2005 Château Grand-Pontet, France, Bordeaux, St. Emilion, Wine Review

This is coming along quite nicely. It's not yet at peak and still drinks big and young. Purple in color. The nose is big with black cherries, some black raspberry, spice, some chocolate and a bit of coffee. On the palate, this has medium tannins. Lots of black cherry and black raspberry fruit over a bit of char/dark chocolate. Slight black licorice on the finish. This is delicious and great on its own or with bolder roasted meat (or vegetable) dishes. It will continue to improve for another five to ten years, and be good for another ten to fifteen after that if well stored. This bottle was bought on release and well stored since then.

Grade:

Score:

Vintage:

2005

Current Price:

$140.00USD

Bordeaux First Growths: Chateau Lafite, First Amongst First Growths

Of all Bordeaux first growths, perhaps none is as well known, both inside and outside of the wine world, as Chateau Lafite Rothschild. Its name transcends wine, standing as a symbol of luxury. How did it get this lofty reputation? And, more importantly is, it deserved? The answer to the second question is a definite yes. This article will explore the first question in more detail. The History: Records of this estate stretch as far back as 1234 when Gombaud de Lafite, abbot of the Vertheuil Monastery north of Pauillac, owned the property. The name Lafite comes from "la hite", a Gascon expression meaning "small hill." Records from the 14th century indicate that it was not a vineyard, but what the French call a seigneurie. This is an estate run by a lord and others who are effectively sharecroppers. The manor house was constructed in the 1500s and still standing today. Read part one of the First Growths Series. The Ségur family bought the property in the 1600s. Jacques de Ségur planted the vineyard in 1680 although grapes were no doubt grown before that. By the early 1700s, thanks to Nicolas-Alexandre, Marquis de Ségur, Chateau Lafite wines were very popular with those wealthy enough to afford them, first in English Society (where it was a favorite of Prime Minster Robert Walpole) and later in French society.

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Cheval Blanc: The “First Growth” of the Right Bank

When the wines of Bordeaux were classified in 1855 all of the wines were from the Left Bank of the Gironde River. In fact, with the exception of Haut Brion, which is from Graves, all of the wines classified were from the Medoc. Since that time, the winemaking areas of Bordeaux have greatly expanded. Some of the best wines in Bordeaux are now made on the Right Bank including some of the most expensive wines in the entire world. While there is no official classification system for all of Bordeaux, there can be no doubt that if such a system was implemented today, at least a few Right Bank wineries would make the list. Perhaps no winery deserves the mythical first growth of the Right Bank title more than Cheval Blanc. In fact, the wines of Saint Émilion, a commune on the Right Bank, were ranked in 1955 and Cheval Blanc was one of two that received the highest rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé (A). Those rankings were redone in 1969, 1986, and 1996 and most recently in 2006 (although that ranking is the subject of an ongoing legal dispute not relevant to Cheval Blanc) and Cheval Blanc has remained a First Growth in every subsequent ranking.

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Judgment of Paris: Film "Bottle Shock" Brings the Paris Tasting of 1976 to the Big Screen

Bottle Shock On May 24, 1976, Steven Spurrier, a British wine merchant hoping to stoke sales at his French-wine-only shop, held a wine competition in Paris. In this competition French judges were invited to blind-taste top chardonnays and cabernet sauvignons from France and California. In an event that would later be dubbed the Judgment of Paris , the California wines –included merely to serve as the “sacrificial lambs” to the supposedly superior French wines- won the competition in a shocking upset. This singular event revolutionized the wine industry and put California on the map as a major world producer of fine wine. This story comes to life on the silver screen for the first time with the film Bottle Shock , starring Bill Pullman, Alan Richman, and Dennis Farina among other notables. I recently chatted with Bottle Shock Co-Writer and Producer Jody Savin about the film. Why this film now? To answer this question in a socio-political sense, I would venture to say that we live in challenging times.

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Borgueil: The Unpronounceable, Unforgettable King of Cabernet Franc

When I think of wine that is interesting, unique, obscure, high-value, and small-production, I think of Borgueil – the small wine region in France’s Loire Valley that produces almost exclusively Cabernet Franc.

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2005 Château Pontet Canet, France, Bordeaux, Pauillac, Wine Review

Vintage:

2005

Score:

Grade:

A+

Current Price:

$198.00USD

Popped the cork, allowed to breathe for an hour or so. Purple in color, ruby at the rim, slightly flat and opaque. The nose is classic Bordeaux. Some Bordeaux earthy funk along with cassis, cigar box and cedar. Firm tannins. Nicely balance. Great texture. On the palate, this is just about at peak but maybe not quite. Layered complexity. Cassis, earthiness, tobacco and slight char. Long finish with some dark chocolate on it. Delicious. Everything one could have hoped for on purchase. This drinks well on its own but would be great at the dinner table with Roasted Lamb. It still

2005 Château Grand-Pontet, France, Bordeaux, St. Emilion, Wine Review

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Bordeaux First Growths: Chateau Lafite, First Amongst First Growths

Cheval Blanc: The “First Growth” of the Right Bank

Judgment of Paris: Film "Bottle Shock" Brings the Paris Tasting of 1976 to the Big Screen

Borgueil: The Unpronounceable, Unforgettable King of Cabernet Franc

2005 Château Pontet Canet, France, Bordeaux, Pauillac, Wine Review