“Bordeaux Superior” is seen on labels and restaurant menu lists. It has the “appellation Controlee” guarantee. It sounds like it is a better (superior) Bordeaux wine. The “superior” that is guaranteed by law, is that the wine is one or two percent higher in alcohol strength, than a regular Bordeaux wine. Some wineries make use of this designation and some don’t bother.
Once again here is just a collection of labels showing this designation.
I am going to take you on a cursory route through Bordeaux. Some may find it old hat, but some may after reading the next week of articles, will get a better idea of how to navigate a good wine list of Bordeaux wines.
Let us think of Bordeaux as one state or province. Everything in this whole entity is entitled to be called a Bordeaux wine. This whole area is covered by “appellation controlee” with the word Bordeaux in the middle of the two words. The words mean “controlled place-name” from laws that were created in France in the 1930’s. Those words are important when looking at a wine label. Most individual wines of Bordeaux call themselves Chateau, Domaine or Clos, even if the only structure on the grounds may be a tractor shed. “Mis(e) en bouteille(s) au chateau” means that the wine was bottled at the chateau. “Grand Vin” is not an official designation. Some of the blends of Bordeaux are produced by “negociants” who attempt to create a similar taste year after year by buying production from many farms in Bordeaux. Some of these “negociants” wines may even be more expensive than the some of the minor of “petite” chateaus. Some of the wines will even proclaim that they are owned by “big players” in Bordeaux, trying to put on heirs of greater pedigree.
I am just showing some of the labels that I have had. Use this as a rule, not as a firm guide to understanding the basic Bordeaux wine.
Vin du Pays actually means wine of the country. It is usually used to describe wine from lesser known wine producing regions. Vin Ordinaire can mean wines of anonymous origins. Both of these terms are used to describe table wines. Table wines are a great way to discover basic wines of a country. I like to try to them occasionally because there is a great chance to discover a good wine for a very reasonable price, and we all like that concept.
I am just going to show a collection of labels to show the variety that can be encountered in this broad classification. Most do not reveal much about the wine. The good thing about these wines is that you don’t have to worry about vintage year ratings and the price should be good. These are the wines that can be great with cheese and crackers and a good book. Need I add more?
My Brother-in-law called us to invite us to a special birthday party with a request to bring all of my wine decanters. His wife (my Bride’s sister) was having her fortieth birthday party and there would be a total of ten people to celebrate this event. Since she was born in 1961, the third greatest vintage of the last century, he had been acquiring the proper wines for this dinner. That is why he needed to extra decanters and he gave me the honor of decanting these forty year old classics. There was no way we would miss this event.
He had hired a favorite chef of theirs to prepare the food at their house. The chef brought with him a Sous-Chef de Cuisine, a waiter, and an extra kitchen aide. While the food was being prepared, I was busy decanting the wines for this extraordinary birthday dinner.
I will go through the menu, as it was memorable and since I had to shrink it for space, it may not be totally readable. We started off with “Passed Horses d’oeuvres” ((sic) which may have been homage to the horses of Louisville’s fame). The waiter passed a fine assortment of appetizers and glasses of 1989 Krug Brut Champagne. This happened to be one of the best tasting Champagnes that I had ever tried, with a luscious buttery flavor.
The next course of plates, and they were all full courses as compared to a tasting course ensued, with a wine properly paired. We started with Sea Bass on Greens with Lemon White Wine Sauce. This dish was paired with a 1977 Corton-Charlemagne Joseph Drouhin. This is the only Grand Cru from Charlemagne. There is just something about a classic White Burgundy that takes your breath away with its smooth and lush taste.
We then had a Coffee Marinated Duck with Sun-Dried Cherry Marsala Wine Sauce, and as I have stated many times already in these pages I enjoy any meal of that had duck in it. Duck is such a rich dish and it was paired with the first of the 1961 vintage wines; a Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. In 1961 Mouton was still upset from the 1855 Classification of the Medoc, when they were not included in the Premiers Crus (First Growths) but were listed as the first of the Deuxiemes Crus (Second Growths). So as you look at the label, you will notice that there is no mention of the classification system on their label, where all of the other wineries proudly proclaim their designation. Also every year Mouton commissions a different artist to create a special banner at the top of the label, in 1961 it was by Mathieu. This wine was at its peak of perfection and everyone was talking about how flavorful it was and how it was perfectly paired with the duck.
We then had a Grilled Pork Tenderloin with a Blackberry Reduction, and this was paired with a 1961 Chateau Margaux, one of the Premiers Crus. Chateau Margaux is the one win from this classification that I have tried more vintages of than any other and I have enjoyed them all. This forty year old was perfection as well, and the talk around the table was how great it was, and to have two 1961 vintages that were at their prime.
A Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Green Peppercorn Marsala Wine Sauce followed and this was paired with a 1961 Chateau Latour. This is also a Premiers Crus (unfortunately I have to show this hallowed wine with a different vintage label as my Brother-in-law wanted to keep this bottle as a memento of the evening). Now this glass of wine was the show stopper. To this day, I and I are sure everyone at the table was amazed that this wine was still feisty and proclaiming to the world that it had been opened too early. The tannins had not mellowed after forty years, and what a discussion this created. Everybody nursed this glass of wine and just kept enjoying the moment. As a side note, my Brother-in-law took his wife out for her fiftieth birthday and had his other bottle of the 1961 Chateau Latour served. He said that it had finally mellowed and was at its peak of perfection. They both enthused on the quality and finesse of that wine.
We then were treated with a fine collection of artisan cheeses and this was accompanied with a 1961 Chateau d’Yquem. This wine has been a favorite of wine lovers for centuries. A couple of bottles were auctioned off about twenty years ago from Thomas Jefferson’s estate and the gentleman that won the auction, after paying for them proceeded to open one bottle immediately and announced that it was the Nectar of the Gods. In the 1855 Classification for Sauternes and Barsac, Chateau d’Yquem was even then in a rank by itself with the designation of Grand Premier Cru (First Great Growth) and it has held that distinction ever since and deservedly so. Its golden color had darkened to a wonderful deep dark amber shade and it had a nuance of sweetness (not cloying) that is not found in most dessert wines. Another wine served that was a table pleaser among this group of ardent wine lovers.
Death by Chocolate Cake with Fig Ice Cream ended this birthday dinner with a rich coffee. Of course it wouldn’t have been a birthday party with a cake.
This wine perhaps has the most magnificent nose that I have ever encountered. When the goblet is first filled after decanting the wine and the aroma inhaled, it is almost a wine nirvana. You wonder why all wines are not like this. The color of the wine is deep; the nose is perfect leading towards an almost hedonistic pleasure just from sensory overload. That first taste that is whistled in is hypnotic. I realize that I am waxing poetic, but you will as well, after encountering this wine.
Dominus is Latin for “Lord of the Estate.” I am sure that Christian Moueix knew that he would be pressed to live up to that title. Christian Moueix comes from a famed wine family from Bordeaux, France and among the many wineries that they own is Chateau Petrus (which alas I have never had) and Chateau Trotanoy both from the Commune of Pomerol. He acquired the old Napanook Vineyard in Napa Valley and has made it his own.
The first bottle I had was a 1994 vintage at Shariat Restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky. The food was very artistic and creative, the menu eclectic and a wonderful dining experience. Add to that mix a bottle of Dominus and the evening was complete and memorable. My Brother-in-law is very partial to this wine, and I am so glad that he turned me on to it.
A couple of years later on one of his visits he brought a 1998 Dominus that we had for dinner, and it had all the characteristics of the 1994. I believe that Dominus only had one year that they didn’t declare a vintage and that would have been for 1993. That is what I call dedication and pride, and not wanted to alienate the loyal fans of this great wine.
My Bride says that she could just sit with a glass of this wine and breathe in that heavenly aroma or nose all evening and be happy. For my Brother-in-law I have a 1997 vintage waiting to reciprocate one night for dinner.
“Pussycat, pussycat, I love you” was sung to a clamorous ovation at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. It was my first trip to Vegas. and I was watching women throw their undergarments onto the stage. There was a major celebration in the auditorium. The room got dark and what appeared to be a two story flight of stairs were illuminated and you heard being announced “This is Tom Jones.”
In such a glamorous night, at one of the newest hotels on the strip, what should be ordered to accompany the dinner preceding the show? Champagne is the logical course when you are young and the air is electric. A non-vintage bottle of G.H. Mumm & Co. was delivered and who was I to complain. The dinner and the show was “comped” by a friend of the family. The bottle of Champagne was as dependable as everything else that evening. A good color, a continuous stream of bubbles rising up the full length of the crystal fluted glass; all indications that this was a bottle the Mumm house could be proud of and produce year after year, without ever worrying about declaring a vintage year.
It was the epitome of a night in Las Vegas. Bright lights, a full orchestra playing and one of the hottest acts of the time was performing. It is what legends to relate later in your life is all about. This was classic Vegas, when everyone dressed up to go to the casinos, even into the wee small hours of the morning you would still see the gamblers in their finest. A far cry from what is seen in the casinos of today.
When I first delved into wines, I was trying to discover all sorts of unique locations and wines. It was almost a game for me. I found a lesser region which had its own “Apellation Controlee” which is what all wine districts in France aspire to. The other designation VDQS is for areas that have distinguished themselves from just table wines, but not of a caliber to get an AC rating. France takes its wines very seriously.
