Doktor Weingolb

No substituting a Gamay for a Malbec in today's post -- although I will say I'm going to pretty much offer a bonafide endorsement as this bottle was darned close to making it into my fave top five last year.

I thought I was the owner of all remaining bottles in Montreal back in November. And I think I was until the SAQ went and restocked the warehouse with more. Now there's enough for everyone who reads this website. Which is a good thing. Plus, not only is it back on shelves, it's still appearing as the great 2001 vintage (click on the label image for vendor product info). And because it's a typical Bordeaux blend, this wine is just starting to show off its stuff.

HATING BORDEAUX

But you know, I guess I put all these things it had going for it aside. Because in the end -- after all the bottle hunting, schlepping them home and the copious note-taking -- I didn't think this was among my personal favourite wines. I'm down to two bottles of it and I'm not even planning on getting more of the new stock that's been released. Why? Maybe Eric Asimov's current discussion at The Pour on why people increasingly "hate" Bordeaux (or Cabernet-based wines that approximate Bordeaux) has something to do with it.

(For the record, to "hate" Bordeaux is to value taste over judgment, which, for so many reasons, is fine in wine criticism as long as you know you're doing it... Lyle Fass seems to be aware of this and I think Eric Asimov is too.)

Without further ado, here's what to hate:

This is a classically styled wine blending the big Bordeaux grapes -- 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc -- so no dangerous change-up from blackened Cahors to light-bodied Beaujolais on tap here.

It's actually classic Bordeaux grapes in the form of a vin de pays or French country wine. The vdp region is Comté Tolosan, which lays outside the doorstep of the Gironde, nestled in the Pyrenees that approach the Midi of the South of France. The location means it can only ask for a fraction of what you'd expect to pay: $18.75, or a total of exactly $225 for a case.

So this, folks, is where your bargain wine is at.

Domaine de Ribonnet Clément Ader Vin de pays du Comté Tolosan 2001 (Note: Clément Ader is not a winemaker, but rather a French aviator to whom this cuvée is dedicated.)

Eyes: Deep purple with dulled edges.

Nose: Rich red fruits, grenadine and lots of berries, stewing, with hints of licorice and leather and maybe animal, and over time, a crystal clear impression of muddled strawberries with white pepper. Yummy.

Mouth: Decanted for about two hours to open it up, the Ribonnet Clément Ader possesses dusty tannins and a gauzy minerality. It works against the fruit at first pour but after three hours in a carafe, the earthiness begins to balance fruitiness. After longer than that black fruit and licorice start to dominate the flavour profile. A solid wine that combines both the austerity of a fine Bordeaux and the sunniness of a Midi wine.

Stomach: Wraps itself around food quite well at this point. It leans on it and perhaps needs it when first opened, a half-dozen years into its life (with at least another half dozen to go).

Christian Gerber, Beaumont, Lèze, France. 13%. Certified organic wine.

Does this look good enough?


Good enough for this?


I could hardly be sure: This is my first grand cru. A fairly well-reviewed wine described as an expensive but not overpriced product from one of the celebrated châteaux operated by the Moueix family. I found this bottle -- the "second wine" of Château Magdelaine -- at a steep discount of 25% off after it had done some cellaring but was still very much before it's best-before date. Click on the image above for the SAQ's descriptive file on the current vintage.



Eyes:

Nose:

Mouth:

Stomach:

Sorry, no notes on this one. I really wanted to enjoy it, let it wash over me without an expressly critical approach, and see how it would change me.

What has changed? I have to say, not much, so perhaps that says it all. But if anyone wants more details or has a specific question you can email me.

Yummy fresh lamb on a tossed green salad may not seem like the kind of dish you'd have on winter-raging day like today is in the province of Quebec. But when paired with a heart-warming Bordeaux, a spring dish can easily become a meal fit for winter's day. It's also good fuel for tomorrow's much-anticipated start to the ski season.

Eyes: Red brick colour, going from maroon to orange-edged.

Nose: Aroma is inviting, I get orange, marmalade and animal. Juicy and savory stuff. I got lured in too early...

