Losing Myself in Bordeaux

 

It has always been my belief that just like different wine styles, there are different styles of wine drinkers. As I have mentioned before, I tend to be a wine explorer. I don’t gravitate towards one wine to drink over and over again; I search and try various styles from all over the world. Though, like so many other wine lovers out there, I do have one particular area that I actively pursue. A particular area that holds my interest above all others. For me, that place is Bordeaux.

              During my early days of wine exploration, I gobbled up every Pinot Noir I could find, so it was a surprise that my region of choice didn’t end up being Burgundy or the Willamette Valley. It all came down to a workout. While doing my cardio, I was watching an episode of The Wine Show where one of the hosts participated in the Marathon du Médoc. This is a race through the Médoc of Bordeaux where runners have wine and gourmet food stops along the route. This host was particularly excited about the Château Montrose wine that would be offered. Between his enthusiasm, the simple fact that I had been gaining some interest in Bordeaux wines thanks to numerous Wine Spectator articles, and, most importantly, that I grew up in a town called Montrose, I felt like Bacchus himself was giving me a sign. The second I was off my elliptical, I calculated my wine fun money and splurged on a bottle of Château Montrose Saint-Estèphe 2011. I was immediately hooked. Its notes of dark fruit, blackberries, vanilla, oak, bramble and leather, made me feel as if I had been transported to a library overlooking the woods on a late afternoon day. My Bordeaux love affair had begun.

              When I first heard of Bordeaux, before The Wine Show episode, I had no idea what type of wine it was. I honestly assumed it was a particular grape. After a few articles and some basic research, I quickly learned that this was not the case, and a whole new wine world opened up to me.

              Bordeaux is not only one of the most famous wine regions in France, but in the world, mainly due to their red blends made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and a bit of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. This area has been making wine since at least the 1600s, though according to Wine Folly, it is believed grapes were grown here in 43 BC when it was occupied by the Romans. It was in the 1600 and 1700s that people really began to take notice, and interest really took hold in 1855 when Napolean III established a five-tiered Grand Cru Classé Classification system, a system still used to this day, to help promote these wines at the World Fair.

Considered some of the most expensive wines, a First Growth bottle of Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Margaux, Château Haut-Brion, Château Latour, and Château Mouton Rothschild can fetch from $600 to $1,000 or more upon release, and the cost just goes up and up as the years add on and on. From there, as the classifications move down to Second Growth, Third Growth, Fourth Growth, and Fifth Growth, the prices drop, but so too can quality depending on who the producer is. Though, there is a lot of argument regarding the Second Growths and how many of them could be, and should be, promoted up, but that is a story for a different day.

The red blends may be the stars, but these are not the only wines from the region that are coveted by collectors and enthusiasts. The sweet Sauternes wine, made from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes that have been affected by botrytis, a.k.a. Noble Rot, are highly sought after, especially from wineries such as Château d’Yquem and Château Suduiraut. With such hefty price tags, many wonder if these wines are actually worth it, and if so, why? They are, and a lot of it comes down to terroir.

              Terroir is a French term used to describe the climate, soils, and other factors that go into growing grapes in a particular plot of land. This is different from a region because terroir focuses more on the individual vineyard or sections of a vineyard. For red Bordeaux wines, a lot of the magic happens due to the soil types the vines are grown in. On the “Left Bank” of the Gironde Estuary, Cabernet Sauvignon tastes like no other Cab thanks to the gravelly soils made of rolled pebbles and quartz. Cabernet is a heat seeking variety, and this rocky terrain gives it the warmth needed to ripen into the best example of Cabernet Sauvignon ever tasted. In my opinion. Merlot, on the other hand, is not as finicky as its Cabernet friend, and does not need as much heat. This is probably why it is the most planted variety in Bordeaux. Merlot thrives in the clay soils throughout the region, and specifically, on the “Right Bank.” These grapes create a wine that is soft and beautiful, and, again in my opinion, the best example of Merlot found throughout the world. These two grapes combined, with a little help from the previously mentioned Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, make wines with a full body, high acidity and tannins, and a complex flavor bomb of notes such as dark fruits, smoke, leather, graphite, herbal elements, chocolate, etc. that continue on and on in a long finish. Many of these wines can age for 20, 30, 40 years. Even longer.

