VinoDuo is Lisa & Gary. Engaged in Sonoma. Honeymooned in Napa. Vacationed in
Temecula (CA), Woodinville (WA), and other off the beaten path wine regions. We’ve married our love of wine with our passion for travel, visiting lesser-known wine regions throughout the United
States. We’ve got strong opinions about the pros and cons of each wine region and this is our forum for airing and sharing them.
Bordeaux in Boston
VinoDuo has yet to visit French wine country (shame on us!) but fortunately France came to Boston a few weeks back and we were pleased to be on the invitation list. “Today’s Bordeaux,” sponsored by the Bordeaux Wine Bureau, featured 100 wines selected by an independent jury, including Boston’s own super-sommelier Cat Silirie. In keeping with the event’s tagline “Classic, contemporary, affordable wines,” all of the wines were priced between $8 and $25. Many of the winemakers came to the states to showcase their wines on this three-city tour.
The swank affair was held in the Wharf Room of the Boston Harbor Hotel, one of the loveliest venues in the city. With floor to ceiling windows facing the harbor, the room was the ideal spot for whiling away an afternoon sampling good wine and hors d’oeuvres.
We realized early on that 100 wines were too many even by VinoDuo standards of mega-tasting, so we split the task. Gary took reds, Lisa the whites. Since Bordeaux is a “red state” Gary had the far tougher job, but he managed to sample 24 wines; Lisa pitched in with a few more to fill out the dance card.
We distilled our pages of notes into a concise selection of favorites, five whites, six reds.
WHITES
Just 11% of Bordeaux’s planted acres are white wine grape varietals, the key ones being Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle. Some of the wines we tasted were single-varietals but most were blends. The Sauvignon Blanc-only offerings were, to Lisa’s taste, thin and weak. Definitely not New Zealand style. The following blends, however, were keepers.
Château Bonnet 2006 (AOC: Entre-Deux-Mers) $10 - $12
45% Sauvignon Blanc, 45% Sémillon, 10% Muscadelle
“Summer on the deck” is the best description for this light, fruity, elegant wine. The flavors don’t linger, but don’t let that stop you from pairing it with seafood or shellfish this summer.
Saint Savin 2006 (AOC: Bordeaux) $8 - $10
80% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Sémillon
Saint Savin came to “Today’s Bordeaux” to promote its 2005 offering, a 60% Semillon/40% SB blend. Lisa found that vintage thin and uninteresting. Happily, the distributor also had on hand a just-out-of-the-barrel 2006, slated for a fall 2007 release. What a difference that shift in percentages made! A wonderful floral nose with seductive peach and honey on the palate. I’ll be camping out at my local wine shop for this release.
Château Lamothe de Haux 2006 (AOC: Bordeaux) $12 – 14
40% Sémillon, 40% Sauvingon Blanc, 20% Muscadelle
Third generation winemakers are producing a delightful, classic Bordeaux blend. Smooth, fruity, with honey and apricot predominant.
Vieux Château Gaubert 2005 (AOC: Graves) $16 - $18
50% Sauvignon Blanc, 50% Sémillon
This 50-50 blend stood out from the pack—it was richer, with tropical aromas (mostly coconut) and deep fruit flavors. According to Bobbykacher.com, a portion of the Semillon is barrel fermented in new cask to enhance the wines texture.
Château de Chantegrive 2005 (AOC: Graves) $16 - $18
50% Sémillon, 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Muscadelle
We close our review of white Bordeaux where we started…with a great deck wine. Crisp and fruity (do I taste apples?) with not a hint of oak, it’s a perfect summer wine.
REDS
Red wine comprises 88% of Bordeaux’s production. The lion’s share (54%) is Merlot, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, and a smattering of other varietals, such as Petit Verdot and Malbec.
Château Guiraud Cheval Blanc 2005 (AOC: Cotes de Bourg) $10 - $12
65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cab Franc, 5% Malbec
Tastes and drinks like a $25 Bordeaux. It’s smooth, with good structure on the palate and a wonderful finish. An excellent value.
Château Machorre 2003 (AOC: Bordeaux Supérieur) $10 - $12
60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cab Franc
A friendly, earthy nose—clay and gravel primarily. Well structured, with the soil character (terroir) coming through and a smooth finish.
Château Tâffard 2005 (AOC: Medoc) $12 - $14
50% Malbec, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon
This was Lisa’s favorite red at the show. Deep, rich color and spicy flavors. A well-balanced, enticing wine.
Château Moulin de Bel-Air 2004 (AOC: Medoc) $22 - $24
50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon
Clean, earthy nose with hints of limestone and dark fruits. A big wine—it needed time in the glass to open. That cut into Gary’s tasting time but it was well worth the wait. Tastes like a $50 Bordeaux—excellent wine for the price point.
Château de Seguin 2005 (AOC: Bordeaux Supérieur) $8 - $10
50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cab Franc
A full nose with great promise, full of fruit and terroir with a bit of oak. Full on the palate too, round and smooth. The Merlot shone through but the Cab Franc came on strong at the finish.