Mouth: On the palate the fruit is fairly closed, yet there's a sense of fine structure. I recorked it and put in aside. The next night I got rounder sensations, deeper and less austere: dusty fruit turns into cassis. Mint notes were elegantly rendered. Medium-full body. The acis was in the right place and proportioned. Nice grip on the finish with tannins that usher in a hint of vanilla for a lovely long finish. A nice wine.

Food: After uncorking this wine, decant it for about an hour while you prepare a green salad and grill a fresh lamb chop. Then put on a pot of water and boil quartered grelot potatoes. Add them, red onions, black olives and a balsamic-and-herb vinaigrette to your lamb salad, and violà!

A rewarding meal for a bargain-priced Bordeaux that needs only minimal nurturing.

Maison Sichel, Bordeaux, France. 12%.

In December I will be switching to the new version of Blogger. The switch will necessitate some change in the way I categorize my posts. But change is good, right? Up to now, it's been DIY: I manage the "subhead" categories that are attached my posts (micro-managing is more like it). This means I've got to upload them to the sidebar of my template file manually, html code and all, every time. Currently I am a week behind in updating the template.

I hope I can automate this process with the new version of Blogger. Rethinking my categories is also in order since so many of them have accumulated since I first devised a rather loosely standardized system. In any case, under the Entries listing at left, you can expect a bit of new look and feel soon.

WEREN'T YOU GOING TO REVIEW A WINE HERE?

Getting on with it... There's a bit of a new look and feel for the Château Bujan 2003. It's called the Château Bujan 2004, and like Blogger 2.0, I could only speculate broadly on it. The 2003 is still kicking around (click on the bottle image for local stores that stock Bujan). Here's what I noted about that vintage.

Colour is a generous red, going right through to the edges. Nose is not showy -- a restrained whiff of dusty berries is what I get. On the palate this wine has depth and great smoothness. The finish is rather remarkable. It is very very long and lingering.

Bujan produces a dignified well-made wine yet little about this "Grand Vin de Bordeaux" impresses me at the table. The fruit is so austere and musty that for a 75% Merlot this wine seems unnecessarily muted. Minerals and mocha flavours compete for the lead that the fruit has given up on. With some quite profound tannins kicking in, the overall flavour profile of the wine ends up being a bit on the bitter side. And that makes it a chore to match with dinner, especially market cuisine which is what I often prepare.

I would not pair this wine with food, though it does have admirable levels of acidity. I simply find the beginning and middle of this wine very balanced but boring. Why I am looking for zip, I don't know. With its big finish, this wine is likely its own reward. Drink it on its own or with a heavy and hearty loaf of bread.

It could be that this being a past Grappe d'Or mention from Michel Phaneuf I was expecting something more. For about $20, it is a recommendable Bordeaux, no doubt. But at the very least I would say that this experience has opened up my eyes (when I was hoping my other senses would perk up after uncorking this bottle -- even on the second night when I tasted it again).

I think I now know why the gourmets that run La Brunoise would do something as brazen as omit any and all Bordeaux bottles from its lengthy (and self-professed "food-friendly") wine list. They know good red Bordeaux is far from a cheap and easy date. And maybe they've been Bujaned at the dinner table like I was.

This is very nice example of strong, vibrant acidity regulated by minerality and a musky centre. Château des Matards Premières Côtes de Blaye 2005 offers lovely fruit and it offers some depth too, but what I most like about it is how it penetrates the palate as much as the acid seems to coat and tantalize it. Balance is perhaps the expression I'm searching for.

As an aperatif, the refreshment value is clear. Add some starch -- potatoes and garlic sautéed in butter and green onions, for instance -- and a second dimension of this wine comes out. This type of food, I'm guessing, acts to coat the mouth more, subduing the bracing mouthfeel this wine provides. Instead the minerality and slight muskiness that lies at the core of this cuvée is accentuated. With food or without, take it either way. The blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle is winning.

The 2005 vintage is a very pleasing year for so many wines, especially Bordeaux whites. Château des Matards is the second one that has stood out to me. From the more storied expanses of Graves, (which is just downstream from the Côtes) Château Roquetaillade La Grange also convinces.

