Wines to Wait Too Long to Crack Them Open
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Decanter promotion Decanter promotion modif CARTE AQUI COTESDEBORDEAUX-SECTORISEE-2013 V2.pdf 1 13/01/14 17:08 Also recommended: n Château La Raz Caman Paris AOC Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 2012 FRANCE 45° Bordeaux n Château des Tourtes, Cuvée Prestige AOC Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 2012 n Château Maison Neuve AOC Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 2012 Report by Jane Anson, Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent reds Château Montlandrie The CôTes de Bordeaux: 10% of Bordeaux still hovering at around 20% overall in the wines in this vintage show perfect freshness AOC Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 2011 wine produced in the region each year, 1000 export stakes however (compared to 39% for and lift, and there are some excellent varietal 17.5/20pts (91pts/100) Highly recommended winegrowers, four beautiful areas lying to the Bordeaux as a whole, and well over 70% for the characteristics of sauvignon blanc, sémillon and [email protected] right Bank of the dordogne and Garonne more famous classified names). That means it is muscadelle. so for both styles, there is no need Form an orderly queue (I’ll be right there rivers. as pleasurable to visit as they are to not always easy to get hold of the best wines to wait too long to crack them open. some of the alongside you) for an affordable wine from the search out in your local wine store, the names without visiting the area – lucky then that local bigger styles could benefit from an hour opening legendary denis durantou of Pomerol’s l’eglise Dordogne to remember with the Côtes de Bordeaux are winemakers are also welcoming more and more before drinking – but the most important thing Clinet. durantou bought this estate in 2009, Blaye, Cadillac, Castillon and Francs. The four visitors to their own estates each year. There with these bottles is to find a few friends to and has been steadily replanting the vineyard regions grouped together from the 2009 are four local wine festivals in the Côtes, plus a share them with, and open them alongside a ever since, but there are still some old vines vintage, with one aim – to make things simpler Marathon held in the city of Blaye, harvest range of food styles. Their soft fruitiness, and Garonne among the new, planted high on a limestone for wine drinkers when looking to choose walks in Cadillac, and an annual reconstruction medium weight in terms of tannins and structure ridge. This is elegant, everything is where it pleasurable, fruit-filled bottles of wine that of the famous Battle of Castillon where the make them highly accessible for food matching. should be, with clean fresh summer fruit, and offer some of the best value for money in the english were defeated at the end of the a touch of restraint. This is a winemaker who whole Bordeaux region. hundred Years War (an event that saw the area knows how to rein things in, but it would return to France only after the love affair benefit from a good half an hour of opening These are mainly small family estates (the between the english and Bordeaux wine had Wines to try before tucking in. This is a good wine, everything average is between 37 to 50 acres), making been firmly established). Both Cadillac and that you want a petit château to achieve. 97% red wine, with merlot as the main grape Francs have beautiful historic châteaux that are Whites variety. Many are producing organic or open to visitors and that date back to the Grand Vin de Château Haut Bertinerie biodynamic wines, and all are committed to Middle ages, and all four regions have local AOC Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 2012 Clos Puy Arnaud respecting the environment, preserving the Maisons des Vins which offer regular tastings 17.25 (90+) Highly recommended AOC Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 2011 sun-drenched south-facing slopes (the and wine tourism events. Vines have been www.myliko.co.uk a full 90% sémillon, and 5% each of sauvignon one of the oldest estates in the Blaye region, 17 (90) Highly recommended meaning of the word Côtes) that protect their planted in these regions since roman times, excellent sauvignon nose, best varietal flavour of Blanc and sauvignon Gris makes this wine stand owned by stéphane heurlier. This cuvée comes £23 Vintage Roots, www.vintageroots.co.uk grapes while offering stunning views down and you will find the landscape dotted with any wine in this tasting. The wine offers lovely out. I have to say I still got plenty of citrus and from 50% sauvignon Gris, 20% sauvignon I am a long-time admirer of winemaker valleys to the rivers below. and all work historic châteaux, manor houses, fortresses crisp gooseberry and cut grass flavours, with a grassy aromas on the nose, but with a roundness Blanc and 30% sémillon, and is well structured. Thierry Valette, who easily makes some of the together under the Côtes de Bordeaux umbrella and uNesCo World heritage