Wendys Wine Blog2012-05-18T19:56:57ZWendy NarbyCopyright 2012, Wendy NarbySPHPBLOGA one stop shopA new one on the block is La Cave de Dourthe – and it ticks all boxes as wine makers, chateau owners and negociants. Dourthe dates back to the 1840’s and in 1987 as CVBG-Dourthe it was the No 1 wine company in Bordeaux. This gave rise to the creation of their famous brand Dourthe No 1 white in 1988 followed by the red in 1993, made in partnership with growers throughout the Bordeaux vineyards. A wine that still represents one of the most reliable and affordable Bordeaux brands.
Dourthe have always had a policy of hospitality at their various properties and have continued this with the opening of their boutique in the cellars of Chateau Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac on the road from Libourne to Saint Emilion. It is not only a terrific location with a car park on the doorstep for all those heavy cases, but also allows visitors to discover the cellars of the chateau and taste a range of Bordeaux wines from the company vineyards and the many other Bordeaux properties they stock, rather than just a single vineyard’s production – so the best of all worlds really. In 2007 Dourthe joined the Alan Thienot Champagne group so you can end your tastings with a glass of palate cleansing Thienot champagne too. A one-stop shop! ]]>http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry120511-0414512012-05-11T00:00:00Z2012-05-11T00:00:00ZWine, dine and cycle.Adam Ruck, knows a thing or two about food, being restaurant critic for Which and AA. He is also passionate about France and has distilled his experience of cycling around of France into a web site ‘France on Two Wheels http://www.france2wheels.com/ and more fully his new book, just published by Short Books The book is a terrific guide to the culture, history, food ,B & B’s and other French delights including the Bordeaux region ,with a special mention for Château d’Yquem
So eat and drink with a clear conscience but just keep cycling !
]]>http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry120426-0857212012-04-26T00:00:00Z2012-04-26T00:00:00ZStaying close to nature in Saint EmilionLooking for somewhere original to stay in the vineyards of Bordeaux? I’ve already mentioned the tree houses in the grounds of Chateau Malleret in the Medoc in a previous blog post. I love them but they are for the adventurous at heart. If you fancy getting closer to nature but still like your creature comforts, Chateau Franc Mayne now has the answer. The second wine of the property is called les Cedres de Franc Mayne, named after the two beautiful cedar trees in front of the property. These trees are now the site for the latest room offered by the http://www.relaisfrancmayne.com/ new=true]Relais Franc Mayne[/url] – the hotel on the property - a tree house. This is a tree house with a difference however, very luxurious with a fully functioning bathroom and heating or air-conditioning. Keeping to the international theme it is decorated as a Swiss Chalet – you feel transported to a Switzerland as you cross the threshold. The choice of a tree house room underlines the eco theme of the Chateau and the hotel, along with the all-natural swimming pool in the hillside, which you can access directly from the Chalet/tree house.
The innovation doesn’t stop here The Chateau has just opened their new under ground cellar tour. Chateau Franc Mayne has long been known for welcoming visitors to discover the famous limestone ‘terroir’ of Saint Emilion along with several other properties that are all interconnected via the ancient quarries under the medieval city. Following in the footsteps of Chateau Villemaurine who opened a son and lumiere last season they have used the same designer, Eric le Collen but have taken quite a different approach to show off the spectacular underground cellars used for aging the wines of the property to tell the history of the wine and the region. Yet another reason to come to Saint Emilion this season, and a little light relief for visitors that are not complete wine geeks. ]]>http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry120425-1014562012-04-25T00:00:00Z2012-04-25T00:00:00ZIt's all in the blendIt is rare to find field blends in Bordeaux, that is wine made from different grape varieties fermented in the vat together. Wine makers will choose the varieties they plant and where they plant them as a function of the soil types, the topography, and the micro climate they have in their vineyard (the famous terroir). This plot by plot management of the vineyard will give vines of different ages and varieties on different soils, all of which will be ready for picking at different times. This will be carried through to the wine making with each plot vinified as a separate wine in preparation for blending. Some properties blend when the malolatic fermentations are finished and the wines are run into barrels, allowing barrel aging to take place for the final blended wine. Others prefer to barrel age each grape variety separately, allowing a different oak selection for each cuvee before blending at bottling, for others it will be a continual process bringing together the final blend over the aging period. In all cases there is always a final blend to ensure consistency and blend out the barrel difference.