After yesterday's Marlborough argument, I needed some convincing and, in this, indeed there is quite a bit.

Terrigeol et fils "Le Pas D'Ozelle" St-Ciers-sur-Gironde, France. 12.5%.

White wine often makes a nice apertif. Sauvignon Blanc is no exception. In fact it is the perfect before-dinner drink. Zippy and refreshing, this grape does a good job at waking up your tastebuds and getting them ready for meal that lies ahead.

There is a reason for this. Sauvignon Blanc can pack dangerous astringency -- both in the form of citrus flavours and heightened levels of acidity. It is the kind of combination that can often grind to a halt the enjoyment of creamy and rich courses. (You'll be disappointed if you blindly pair this wine with fish -- a salmon-based rosé sauce on pasta, for example is a screamingly bad partner for most Sauvignon. I know because I tried it.)

WINE AND FOOD RATIONALIZATION

That does not mean that Sauvignon Blanc should be removed from food settings. There are so many great matches for it. You are just advised not to match it with your creamier dishes. Cheese can work and work well, especially cheese on a pizza. The tomato sauce will complement the acidity in the wine. I recommend a seafood pizza in particular. The crab-meat, shrimp and scallops will make your meal sing.

And here is the song: Dourthe No. 1 2004. From Bordeaux, this wine falls under the general Bordelais appellation (AOC). This means it's a good value (click on the bottle image for retail information).

NO-RISK DRINKING

Vignobles Dourthe has always been a reliable bargain-priced producer of international grape varieties. This 2004 vintage, which for the first time is indicated as a Sauvignon Blanc varietal on the front label, is no different.

The 2004 Dourthe No. 1 is a pale golden colour. On the nose, hints of brioche and yeast emerge while luscious white fruit and a touch of spice are clean and crisp on the palate. There's a slightly racy edge to it but everything remains well-balanced. Its bracing mouthfeel is replete with starfruit banana-like fruit notes. It's got a bit of toast to and a nice even finish.

Parempuyre, France. 12%

Backwash
Blogger's been a bad boy.

Last time it was my own boring drivel that prevented a timely update. This time it was a Monday post turned into a Tuesday-at-two, I'm-at-work-but-now-that-I've-finally-got-a-blogspot-window-I'd-better-upload-on-company-time. Zut alors!

Well, I'm fresh back from my Bordeaux 2005 tasting, which was held in my kitchen.

Now that I've arrived in the bedroom and I reach for my laptop with the hand opposite to the one that's cradling my glass of Graves white wine, 2005 in Bordeaux has really sunk in as being one of the finest vintages I can recall.

Alright, I admit I don't have a firm grip on what most of recent vintages in Bordeaux were like. What, you're expecting Jancis Robinson here? While I do find her one of the most demystifying wine writers as I indicated here, I am choosing to be even more down-to-earth. So click her link in the sidebar to read her full report or continue reading this post if you want a more basic approach to the current Bordeaux yields, the topic that is continually capturing the wine world at the moment.

WHAT 2005 MEANS TO THE EVERYDAY WINE CONSUMER

Here's the deal. I wanted to partake in all this new amazing vintage talk, but in a way that would benefit me and others like me, who are of simple means. I wanted to know if the affordable 2005 Bordeaux bottles that are coming out now (only whites for the time-being) have noticeably improved. So to best compare the current offering to previous vintages, I took a 2004 and a 2005 of the same bottle and tasted it blind. Here are the results of my investigation.

• Tasting things blind really require blind tasting glasses -- the kind that are made of black glass and shield any perception of colour. Because I don't have any, I could immediately differentiate the current vintage from the old one. The 2005 was obviously more lightly pigmented than the 2004, which had a gold tinge to it. I didn't need to taste anything to tell the vintages apart.