sites such as the citrus tang, and is seriously enjoyable stuff. and structure that showed the majority grape sauvignon Gris and sémillon are excellent best wines of Castillon. This has poise, elegance with one interest in common – to produce Citadelle de Blaye, a military fortress variety. a good foodie white wine. 13.5%abv. complements to each other, and the apricoty, and complexity. a really good wine, confident easy-to-enjoy wines that respect the place that overlooking the Gironde estuary. lower-acidity range of white fruits serves this and bright. From biodynamic grapes, aged for they have come from. Château Puyanché well. 8 months in oak (15% new) and 6 months in The Côtes wines excel in easy-drinking years AOC Francs Côtes de Bordeaux 2012 Château Montfollet Le Valentin cement tanks. Blend is 70% Merlot, 30% since joining together to form one group, such as 2011. This is a vintage where tannins are 16-16.5 (86-87) Recommended. AOC Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 2012 Cabernet Franc, 14%abv. exports for the Côtes de Bordeaux have risen soft, and wines will be ready to drink from now www.godardbellevue.com 16 (86) Recommended Château Les Bertrands, Cuvée Prestige 39% in just the last two years alone. They are and for the next three to five years. The white Stuart Calder www.chateaux-solidaires.com AOC Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 2012 Lovely grip on this wine, clear layered fruit dominique raimond winemaker here. This is 15.5 (85) Recommended Château La Croix Lartigue flavours, very attractive lime blossom and fresh good, subtle, needs some airing to aerate the www.chateaulesbertrands.com AOC Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 2011 citrus flavours. Like this a lot. round edge 40% of sémillon, which is blended with 60% www.topselection.co.uk 17 (90) Highly recommended comes through on the mid palate. sauvignon Blanc, aged in oak. Fresh, crisp, good sauvignon character, balanced Great wine from simon Blanchard, stéphane by some toasted almond notes. Good value for derenoncourt and Julien Lavenu (who bill a more structured foodie style of white. 100% themselves on the bottle as Les Trois origines). Château Les Faix Château Berthenon sauvignon Blanc, with six months in French as is fairly typical from Castillon, alcohol is high AOC Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 2012 AOC Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 2012 oak, and lees stirring. at 14%abv but this tastes excellent, lots of fruit, 16 (86) Recommended 15.5 (85) Recommended really enjoyable, round and sweet with silky www.tutiac.com www.chateauberthenon.com tannins, impactful without being overpowering. Nice fresh profile, grassy and hay rather than Fairly large, 32 hectares estate in Blaye, making Découverte, Les Vignerons de Tutiac 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, aged in oak citrus, very delicate, 12%abv and it does feel here a lovely sauvignon Blanc wine, light and AOC Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 2012 for 16 months (one third new oak). light and delicate. Not huge impact, but gentle, refreshing at 12.5%abv, but still with plenty of 15.5 (85) Recommended enjoyable, 100% sauvignon Blanc. flavour going on here, some lime, citrus zest, www.tutiac.com oy r good zing, not huge persistency, but enjoyable. Good, fleshy, well-structured, rich mouthfeel Château Clos Chaumont from a touch of skin contact before direct AOC Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux 2011 Château Lacaussade Saint-Martin, pressing of the grapes. Layered on top of 17 (90) Highly recommended ‘Trois Moulins’ Grand Vin du Château La Bretonnière this is a lovely sprightly citrus zing. aged on www.closchaumont.com AOC Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 2012 AOC Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 2012 fine lees in stainless steel tanks, all aimed at Both the second and first wine from this property 16 (86) Recommended 15.5 (85) Recommended keeping typicity of the fruit. 12%abv, were tasted, and I enjoyed them both, although Photograph:CIVB/Philippe www.lacaussade-saintmartin.com [email protected] 100% sauvignon Blanc. this one won the day. hubert de Bouard is ➢ Decanter promotion Decanter promotion consultant, and has been able to make the most Grand Vin de Château Haut Bertinerie Château Fontpeyre Clément much. after five minutes in glass things open of numerous investments made by owner AOC Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 2011 AOC Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 2011 and evolve, excellent potential. Pieter Verbeek since he bought in the early 16.5 (88) Recommended 16.5 (88) Recommended 1990s. Blend is 53% Merlot, 25% Cabernet www.myliko.co.uk www.chateaucafol.com sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc. enjoyable one of the biggest and most reliable names in Lovely wine, all fireside smoky cinders Château Courrèges right from first nose, with a blast of good clean Blaye, this is a blend of 60% Merlot, 40% followed up by brambly fruits.