Château Villa Bel-Air 2003 (AOC: Graves) $23 - $25
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 10% Cab Franc
We both liked this wine so much we inquired about buying a bottle or two from the winemaker’s representative (alas, not possible at the show.) In fact, Lisa dragged Gary over to the table after her tasting, unusual given her preference for whites.
An intense terroir nose, with deep, inky berries and hints of vanilla and oak. On the palate, a pronounced terroir taste of limestone, with oak and leather. This wine is produced from 40 to 50-year-old vines, and that heritage came through. We’ll be trolling the French aisle of our local shop for this lovely wine.
The swank affair was held in the Wharf Room of the Boston Harbor Hotel, one of the loveliest venues in the city. With floor to ceiling windows facing the harbor, the room was the ideal spot for whiling away an afternoon sampling good wine and hors d’oeuvres.
We realized early on that 100 wines were too many even by VinoDuo standards of mega-tasting, so we split the task. Gary took reds, Lisa the whites. Since Bordeaux is a “red state” Gary had the far tougher job, but he managed to sample 24 wines; Lisa pitched in with a few more to fill out the dance card.
We distilled our pages of notes into a concise selection of favorites, five whites, six reds.
WHITES
Just 11% of Bordeaux’s planted acres are white wine grape varietals, the key ones being Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle. Some of the wines we tasted were single-varietals but most were blends. The Sauvignon Blanc-only offerings were, to Lisa’s taste, thin and weak. Definitely not New Zealand style. The following blends, however, were keepers.
Château Bonnet 2006 (AOC: Entre-Deux-Mers) $10 - $12
45% Sauvignon Blanc, 45% Sémillon, 10% Muscadelle
“Summer on the deck” is the best description for this light, fruity, elegant wine. The flavors don’t linger, but don’t let that stop you from pairing it with seafood or shellfish this summer.
Saint Savin 2006 (AOC: Bordeaux) $8 - $10
80% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Sémillon
Saint Savin came to “Today’s Bordeaux” to promote its 2005 offering, a 60% Semillon/40% SB blend. Lisa found that vintage thin and uninteresting. Happily, the distributor also had on hand a just-out-of-the-barrel 2006, slated for a fall 2007 release. What a difference that shift in percentages made! A wonderful floral nose with seductive peach and honey on the palate. I’ll be camping out at my local wine shop for this release.
Château Lamothe de Haux 2006 (AOC: Bordeaux) $12 – 14
40% Sémillon, 40% Sauvingon Blanc, 20% Muscadelle
Third generation winemakers are producing a delightful, classic Bordeaux blend. Smooth, fruity, with honey and apricot predominant.
Vieux Château Gaubert 2005 (AOC: Graves) $16 - $18
50% Sauvignon Blanc, 50% Sémillon
This 50-50 blend stood out from the pack—it was richer, with tropical aromas (mostly coconut) and deep fruit flavors. According to Bobbykacher.com, a portion of the Semillon is barrel fermented in new cask to enhance the wines texture.
Château de Chantegrive 2005 (AOC: Graves) $16 - $18
50% Sémillon, 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Muscadelle
We close our review of white Bordeaux where we started…with a great deck wine. Crisp and fruity (do I taste apples?) with not a hint of oak, it’s a perfect summer wine.
REDS
Red wine comprises 88% of Bordeaux’s production. The lion’s share (54%) is Merlot, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, and a smattering of other varietals, such as Petit Verdot and Malbec.
Château Guiraud Cheval Blanc 2005 (AOC: Cotes de Bourg) $10 - $12
65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cab Franc, 5% Malbec
Tastes and drinks like a $25 Bordeaux. It’s smooth, with good structure on the palate and a wonderful finish. An excellent value.
Château Machorre 2003 (AOC: Bordeaux Supérieur) $10 - $12
60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cab Franc
A friendly, earthy nose—clay and gravel primarily. Well structured, with the soil character (terroir) coming through and a smooth finish.
Château Tâffard 2005 (AOC: Medoc) $12 - $14
50% Malbec, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon
This was Lisa’s favorite red at the show. Deep, rich color and spicy flavors. A well-balanced, enticing wine.
Château Moulin de Bel-Air 2004 (AOC: Medoc) $22 - $24
50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon
Clean, earthy nose with hints of limestone and dark fruits. A big wine—it needed time in the glass to open. That cut into Gary’s tasting time but it was well worth the wait. Tastes like a $50 Bordeaux—excellent wine for the price point.
Château de Seguin 2005 (AOC: Bordeaux Supérieur) $8 - $10
50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cab Franc
A full nose with great promise, full of fruit and terroir with a bit of oak. Full on the palate too, round and smooth. The Merlot shone through but the Cab Franc came on strong at the finish.
Château Villa Bel-Air 2003 (AOC: Graves) $23 - $25
50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 10% Cab Franc
We both liked this wine so much we inquired about buying a bottle or two from the winemaker’s representative (alas, not possible at the show.) In fact, Lisa dragged Gary over to the table after her tasting, unusual given her preference for whites.
An intense terroir nose, with deep, inky berries and hints of vanilla and oak. On the palate, a pronounced terroir taste of limestone, with oak and leather. This wine is produced from 40 to 50-year-old vines, and that heritage came through. We’ll be trolling the French aisle of our local shop for this lovely wine.
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