• When I turned out the lights and started over again, I made more headway:
  
  • The bouquet on one was of lemongrass; on the other, it was softer and more reminiscent of white flowers
  
  
  • On the palate, the first one possessed a silky texture and notes of litchi -- it was very balanced and refreshing; the second one was less so and instead had a weightiness to it that was marked by thoroughly ripened and slightly spicy fruits
  
  
  • As for a finish, the first one excelled: it was what I consider perfect for a lively Sémillon-Sauvignon blend, harmonious and delicious with traces of vanilla lingering amid the citrus flavours you'd expect. Yes, the first glass I had been tasting throughout was the 2005. It was remarkable and at $15, this 2005 Château Roquetaillade La Grange (clickable, above) is highly recommended.
  
  
  
  
• Finally, this tasting made me realize how ageing impacts a wine and how that affects comparison, especially for white wine which are generally "drink now". Comparing a new vintage to previous years in side-by-side tastings can never be a perfect gauge unless you are referring to tasting notes made when those previous vintages were new. When you base your comparison on how a wine tastes during the same period in a wine's life, you more accurately assess the value of a particular year and, in this case, best determine how formidable 2005 in Bordeaux is.
  

The latest vintage of Bordeaux wines are being celebrated everywhere you click lately. Jancis Robinson, taking an educational and scientific approach in proclaiming her love of the 2005 crop, makes you want to care.

There's a big divide when it comes to Bordeaux. Jancis does a good job at bringing meaning to the everyday consumer. Sure, you'll hear about the fantastically expensive investments from Médoc or the earth-shattering achievements in Pomerol and that will likely go in one ear and out the other. But I really like this piece posted just today because it is so down-to-earth. No namedropping, just a timely demystification. Read it to find out why critics and vintners alike are pleased with virtually all current levels of output from Bordeaux.

FINDING YOUR OWN BALANCE IN BORDEAUX

There's another divide that Bordeaux wines present and unfortunately it lies between me and my dinner. The times that I have saved up for a rather fancy bottle, I end up feeling like it should be studied like homework rather than enjoyed with dinner. The Pauillac pictured above features exactly that kind of austere style.

It's the Domaines Barons Rothschild Réserve Spéciale Pauillac 2001 (no 2005 bottle will be appearing for some time as the 2003 reserves have now been released in Quebec). Its austerity starts with a heady aroma that doesn't give up much. There's a chalky, minerally nose; not a lot of fruit but tremendous balance of acid and earthy matter.

This wine has strong sharp edges (Jancis mentions 2001 being a particularly acidic year). Despite that, its consistency and structure is rather smooth and dignified. I guess this is what you call French elegance. Sure, there's no New World Cabernet Sauvignon attack, bold and vivid; instead you get refinement, unique and persuasive.

I eventually honed in on an interesting animal nuttiness on the palate that I have never identified in a wine before: some kind of cross between hazelnut and beef drippings. It's amazing how wines aged even longer than this one still need time to open up when you decant them.

Then on the second night I got more sauve textures. Dried fruit notes were stronger and complexity intensified. Still very full-bodied and structured. A thoughtful wine if not entirely pleasing at the dinner table -- after fixing two separate dinners to reel in this enigmatic wine I now feel like maybe the third time would be the charm. But it's too late, there's no wine left to serve.

IS BORDEAUX WORTH THE FRUSTRATION?

If a wine is ever said to be alive than I guess this one was. My rib-eye had stopped moving and it was the wine that was the moving target. This kind of dynamism garners Bordeaux its accolades but I feel a bit frustrated by it. While I got this bottle reduced (1/4 off the list price) I still had the feeling that the more you pay for a Pauillac, the less you'll be able to engage with it. Set it on a pedestal, not a dining room table.

Considering ageability factors, wine "futures", and the idea that rarity will trump quality in setting prices, the whole thing seems like too much of a gamble for the everyday wine consumer. I'm likely to avoid the exclusive appellations like Pauillac and favour the general Bordeaux one instead. I spend only $12 doing it, and am more satisfied with the whole thing.

I sound ignorant but it was in doing some research on the 1998 Bordeaux-inspired wine I wrote about in this space that I found more useful Bordeaux-buyer-beware news from Jancis:

...the cheapest wines were over £20 a bottle and the most expensive was the renowned Ch Pétrus which costs well over £1,000 a bottle. (I liked it, but no more than a wine, also served blind, that was being sold for £35 a bottle at the time of the tasting.)