I was going to an informal dinner party and I went looking for a couple of bottles that I could expound on (especially if it was a hit) to a group of semi-curious wine drinkers. This group was more into beer than wine, but it wine was available they would avail themselves of its virtues.
I found a couple of bottles from Fitou which is in the south of France east of the mouth of the Rhone River. Further north of the Rhone River are several great areas of wine production, but that is for another day. As I said I was still in a discovery mode. The wine I found was a 1971 Chateau Viala.
Even as a novice I noticed that this wine was what I would even then call a table wine, as it was not as full bodied as even a basic Bordeaux wine. The color was paler than even most of the reds that I had tried by that time and the nose was tame. There was not a strong aftertaste but since it was a casual dinner, it more than sufficed. In my days since then, I have not noticed another wine offering from Fitou, as I would have purchased it again, just to see if the wine makers had made any strives to improve on their wines in this global wine market.
This is a holiday that makes me reminiscent of my youth and old neighborhood in Detroit. In Southwest Detroit we had the only parade on the Fourth of July in the city. Then we would go to the park where the parade terminated have a picnic, play ball and then wait for fireworks that ended an idyllic day.
For this day, I thought I would discuss the various carriers that I have accumulated for carrying wine to parties and picnics. Since we are going to one of our relative’s house today to enjoy their pool and have a barbeque.
The first carrier that we purchased is a red travel bag that will hold one bottle of wine and carries a waiter’s cork screw, ornamental bottle stopper and two plastic wine goblets and clothe napkins. The carrier is even insulated which is ideal for the days when we transport white wines. It also has the option of removing the two goblets and then a second bottle of wine can be carried. Since the time we purchased this carrier we have received a second one in black as a gift from a friend.
We then received a very nice wicker carrier that holds two bottles of wine and has a large compartment on the other side of the handle for carrying dishes, munchies or anything else. I actually use this carrier quite a bit, when I am carrying bottles of wine from the cellar to the dining room for parties.
The next carrier we acquired during one of our trips to Carmel-by-the-Sea in California, which is a great area for wine tasting, shopping and dining. We were in one of the adjoining cities of Monterey, which also has its own wine designation. We went into the “Taste of Monterey” shop, did a wonderful tasting from the wines in the designation of Monterey, Carmel Valley and some of the Central Coast areas as well. We enjoyed this shop so well that we joined one of the wine clubs that they offered and have enjoyed the packages that we receive four times a year. This carrier that we got is a canvas eco-friendly tote that holds six bottles of wine for some serious good times.
Finally on another trip to Carmel-by-the-Sea we found in a very eclectic shop, this leather wine carrier that holds two bottles of wine, plus the plastic wine goblets, ornamental bottle stopper, waiter’s cork screw, clothe napkins as well as a wooden cheese board and cheese knife. I have also used cold packs next to white wines when necessary and it has worked very well. This carrier by far has become my favorite, as it not only is the most inclusive but it is very classy in its appearance.
So I do hope everyone in the United States of America enjoys this great holiday of Independence Day and celebrates wisely and safely.
While were up in Niagara-on-the-Lakes for our “destination wedding, we decided to go try a couple of the local wines. I have to preface this with the fact, that I had family in this area for years, but the whole landscape had changed since my last trip. Where there had been cherry and peach orchards was now populated with vineyards. It has become a Canadian version of Napa Valley or Sonoma Valley. Driving along the QEW (Queen Elizabeth Way) you pass all of these signs proclaiming all of the individual wineries along the way. It is very impressive and makes one want to stop by.
In fact there are so many wineries in this area, that it would be impossible to do them all even on an extended weekend. Maybe a concentrated week of tasting, it could be done. Some of the wineries also have restaurants on the grounds, which make it even more enjoyable. I looked at the menu of one restaurant, while we were at the winery and it was very enticing, but we already had a prior commitment.
We first went to Hillebrand Winery and tried three wines out of nine that they were offering. We tried their “Artist Series Limited Edition” Chardonnay and a Sauvignon Blanc. I really enjoyed the Sauvignon Blanc; it had all the qualities that I want from it. We also tried a “Trius Red” which they said was one of their signature wines, and it was very pleasant, a more casual wine for more casual dinners. After the tasting and the ensuing purchase, we were given a complimentary tasting card for another winery Peller Estates (owned by the same corporation). So off we went, who can refuse a free tasting (I guess I have no shame).
At Peller Estates, we tried their Rose made from Pinot Noir, a Gewurztraminer, a Sauvignon Blanc, a Merlot, a Cabernet Franc and a Late Harvest Vidal (a dessert wine). I felt that the Gewurztraminer lacked the spice that I associate with it (though it did have pepper), and the Merlot was soft (where I wanted fullness). The Rose was great for the season and my Bride went crazy for the Cabernet Franc (which is her norm) so we ended up with a mixed case, very heavy on the Franc.
