“Why not try a French wine, Emily, maybe something from Bordeaux, like this Entre~deux~Mers?” Well, that sounded much more elegant and chic then the Brand X Chardonnay I was planning buying for a large party I was working on about a decade ago. But I was a little skeptical, mostly because of the price, about $8.00 a bottle. So, I brought some home to try, and that little Chateau Bonnet tasted even more delightful and elegant then the name implied. It was a refreshing subtle, smooth sip, yet complex, with a minerality, grassiness, and a spunky fruitiness that was not too sweet or heavy. This was the beginning of my affinity with Bordeaux wines, for big parties and for everyday, and I’ve never been disappointed.
Over the years, the more I’ve learned about this wine region in the Southwest corner of France, near the border of Spain, the more intrigued I’ve become. So, as you can imagine, I was doubly delighted to learn that Bordeaux Wines was one of the sponsors of the IFBC, and would be hosting a tasting and writing workshop. It was at this workshop that I found the winner of the So Very Splendid Award in the beverage category. If you are looking for a refreshing, reasonably priced option in wine, read on to learn about some outstanding options from Bordeaux.
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| Château Graville Lacoste |
In the workshop, they went through the steps of tasting, evaluating and writing about wines, sharing vocabulary used to describe Senses & Sensations, Aromas and Tastes. I’ve been to quite a few tastings along the way, but I did learn some very interesting new vocabulary I’ll share, in case you want to pull them out at your next wine tasting. For instance, when a wine is described as “flabby”, it means it lacks acidity, a “nervous” wine has a high taste of alcohol, and an “unctuous” wine is one that offers a slippery, almost oily mouthfeel; and if a wine tastes harsh to you, you can describe it as “wound up”.
After a little education, we began sipping and describing and sharing our descriptions at #ifbcbordeaux, knowing that winning descriptions were going to be rewarded handsomely. For the Château Graville Lacoste in the photo above I tasted “sage, peach, breaking raw rhubarb, fresh chanterelles”, I thought that was a pretty creative description, but it didn’t bring me a prize. This wine is from the Graves appellation, it’s a blend of Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle, and costs around $19 retail.
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| Château Carigan l”Orangerie |
The next wine we tasted was the Château Carignan l’Orangerie, above, from the Premiéres Côtes de Bordeaux appellation. After sniffing, swirling, sipping and slurping it I tweeted “straw color, sweet, mineral, crisp, clean, lime, gooseberry, lively, petrichor” {petrichor is my favorite new word, which I’ve been able to use a lot this fall. It is the smell of the first rain, on stone, that fresh, minerally, wet rock sort of smell, who doesn’t love that fragrance?}. I was quite proud of this description, but that isn’t why I won the bottle of Château Carignan l’Orangerie to bring home. The retail price for this wine is listed at $11.00.
Sauternes are the premier dessert wine of the Bordeaux region, what a lovely way to end a meal, at room temperature or chilled. When I tasted the Château Haut~Mayne my mouth was full of the flavors of “ripe apricots torn open, fig leaves and juicy cherries”, this retails for $20.00 for the half bottle.
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| Château Haut Mayne |
My winning description was written for the Jaillance, Cuvée de l’Abbaye, Brut, Crémant de Bordeaux we sipped at the beginning of the tasting, which retails for $15. “Crémant” is the term for French sparkling wines that are made outside of the Champagne region. Crémant refers to the “creamier” texture of the bubbles, they are generally less fizzy that those of the more famous French sparkler. I love the Crémants, which can be found in white and rosé, because they are usually made using Sémillon grapes, so they tend to be less heavy and sweet than most champagnes which are made with Chardonnay grapes. I found this beautiful beverage to taste of “sparkling roasted pear, a touch of caramel, refreshing clean, almost citrus finish”.
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| image from Jaillance |
For that description I was given a bottle of the Château Carignan l’Orangerie and some handy little wine cooler bags. Have you used these? While I love the looks of an elegant wine bucket, these bags fold flat for storage and are an easy way to chill and transport any beverage.
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So which wine won the So Very Splendid Award? It was a tough choice, they were all quite wonderful, but the award officially goes to the Château Graville Lacoste. It’s hard for me to resist anything that alludes to “breaking raw rhubarb”, congratulations!
To learn more about that first bottle of Chateau Bonnet and some other favorite white wines, click on *A*B*C* Party wines. If you can’t find these exact vineyards, look for the classic shaped Bordeaux wine bottle shown here, and the appellation area on the label. Bottles from “Graves” are usually in clear glass and those from “Entre~deux~Mer” are usually green. Entre~deux~Mers means “between two seas”, but it actually refers to the area between the rivers Dordogne and Garonne, these rivers, and the tributaries that lead into them, provide the water for the vineyards of Bordeaux.
Here is another great choice that I’ve long adored, and have been noticing on US shelves with increased frequency lately. This blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc from Moulin de Ferrand in Entre~deux~Mers is a steal at around at around $10.00 typically.
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| Moulin de Ferrand |
To learn much more about this region and their wines visit Bordeaux.
A Votre Santé!
I am SO saving this post. It is splendid. I'm in the midst of planning my Christmas party and I know I will use some of your suggestions. Thank you!
Emily,
Thanks so much for your kind comment. I'll raise my glass to a lovely wine with you!
In good company~
pve
GREAT post Emily! So informative. I'm having a dinner party in a couple of weeks and want to try some of your suggestions.
A very winning description, Emily! I suddenly want a glass of Cremant with my breakfast! Love a bottle of white Bordeaux – even on a crisp, fall day. Thanks for sharing all you learned with us! Cheers! XO
Emily it is wonderful to get recommendations from a friend,wines that are both very good and inexpensive
Xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
Marsha, your guests will love you!
Cheers, PVE.
Love the Cremant, next gathering!
Serena, let me know what you think, I'd love to know, I do like the Sav Blancs from Santa Barbara, Yenez {?} as well.
xo, ebh