That is kind of how I feel, not that anyone would confuse me with Cary Grant, and I am not a gambler either.  From the moment that I started writing this blog, I have gotten more into Social Media, with the thought that perhaps I could entice more people to read my writings.  Some sites are more interesting and fun, and the one that has the least drama and the least political strife is Instagram.  I am fortunate that my nom de plume has been used on the sites for continuity.  I really enjoy Instagram and there are certain sites that entice readership or followers with contests.  They usually involve following a given site, perhaps answering a question and also to lure others to the site as well.  I am game for some frivolity, I mean wine in all of its aspects for me, should be fun, since it is an avocation and not a vocation.  I tried once for a bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, and once for a personal size wine vault.  I didn’t win either one.  So, I was touted for another contest, and I was at first reluctant and told my friend that, and he said that I should try anyways.  I won six bottles of Bordeaux wines, which is kind of exciting, since I am blogger that doesn’t solicit samples.  I will mention three of the six in this article.

The first bottle in the carton was Amelia Brut Rosé NV a Cremant de Bordeaux.  While Sparkling wines have been made in Bordeaux for over a century, the appellation was not approved until 1990 and it is purported to be not as clear and defined as the other Cremant appellations.  There are over five-hundred parishes in Bordeaux that can make Cremant, so it is one of the largest appellations in the country.  To be a Cremant de Bordeaux the wine had to be made in the Methode Traditionelle.  The wines must have contact with the lees for a longer period than Champagne requires, also the wine may not be disgorged for at least nine months after the initial bottling.   Then the wines cannot be released for sale until twelve months have passed since the disgorgement.   Amelia Brut Rosé ferments the grapes for three weeks at cool temperatures, and then two months Sur Lie before bottling.  It also stays in the next step for eighteen months, twice as long as required.  The wine is a blend of eighty-five percent Merlot and the balance is Cabernet Franc.  The winery suggests that wine has the nose and finish of red fruits and floral notes with balanced acidity.  It sounds very interesting, and we have always enjoyed a good Cremant. 

The next wine in the carton was Chateau Guiraud “Le G de Chateau Guiraud” Bordeaux Blanc Sec 2016.  Chateau Guiraud is an estate in Sauternes, and was classified as a Premier Cru in 1955, the grounds are planted with Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.   The estate was originally known as the Noble House of Bayle, until purchased by Pierre Guiraud in 1766.  The estate continued in the family until sold to a group of winemakers in 2006.  Since the main wine is Sauternes, their second wine “Le G de Chateau Guiraud” is Sauvignon Blanc is predominately Sauvignon Blanc and is a dry wine, and made from younger vines, vines on the average of thirty-five years of age.  The wine is made with eighty percent aging in the oak that was used for the last Sauternes great growth and twenty percent in Stainless Steel.  On the average the wine is aged for seven months with regular stirring of the lees.  I think that we will really enjoy this wine. 

The third bottle that I pulled out of the carton was a split of Chateau Coutet Barsac 2015, a Grand Cru from the 1855 Classification and I have had the good fortune to have enjoyed the 1970 vintage.  It is one of the oldest producers in Sauternes and has the longest cellar in the region.  Coutet is a Gascon word for knife, denoting the wine’s crisp and ripping acidity.  The Chateau was originally an English fortress built in the 13^th Century.  The winery dates to 1643 and has changed hands, and even survived the beheading of one of the owners during the French Revolution.  It is now owned by the Baly family who purchased it in 1977.   The wine is seventy-five percent Semillon, twenty-three percent Sauvignon Blanc and two percent Muscadelle in French Oak barrels, of which half were new for eighteen months.  The winery remarks that this vintage is defined by its finesse, with a nose of exotic fruits, fresh with a nice balance and finish highlighting the terroir.  This needs the proper dinner and guests.