Blending is never a fixed recipe, despite the percentages planted in the vineyard, the final blend will vary from vintage to vintage depending on what mother nature has thrown at us. Some vintages favor an excellent expression of Cabernet and others Merlot, both in volume and quality. The wine maker has the added advantage, at most properties, of being able to blend 2 wines, a first or grand vin, and second label. Don’t be mislead, the second label is not a dustbin where everything that is not up to scratch gets blended. Often from younger wines, sometimes with a higher percentage of Merlot, they offer a wine that is ready for drinking earlier than the ‘Grand Vin’ and more accessible in price as well as in style - think diffusion range instead of haut couture (an interesting analogy given the presence of Chanel, LVMH and PPR in the Bordeaux firmament). Many properties, even offer a third blend allowing for even more leeway. Properties may always reserve certain plots of land for certain levels of quality such as the Grand Vin of Chateau Latour that only ever comes from the same vineyards, known as l’Enclos, close to the chateau. Wheres as Les Fort de la Tour come from the surrounding areas that never enters the grand vin blend and the Pauillac again is sourced from further afield. Wine from the Enclos many enter Les Forts - but never the contrary.
If you want to learn more about blending why not try your hand in Bordeaux, the Ecole du vin de Bordeaux will teach you how to blend in their technical class or you can go to the heart of the problem and learn with wine makers in a Château.
Chateau Lanessan in the Medoc offers a wonderful ‘Winemakers visit’ that offer the chance to taste the various grape varieties before creating your own blend and comparing it to the winemakers selection. Or you can join in a blending workshop with Les Medocaines, leaving the Bordeaux tourist office in the morning the tour includes visits to 2 of the properties again tasting the different varieties and a mystery blend to identify and a tasting of the final blends from all four properties.
Blending at Chateau Lanessan
Later this month, on 24th february, 2 properties from different areas of Bordeaux have joined together to offer a discovery day including blending skills. As well as visiting the spectacular Chateau Camarsac in the Entre deux Mers and Chateau Bouscaut in Graves and making your own blend to take home you can enjoy a lunch at Classified growth Château Bouscaut. On the right bank Chateau Siaurac offers another approach to blending tasting wines from Merlot and Cabernet aged in both barrel and vats for you to blend.
and at Chateau Siaurac
Be careful you may discover a new vocation. ]]>http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry120217-0817522012-02-17T00:00:00Z2012-02-17T00:00:00ZBarrel aging with a difference Tonnellerie Millet is an artisan family run barrel maker not far from Saint Emilion that supplies many of the top wine properties in Bordeaux and further afield as far as California and Spain to name a few.
The owner Dominique is kind enough to open this doors to visitors to explain the passion that goes into producing barrels in close collaboration with wine makers giving the aromatic complexity they are looking for from their use of oak.
One address I did not spot in his warehouse of barrels awaiting shipment Mauritius. So imagine my surprise when, on a tour of the Chamarel Rhumerie high on the hills in the South West of Mauritius over looking the Indian Ocean, I found rum aging in Millet barrels.
Millet barrels in the Chamarel cellars
Opened in 2008 the eco friendly Chamarel Rhumerie (French Spelling) uses Millet barrels for aging it’s ‘Coeur de Chauffe’ Rum Agricole for 18months and for 3 years giving it’s ‘Gold Rum’. The first production of the 3 year old barrel aged Gold Rum will be released onto the market at the end of this month.
Similarly to wine barrel aging of rum adds vanilla and spicy flavours and the slow oxygenation and exchange of tannins adds body, the golden colour also comes from the barrel as opposed to some rums where the colour comes from the addition of caramel.
The beautiful Chamarel Valley
]]>http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry120120-2328292012-01-21T00:00:00Z2012-01-21T00:00:00ZRomantic BordeauxGet Wed with Wine , and Saint Valentine’s day would be the perfect time to find out. There are no end of wonderful restaurants and romantic hotels to choose from in the region, however you could celebrate with your loved one in the romantic setting of a Bordeaux Chateau. Two properties from opposite banks are opening their doors for an intimate evening on the 14th of February.
Jérôme Cadillat, the chef at Château Troplong Mondot, classified growth of Saint Emilion is offering a fireside dinner menu accompanied by champagne and amour de Mondot - a special bottling of the second wine of the property for the occasion. You can prolong the romantic atmosphere by staying over in one of their lovely guest rooms or cottage in the vines.
The Cottage in the vines of Chateau Troplong Mondot
On the left bank Chateau Haut Bailly, whose wonderful dining room is usually only available for private groups is opening up with tables of 2 dotted through the beautiful salons of the Chateau. Their innovative Chef, Tanguy Laviale, has created a 5 course menu accompanied by champagne and 3 different wines from this Classified growth of Pessac-Leognan.
