Fall for Bordeaux
A congenial crowd last week was divided between some Bordeaux enthusiasts and others who were new two the region.
September 14, 2022
A congenial crowd last week was divided between some Bordeaux enthusiasts and others who were new two the region. Their favorites:
People liked the D de Dauzac's immediate, friendly Merlot-based inviting flavors. It was also considered great value and one of the most purchased at the tasting.
The 2018 Ch. Roquebrune was also very light, liked a lot for its savory herbal fruit. We had a limited quantity, and it sold out at the tasting. We will be getting in the equally good 2019 at the same price.
The very robust and powerful 2016 Fourcas Dupre was the overall favorite. We still have some left. Also, the 2019 Chateau De Sales showed richness and depth beyond the others and was frequently favored. We will have it in towards the end of the month.
A note: Many of these wines are young relative to their lifespans. On opening, they show more hard tannin than fruit. We made up for that by decanting the more age-worthy wines hours in advance. If you try the Fourcas Dupre or De Sales, you should definitely attempt this at home.
Ch Dauzac is a classed growth Margaux estate. Their D de Dauzac comes partly from purchased grapes and has the style of the grand vin, a silky smooth combination of equal parts Cabernet and Merlot. Nicely fleshed, the ideal what the English call lunch claret.
Petit Paveil is the second wine of the Margaux Cru Bourgeois exceptional Ch Paveil de Luze. It dates from the 17thcentury and has been in the same family for 150 years. It is a more restrained and elegant vein, a wine of finesse and purity.
2016 is a classic Bordeaux vintage. If less voluptuous, its wines have more elegance and are more classic than in 2015, richer than 2017. They are now coming into their own.
Ch. Peyrabon is a Cru Bourgeois. Predominantly cabernet has a delicate elegance and clean tannic structure that drinks now with decanting but also improves a few years. Finesse is over breadth here,
Listrac is the home of the Haut Medoc's lusty full throttle re cabernet-based reds. Fourcas Dupre is a good example, full rich and tannic. It also will repay aging
Ch de Sales.in Pomerol, Here Merlot provides the richness, some Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc the definition, in this classic Bordeaux chateau that has been in one family for five centuries. 2019 is a very fine Bordeaux vintage.
Red
2019 D de Dauzac (Bordeaux); Color: very dark; Aroma: soft, nicely heady, very dense, light fresh; Mouth: thick clean rounded, very well balanced, rounded full, a classic claret with an excellent marriage of cab & Merlot; Very Good 18.99; Case, 15.99
2018 Petit Paveil (Bordeaux); Color: very dark; Aroma: heady & rich, dense, heady rich, nicely intense, nice edge, evocative; Mouth: juicy, rounded classic claret, fresh, clean, bright finish, rounded; Very Good Plus 19.99; Case, 16.99
2019 Ch de Roquebrune (Lalande de Pomerol); 21.99; Case, 18.99
2016 Ch Peyrabon (Haut Medoc); Color: very dark; Aroma: spicy, light pretty, rather fine, spicy, heady, elegant; Mouth: clean, lean r pretty, bright acid pure; Very Good Plus 28.99; Case, 24.99
2016 Fourcas Dupre (Listrac); Color: Dark Ruby; Aroma: Clean, very rich, and pretty, with light notes of wood spice, cherry & tobacco; Mouth, Medium body Clean herbal fine very rich, firm tannins, red cherry & mineral on the finish Very Good Plus 26.99; Case, 22.99
2019 Ch de Sales Pomerol "a deep garnet-purple color, rolling effortlessly out of the glass with impressively intense baked cherries, plum preserves, and fruitcake scents with nuances of potpourri, licorice, chocolate box, and fragrant earth. The medium to full-bodied palate is chock-full of ripe, seductive black fruit preserves, framed by rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and perfumed." – Wine Advocate late September arrival $45, case $35
Mix 12 or more bottles for their special case prices.
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- Len Rothenberg
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