We then went to Inniskillin, which is one of the region’s famed winery, known for their Ice Wines. In fact they almost have an Ice Wine every vintage, because the area is very suitable for this form of wine. Iniskillin is so known for their procedure, that many of the other wineries now produce an Ice Wine as well. From my conversation with one of their hosts (who it turns out was from the Detroit area), the process is a different version of what occurs in Germany, and that is why they have so many vintage years. We tried some of their non-dessert wines. A Pinot Grigio and another white wine called P3 (a blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir) which was very appealing. There was another white wine called Tenacity (a blend of Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Riesling and Moscato) which was a little sweet for me. They had a very good Meritage (which surprised me, as I thought this was a name only used in California for Bordeaux blends) and a Montague Pinot Noir which had a very strong cherry aftertaste.
When we got back to the resort to have dinner after all of these tasting, there was a complimentary tasting in the lobby of the resort offering two wines from Jackson-Triggs. I forgot to make notes on these wines, because the couple right behind us trying the wines was a couple that I knew from the Detroit area celebrating their 29’Th anniversary. Getting up to date with them was more important at the moment, then making notes on the wine. They had a dinner reservation at one of the winery restaurants, and we had ours at the resort. All in all, it was a good day.
“Niagara Falls, slowly I turn, step by step, inch by inch.” Suffice it to say “the best laid plans of mice and men…” had it nailed. We were invited to a destination wedding. I guess I lived a sheltered life, but this was the first one I had been invited to. The invitation came in an airline ticket sleeve with each page of the “travel plans” itemized per page. This was a cousin of mine who is now living out west and his beloved and her family was from the west coast and they had never been to Niagara Falls. Now my family was from that area of Canada, the falls were old hat, but it would still be a great location for a wedding.
The wedding and reception were going to be at a resort in Niagara-on-the-Lake. More fun, since that is a great wine area for Ontario. So plans were made and everything was in order. We figured that it would be a four to five hour drive, we would check in to the resort, then do some wine tasting and then have dinner with family and new friends.
“Niagara Falls, slowly I turn, step by step, inch by inch.” Three days before the wedding there was a snafu with customs and the Canadian Government. The entire wedding would have to be redone on the fly, and I must say the intended couple did a wonderful job. Since so many people were flying in to Buffalo for the wedding, they found a new hotel, and reserved a section of a New York Park, part of the Grand Island group for an outdoor weeding on the waterfront. They found a fine restaurant that had a private room upstairs for the reception so everything was falling into place. One problem that we encountered as well as some other folks, the new hotel would not reserve the same amount of rooms for a rate as the resort, and by the time we discovered the change, we could not get a room at the new hotel, so we stayed at the resort near all the wineries.
The morning of the wedding, we decided to leave the resort at ten in the morning and meet everyone at the hotel and maybe have a group breakfast, since the wedding was slated for two in the afternoon. We ended up in the worst traffic jam in my life, a trip that should have taken maybe a half hour to an hour depending on customs tied up the road for four and half miles. It took us four and half hours to get across the border and then we still had to get to the wedding. How sad that I was going to miss my cousin’s wedding. My Bride and I kept changing who was driving (parking?) on this journey. While we were on the bridge (finally) waiting to get through customs, we had rolled the windows down and enjoying the breeze and the view of the falls. I heard someone yell “How much for the cufflinks?” and I turned to look at a car in the next lane and it was a good friend of mine and his brother (from the Detroit area) on their way to a family reunion. We were laughing, until we lost sight of each other due to the vagaries of the traffic.
We finally arrived at the site of the wedding, and it had been delayed because of other circumstances, so we were not late. The wedding was beautiful, the weather was agreeable until after the ceremony ended and then the wind picked up intensity, which made picture taking a little bit more of a challenge.
We arrived at the reception, a very nice restaurant called the Thirtyone Club in Buffalo. They had a private room and the food was excellent. There was also enough of dance floor to enable us to have a “traditional” Armenian dance, where our family would dance the new family in, to show our acceptance and happiness to our newest member.
After the grueling time at the bridge, I went up to the bar and inquired what types of wine they were pouring. There was a most refreshing Hay Maker Sauvignon Blanc 2010 from Marlborough, New Zealand. It was so crisp with an aftertaste of grapefruit that just hit the spot after a very hot day. I will for sure pick up some of this wine for the rest of the summer season, as I was very impressed with it. Later on, I switched over to a Justin Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 from Paso Robles in California which paired very well with the steak I had for dinner, and my Bride tasted my glass and ordered some for herself to go with her grilled salmon dinner. The restaurant had chosen eight different wines from their cellar to pour for the reception and they were all good choices, and not just wines that would produce the best revenue. I was very happy, and I told the happy couple that they could overcome any adversity after the week that they had just endured, and I shall drink again to their good health and happiness.
