condemned list; I'm sure they were happy about that. One year later, in April 2007, Parker revisits the wine. "Proprietor Bernard Decoster has fashioned the finest Clos des Jacobins since the early 1980s...opulent, fleshy and rich...it is one of the few 2005s that will be drinkable at an early age." Great. But the true complement comes on taste three, April 2008. "This may be the finest wine I have ever tasted from Clos des Jacobins. (The proprietor and winemaker) have fashioned a magical blend of 75% Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon... opulent, flamboyant... fleshy... heady, opulent (again), atypically showy.... precocious... even ostentatious in style" Suffice it to say, he's happy with it. Drink now or cellar for 10-12 years.