WTN: Misc. Bordeaux

More notes from my 6 month backlog. 2010 was quite a Bordeaux-laden year for me. These are mostly everyday wines, but there are a few really nice ones in here.

Chateau de Francs, Bordeaux - Cotes de Francs 2005
Dark red. Excellent, distinctly Bordeaux nose, but a bit Napa-ish on the palate. In both a personality of blackberry, currant, tobacco, cedar, chocolatey earth, and properly proportioned oak, all with a succulent tone, and 2005 fleshiness. Alcohol (14%) a bit exposed on day 1, but better resolved on day 2. Tannins abundant, but a touch green. Overall, high quality fruit. Everything is in place for 5 - 10 more years (will hit peak in the next 5). Excellent (88 - 92). [6/29/10]

Chateau des Tourtes, Blaye - Cotes de Bordeaux 2008
Lemon/lime, kiwi, peach, honey, mineral, herbs. Ripe. Smells and almost like a New Zealand Sauv Blanc, with Bordeaux undertones. Best on day 2. Excellent (88 - 92). [7/17/10]

Chateau Forcas-Hosten, Listrac-Medoc 2003
Cru Bourgeois. Not very aromatically expressive, but a good 2003 nose of warm, roasted, ripe currant and tar. On the palate, black cherry, currant, with hints of tar, violets, roasted herbs, pencil lead, and mineral. Full, warm, and ripe, but not lacking in tone or structure. Perhaps not a typical Bordeaux, but an attractive, pleasurable drink. Near its youthful peak now; could go a few more years, but not for sure what kind of maturity it will acheive, so might as well drink now. Excellent (88 - 92). [8/5/10]

Chateau Haut-Selve, Graves 2006
Dark ruby. Expansive, excellent nose. Cherry, blackberry, plum, notes of roses, gravel, with hints of tobacco leaf, and a touch of spicy oak. Full bodied and succulent. This is Bordeaux at its stylistic best. I love it! But then I just love 2006 Bordeaux in general. Fully approachable now in half bottle, with 5 years ahead of it. From 375. Excellent (88 - 92). [8/21/10]

An acknowledgment: the following wine was sent to me by a very generous WLDG member, who wishes to remain anonymous. Thank you very much you-know-who-you-are!

Chateau de Beaumont, Premieres Cotes de Blaye 2005
Somewhat disappointing at first (didn't even taste like a 2005), but opens well enough on day two. Very good nose: dark fruit, tobacco, hints of earth. On the palate, red berries, dark plum, tobacco, earth, mineral, and a bit of cedar. Savory, and a bit tart (in a mostly but not entirely pleasant way). Medium bodied, a bit thin for a 2005, but decent. Might improve over the next 5 years. Very Good (84 - 88). [11/13/10]

Chateau Bonnet, Bordeaux 2006
Nice nose. Black cherry, succulent currant, a hint of plum, hints of violet, and savory herbs. Dark, attractive fruit, aromatic and accentuated - in short, distinctly 2006, and very nice for everyday drinking (at an everyday drinking price no less!). Can probably improve for 5 more years. Very Good (84 - 88). [11/14/10]

Chartron La Fleur, Bordeaux 2007
My first taste of 2007 red Bdx. Nice savory fruit, with a hint of greeness providing some pleasant accentuation, and good tone. Based on this, I like 2007 a lot more than I expected to - seems like a nice short term vintage. Very Good (84 - 88). [11/24/10]

Chateau Bel Air l'Esperance, Bordeaux 2008
My first taste of a 2008 red Bdx. Reasonably nice fruit, a bit boring at first with no tone or accentuation, but after openning for a while, shows much better tone, with pleasantly tart fruit, and cedar notes. Based on this, 2008 seems at least somewhat like a weaker version of 2005. Tasted twice with consistent notes. Very Good (84 - 88). [12/30/10]

Thanks for posting your notes.

There is SO much confusion about Bordeaux outside of Europe, where many people equate the region with great growths (5% of production...).

Ch. des Tourtes is a good wine indeed, and they do a great white as well. One of the owners is American.

Fourcas-Hosten has long been reliable. It was bought not long ago by a member of the family that owns Hermès.

I'm glad to see that you have found good-value Bordeaux. It is sad to see that it is so hard to find in the US. I think it's due to a vicious circle: since people think of a Bordeaux as a grand cru, no importer/distributor/wholesealer wants to stick his neck out promoting good value, affordable Bordeaux because it is felt that there is no market for such wines...


Best regards,
Alex R.

I'm glad to see that you have found good-value Bordeaux. It is sad to see that it is so hard to find in the US. I think it's due to a vicious circle: since people think of a Bordeaux as a grand cru, no importer/distributor/wholesealer wants to stick his neck out promoting good value, affordable Bordeaux because it is felt that there is no market for such wines...

Bonnet has been my go-to white Bdx for several years, and having not had the red before, I think now the red will be a go-to wine as well. Both are under $15. It should be noted that I'd consider the Haut-Selve a good value as well: $8.50 per half, $17 per 750. I'm lucky to have here in Bloomington a large selection of Bdx for $15 or under.

Here's a hypothesis on the US percception of Bdx: despite the modernization of many of the wines, I still think even humble Bordeaux generally needs some bottle age. The problem then is that young cheap Bdx is some of the most not-obviously-impressive-wine out there. However, the US market for whatever perverse reason expects their Bdx to be blockbusters, and Bdx is, shocking as it may be to some, not generally a blockbuster wine. So they go for young classed growths, because those are the kind of hedonistic wines that the US market thinks Bdx is supposed to be.

I like to think I have a much more balanced perspective - I enjoy the classed growth as a once-in-a-while treat, but enjoy nearly every Bdx I drink. And some of my most enjoyed experiences have been petite chateaux with 10+ years on them.