2019 Château Carbonneau La Verrière, France, Bordeaux, Sainte-Fay Cotes de Bordeaux, Wine Review

Excellent showing for this wine. It is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot aged for 12 months in new oak. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is tight but opens to show cassis, baking spices, vanilla, and slight char. On the palate, black cherries with some spice. A bit of menthol on the finish. Firm tannins. Plenty of depth and some complexity shows as it unwinds in the glass. Long finish. This needs a couple of years to fully mature. This house seemed to really nail it with this vintage. It should drink well for ten to twelve more years at least. A nice match with a beef stew or even chili.

Grade:

Score:

Vintage:

2019

Current Price:

$35.00USD

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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Wines to Go Buy This Week: Chateau Bonnet White Bordeaux and Clark-Claudon Cabernet Sauvignon

Wines to Go Buy This Week: A Crisp Summer White Blend by Chateau Bonnet and a Complex Napa Cabernet by Clark-Claudon Vineyards Labor Day weekend is here and people across the US are gathering to toast the end of summer. As Labor Day marks the tipping point between hot summer nights and cool autumn evenings, my wine recommendations this week will focus on both a cool, refreshing summer sauvignon blanc to savor on these last days of summer and a full bodied Napa cabernet for those upcoming autumn evenings by the fireplace. So as we say farewell to summer 2011, here are two wines to go buy this week: Chateau Bonnett Entre-Deux-Mers Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Muscadelle Andre Lurton, 2010 - Now say that 5 times fast! A quick lesson for those of you who are unfamiliar with French wine: The French label their wines slightly different than we do in the US as they emphasize the place more so than the grape varietal or the producer. In this case, the vineyards and winery are located at Chateau Bonnet, the region is the Entre-Deux-Mers appellation of Bordeaux, the grapes are a blend of sauvignon blanc, semillon, and muscadelle, and the producer is André Lurton, whose family has presided over the vineyards for over 100 years. White Bordeaux is almost always a blend of primarily semillon and sauvignon blanc, with a few other varietals permitted. So why do I like this wine? It's light, crisp, low in alcohol (12%) and at approx $15 a bottle, a fantastic way to introduce yourself to a white bordeaux without breaking the bank. This wine is ideal for a warm end-of-summer picnic that calls for a cool refreshing beverage.

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2019 Château Le Grand Moulin, France, Bordeaux, Blaye, Cotes de Bordeaux, Wine Review

Vintage:

2019

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$13.00USD

Another example of what great value there is in Bordeaux once one gets away from the classified growths. A blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is nice with black cherries, plums, spice and char. Medium to full bodied. Medium tannins. On the palate, this has some depth. Notes of cherries, black cherries and black raspberries with some spice and a bit of earthiness. Nice finish. A very pleasant wine that is better with food. This would work well with roasted fowl or meat or even root vegetables. Drink over the next

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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2019 Château Teynac, France, Bordeaux, Saint-Julien, Wine Review

Vintage:

2019

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$35.00USD

This is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and 2% Petite Verdot. Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is tight but with air opens to show Cassis, spices, slight vanilla and char. Medium to full bodied. Good acidity. Medium tannins. On the palate, cassis, plums and spice. Juicy. Moderate finish. This is drinking well but will improve with a few more years of good cellaring. Drink over the next eight to twelve years. Shepard's Pie would make a nice pairing.

2019 Château Carbonneau La Verrière, France, Bordeaux, Sainte-Fay Cotes de Bordeaux, Wine Review

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

2019 Château Teynac, France, Bordeaux, Saint-Julien, Wine Review