The beautiful Chateau Haut Bailly
If you cannot make it over here, you could always order a bottle of the most romantic Bordeaux wine : Chateau Calon Segur. This 3rd growth of Saint Estephe will probably be flying of the shelves in the run up to the big night. The heart on the label makes it easily recognisable, created by the property’s owner the Marquis de Segur, who, despite owing Chateau Latour and Chateau Lafite at the time always said his heart lay with Calon Segur and drew a heart around the name just to prove it.
]]>http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry120119-2158192012-01-20T00:00:00Z2012-01-20T00:00:00ZSize matters at Chateau Soutard.Chateau Canon with 22ha, Chateau Troplong-Mondot at 33 ha, Chateau Cheval Blanc at 37 ha and the largest Chateau Figeac with 40ha under vines and a further generous 14ha in parkland, buck this trend. Classififed growth Chateau Soutard is amongst this group with 22ha under vines unchanged around the 18th century chateau for the last 100 years. The monumental Chateau is one of the largest buildings at the heart of a Saint Emilion property with 30 000 sq ft of roofing.
Under ownership of the de Ligneris family since the early since 1900’s the property was sold to La Mondiale insurance company in 2006. La Mondiale already knows a thing or two about St Emilion owning the neighbouring classified growth Château Larmande for the last 20 years, Grand Cru Château Grand Faurie La Rose and, the most recent addition to the team, Château Cadet-Piola. In total, the company owns almost 55 hectares of vines in the classic terroir of the limestone and clay plateau and extending throughout the clay, limestone and sandy slopes at the very heart of Saint-Émilion. Claire Thomas-Chenard manages all four properties, assisited by cellar master Véronique Corporandy, and she has overseen the two year renovation of Chateau Soutard. The 2011 harvest was the second crop to enter the new cellars and they are spectacular - showing that some things are just worth waiting for. An elegant marriage of steel and oak in both the decor and the fermentation vats (50/50 stainless and oak small vats) the classic varietal blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc enter into the cold storage rooms before being transferred to the vats, allowing not just temperature control of the must but an even flow management of the process. Even the remontage of the cellars is automatied allowing Claire to keep a close on all four cellars simultaneously during the busy harvest period.
It is not just in wine making where they are reaping the rewards of their investment. Chateau Soutard won the 2012 Best of Wine Tourism award for parks and gardens offering a unique way of discovering the property. As well as visiting the cellars and tasting the wine the gardens and vineyards allow visitors, map in hand to discover the different themes, from the natural approach to cultivation of the vines, to a childrens tour or a romantic moonlit visit. The boutique is open to the public, not just to sell wines, there is a large range of books and momentos including a children's corner. If you would like to taste, pull up a chair on the terrace to taste their wines with some local cured ham or buy and bottle and borrow a picnic hamper to go and picnic in the grounds. If you fancy more formal dining book ahead for a private lunch, dinner or cooking class and then cycle off lunch by pedalling through the four propeties and you can even stay the night at one of the guests rooms at Château Grand Faurie la Rose to sleep it all off. ]]>http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry120104-0412002012-01-04T00:00:00Z2012-01-04T00:00:00ZInternational cuisine with a cause www.sources-caudalie.com new=true]Les Sources de Caudalie[/url] will host a 4 star dinner on 11th December, that is four one star chefs sharing their talents, to raise money for Japan. Bordeaux has it's fair share of Michelin stars now, one of whom, Nicolas Masse, of la Grand Vigne at Les Sources de Caudalie, will welcome Keisuke Matsushima the inspiration behind this event, who holds a Michelin star for his restaurants in both Tokyo and Nice, and his neighbours Pascal Nibaudeau from Le Pressoir d’Argent in Bordeaux and Christophe Giradot from La Table de Montesquieu in the neighbouring village of La Brede. Together on the 11th December they will offer a food and wine dinner where the proceeds will benefit the victims of the Japanese tsunami.
Each chef will produce a course combining the best of France and Japan accompanied by wines from Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, of course, but also Laurent Perrier and Château Gazin. Book now to avoid disapointment.