Médoc, France. 12.5%

Yesterday, I pointed to a great picnic wine named Bellevue. Today I suggest another Bellevue. It's about the same price and has a similar French provenance, but this is no picnic wine. This is a Bordeaux, the wine enjoyed in drawing rooms and in Michelin-endorsed restaurants everywhere. But when a Bordeaux is a tremendous value and at an affordable price, why not take this wine out of the house and let it flow on a picnic? Instead of fresh salads and antipasti, bring lamb sandwiches. This stuff is a treat.

I was turned on by the 2002 vintage of Château Lalande Bellevue Premières Côtes de Blaye last year. It was marked down during a promotion. The discounted price was ridiculously low, especially for a wine with a Bordelais appellation. And one that earns the respect of a three-star review from Michel Phaneuf (who won Gourmand's best wine guide for the second consecutive year). The 2003 bottle made an appearance in stores several months ago, and after tasting it myself, and I can imagine Phaneuf giving it a rating just as good if not better than its predecessor.

A GOOD YEAR FOR BORDEAUX WINES

The 2003 harvest in Bordeaux is considered a good one. But it's important not to place too much emphasis on vintage. Plenty of bottles from lesser vintages end up worthy wines. What is important is cost -- because I'd like to know when the lauding of a vintage by experts ends up sending up the sticker price. Good news here is that there's been no jump in price for the Lalande Bellevue of the 2003 vintage -- just click on the bottle image above for pricing details.

Indeed, this vintage carries with it the graces of a vintage as valuable as 2003 was, and then some.

It's slightly vegetal in a perfectly delicious way. Nice nose, and as dark baked cherry and cassis ooze across your palate, the astringency kicks in: perky tannins and a dry and long finish, with vanilla and a hint of fruit. On the first night, the wine seemed tight but charming and perfumed. I served it with pork filet, sautéed red peppers and mashed potatoes. At the table, its echoes of acid melded to every mouthful of tenderloin like a match made in heaven. After aeration -- in this case a two days in the mini bottle -- Lalande Bellevue rendered itself strong in matter, yet deft and structured. The balance between the fruit and acid is really quite phenomenal. The finish is delicate but so persistant. This medium-to-full-bodied wine strangely seems lighter than air.

J. Espiot, Marcillac, Gironde, France. 12.5%.

What a difference a meal makes. In his 2006 wine guide, Michel Phaneuf gave this Bordeaux white from André Lurton a Grappe D'or. So I pick up the Château Bonnet, Entre-Deux-Mers 2004 and wait for the fireworks to go off. I could hardly sense any of them with tuna steak, grilled zucchini and beets as an accompaniment. I thought cooking this arrangement of food would make the white meet its full potential. It didn't. As it turns out, with seafood pizza, it really sings. Practically a miracle transformation. I say that as if I'm lost in the clouds but I'll insist on trying to get this fantastic turnaround in taste down to science...

The thing is that sometimes you think the food you're eating is ruining your wine but you're not 100% sure if it isn't the wine that is off. So I analyse the situation. I had thought beets would be nice with the Bonnet. Why? Well, I make my borscht with a little white wine and it turns out great. And tuna -- how can you go wrong with fish and sauvignon blanc? The zucchini, done Nigella Lawson-style with lots of seasalt and lemon did indeed render itself an excellent complement to the wine. But I wouldn't do either of the other two again. I'll admit for the tuna that I overcooked it and it turned into a dry burger that ended up with virtually nothing fishy about it. My fault. But the beets, what did I do that you let me down? I give you chives, I give you butter -- you make me spit out the Bordeaux from the mouth as I drink it! Subject for further research. Pizza Donini to the rescue. Order their Di Frutti do Maro gourmet pizza for $11.49 sometime. It makes your unoaked white wine sing. Gauranteed. Or rather, guaranteed to indicate that your off wine has got to be sent back.

Grézillac, Gironde, France. 12%.