              For Sauternes, the terroir magic comes primarily from the area where the Ciron and Garonne rivers come together. Thanks to these rivers and the humidity and mist they bring with them, along with the area’s typical sunny afternoons, Botrytis cinera can form on the grapes. This fungus, which winemakers here want, slowly dehydrates the fruit. This dehydration increases the acid, sugar and flavor, making these grapes prime candidates for dessert winemaking. To succeed in making a quality wine, the grapes have to be at the perfect point for picking, so workers will go through one vineyard multiple days, choosing only the bunches that are ready. Sauternes wines are aged up to three years in barrels before they are released. They are loved for their complex flavors, specifically the marmalade taste so many of them have.

              The terroir also serves the dry whites of the area well, but not to the extent of their red and sweet counterparts. They are still worth seeking out because they truly taste like nothing else.

              Everything about this region is pure magic, hence my infatuation. It is a region of history, of winemaking mastery, of grape and soil and climate combining in perfect harmony. After that bottle of Château Montrose, I began trying Bordeaux wines whenever I could. I splurged on another bottle and got myself a Château Canon La Gaffelière Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé 2014 because it was a Wine Spectator recommendation. I split a bottle of Château Lilian Ladouys Saint-Estèphe 2016 with some friends over a steak dinner in Breckenridge. I got a bottle of Clarendelle Bordeaux 2013 when my husband took me on a wine shopping spree as a celebration. Then, the most magical of moments happened. My husband surprised me with a bottle of Château Margaux Premier Grand Cru Classé 2016 as an anniversary gift. One of the five first growths, this wine was like nothing I had ever tasted, and I knew I would never taste anything quite like it ever again.

              This foray into Bordeaux had me focusing on the red blends for quite some time, and it wasn’t until about a year after that bottle of Montrose that I discovered Sauternes. During a WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) class on sweet wine and food pairings, one of the lessons had me try a Sauternes with a cookie to see what would happen when sweet was paired with sweet. I had a Château Rieussec Sauternes 2016 with one of the rum nut balls my mom makes for me every Christmas, and it was love at first bite. And sip. Not only did these two go beautifully together, but I also liked the wine on its own. Very hit or miss with sweet wines, this was a big deal for me. It became an even bigger deal when I started researching the bottle and learned that it, and all Sauternes wines, are from Bordeaux. How I had missed this info and these wines was beyond me, but it was official. I was obsessed with this region.

              The obsession grew from there, and it hasn’t stopped. The most recent development came about a month ago when I discovered a list that had most of the region’s wines and producers on it. From that first taste of Château Montrose, I had been slowly working on trying as many Bordeaux wines as I humanly, and affordably, could, so I thought it would be a fun challenge to see how many I could mark off this list. Sadly, I had no idea how far I had to go. Out of the 355 mentioned, to date I have tried 28, four of them first growths, and have five more bottles waiting to be opened. Though a small dent, having all of these wines outlined for me, and with both my husband and I having a sickness for collecting things, I think I have a good chance of trying a solid chunk of them. I mean, I’m old, but not that old.  I’ve got time.

              With that time, and between bottles, I have also been enjoying reading, listening to podcasts, and simply learning more and more about this most amazing region. It is a dream to someday go there (anyone want to go to France with me?), but until then I will continue to enjoy the paths this area takes me down. What a fascinating time it was learning about what the winemakers did while being occupied by the Nazis in World War II. I have also been reading up on the Judgement of Paris and my beloved Château Montrose. The literature and the learning never stops, and I never want it to.

              As weird as it may be to say, I am so grateful that I found a subject in the wine world I want to fully immerse myself in. The great thing about wine is that every sip, every glass, every bottle tells the story of the place it came from. The history, the people, the land, it is all there to be discovered, and what a discovery Bordeaux has been for me. My hope for you is that you find a place, a grape, a winery that fascinates you, that becomes an obsession for you because there is something absolutely amazing about falling down a wine rabbit hole. Cheers to Bordeaux and all of the wonder it brings!