La Grande Vigne Restaurant
]]>http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111128-0659532011-11-28T00:00:00Z2011-11-28T00:00:00ZBordeaux Amsterdam - the history continuesTraditionally a major market for Bordeaux wines, the links date back to the 17th century. The Dutch being an important seafaring nation (think Dutch East India Company) their ships would often call into the Port of Bordeaux, France's largest port at the time, delivering goods from their colonies but also picking up the lighter more acidic red wines for the sailors as, at that time, it was safer to drink a lightly alcoholic wine on a long sea trip than water which would soon become unsafe to drink. They also bought up white wine, not for drinking but for distillation, to make their famous spirits, and they were a major influence on the growth of white wine production in the Bordeaux region. We can thanks the Dutch for introducing the use of sulphur dioxide to Bordeaux, transforming the production from a wine whose acidity was the only way it could be preserved to the more sophisticated barrel aged 'New French Claret' pioneered by the Graves region and snapped up at a premium by the English market.
As if these links were not strong enough Dutch engineers were invited over to drain the Médoc in the 17th century also resulting in the development of the peninsula for the great wines produced there today - the Bordelais have a lot to thank the Dutch for.
But it is not really all about wine in Amsterdam. Traditional and locally produced spirits and beer dominate the market and the price point for wines is low and very competitive. Bordeaux organised an event for the restaurant trade and sommeliers to present the diversity of the ‘Everyday Bordeaux’ selection at the hip restaurant Lute on the outskirts of Amsterdam.
Even the cocktail served was from Bordeaux called ‘Passion Bordeaux’ - let’s hope we reignited their traditional passion for Bordeaux.
See the video ]]>http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111116-0053272011-11-16T00:00:00Z2011-11-16T00:00:00ZBio Bordeaux Chateau Pontet Canet, classified growth from Pauillac and Chateau Guiraud, first growth from Sauternes, have both recently obtained organic certification and prestigious Chateau Fonroque is a leader in biodynamic agriculture.
Ploughing the vines of Chateau Latour the traditional way
There is also an important underlying eco-movement in Bordeaux which is not restricted to the top vineyards. Bordeaux is a big place with, currently, around 8700 wine growers each owning, on average 14 ha (about 35 acres). The vast majority of these properties are family owned, and with family ownership comes the notion of stewardship; the belief that the land is there to be looked after and passed down to the next generation, a philosophy that goes hand in hand with the notion of eco-responsibility. However, conversion to sustainable, organic or even biodynmaic agriculture is a long and often expensive process both in financial terms and, for a family run business often more importantly, time. Several initiatives to help producers in their evolution towards more eco-friendly production have been spearheaded by the CIVB (Bordeaux Wine Council) and these are putting Bordeaux on the eco map. In 2010 Bordeaux was the first vineyard region to measure their carbon footprint and launch the Bordeaux Wine Climate plan 2020 which stated clear objectives for reducing the carbon footprint of the vineyard : 20% less green house effect 20% energy savings;20% renewable energy 20% water savings and the carbon footprint by 40 000 tons carbon equivalent by 2020 (today the footprint is 203 000 tons). Objectives are fine but this is also backed up by an online carbon footprint calculator available for all producers and merchants, which allows them to understand exactly where and how these carbon economies can be made. The Ecophyto 1018 plan, also a CIVB initiative, has a goal of a 50% reduction in pesticide use throughout the vineyard and 20% of the surface area in organic agriculture by 2018. About 5% of Bordeaux’s vineyard is currently under organic agriculture (the same of eco friendly Switzerland, for example). The major innovation however is the 2010 SME (Syteme de Management Environnemental). This is not just about setting industry wide objectives but is an associative management tool, helping individual properties to improve environmental performance. Under the SME, piloted last year, smaller producers, that don’t necessarily have the finances or the time to spend understanding and implementing what needs to be done to reach certification but who are motivated by a desire to become more environmentally friendly can work together, sharing the costs of a consultant and their experiences. In the first year pilot, 27 companies successfully worked together to reach the environmental certification ISO 14001. With this success under its belt the initiative is now spreading to other vineyards. However, in the genuine desire to improve environmental practices, there are various certifications and associations which can be confusing for the consumers, especially as each country seems to have different definitions and legislation.
Healthy leaves .........
give healthy grapes
The SVBA (Syndicat des Vins Bio d’Aquitaine) currently has 140 members producing wine from organic grapes. There is currently no such thing as organic wine, only wine made from organic grapes, although this is a work in progress with the possibility of a certification for organic wine in the pipeline for 2012 (at the earliest). The SVBA is showing their members' wines this weekend, the 19/20th November, in Begles (better known for its Rugby than its wine!) just on the edge of Bordeaux city centre. Organic producers form other regions, such as the Jura, will also be present, which is typical of these environmental initiatives that seem to cross geographical barriers with ease. ]]>http://www.insidertasting.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111115-0036392011-11-15T00:00:00Z2011-11-15T00:00:00Z
