WEDNESDAy, MARCH 18 , 2020. THE WASHINGTON POST eZ ee e7
pHotos by onseil interprofessionnel du Vin de bordeaux (bordeaux Wine council)Cafes and restaurants in Bordeaux, France. Bordeaux city is a
UNESCO World Heritage site and a place worth visiting.
Are you bored
with bordeaux
and looking for
new wines from
far-flung places, a
trendy “red
blend,” perhaps?
Our insatiable
appetite for the
new can lead us
to yawn at the
classics. We shouldn’t. Here are
five things to know about this
famed region.
Bordeaux is the original ‘red
blend.’
If you think red blends are the
newest thing in wine, think
again. Wines have been blended
from several grape varieties
since wine was first made 8,000
or more years ago. Our habit of
identifying wines by a single
grape variety rather than the
place they were grown is
actually rather new. I suspect
“red blend” was the heading on a
spreadsheet column for wines
that didn’t fit other categories.
Bordeaux remains the
benchmark reference point for
all red wines, especially blends,
made from the traditional
Bordeaux grapes of cabernet
sauvignon, cabernet franc,
malbec, merlot and petit verdot.
For Bordeaux reds, it is
simplistic but useful t o look at a
map of the region and divide it
mentally by its rivers. The
Dordogne and Garonne flow
northwest and join at Bordeaux
city to form the Gironde estuary,
which flows northward to the
Atlantic. The Left Bank is the
region closest to the ocean. Here,
cabernet sauvignon tends to
dominate the blends. On the
Right Bank, farther inland,
merlot and cabernet franc are
the main grapes. These
preferences grew over time for
reasons of climate and geology.
Bordeaux has lots of history.
Bordeaux is in Aquitania,
which has strong historical and
cultural ties to Great Britain.
These ties are evident today in
the architecture of the chateaus
and even some of their names
(though less in ownership now,
as Chinese investors have
discovered the region).
Bordeaux’s long history has
created complexities that can
make it confusing to modern
consumers. There are various
classifications, meant to
distinguish wineries by prestige
or quality. The most famous of
these is the 1855 classification of
61 red wines and 27 sweet wines
from the Left Bank into five
classes, or growths. But there are
four other classifications — for
Graves, an area southwest of
Bordeaux city, Saint-Émilion on
the Right Bank, a group of Left
Bank wineries known as Crus
Bourgeois, and the boutique
Crus Artisans.
And then there are the
geographical areas known as
appellations, defined primarily
around villages or cities. Driving
through the Médoc along the
Left Bank north of Bordeaux, a
wine lover salivates while
passing through the wine-label
towns of Margaux, St. Julien,
Pauillac and St. Estèphe, some
barely more than a roundabout
or a cluster of shops
surrounding a church.
Wine guilds, such as the
Commanderie du Bontemps du
Médoc et des Graves, Sauternes
et Barsac on the Left Bank, and
the Jurade in Saint-Émilion on
the Right, celebrate this history
and tradition with processions
and banquets, their members
bedecked in fancy robes. The
Bordelais really do know how to
party, even if they prefer black
tie.Bordeaux is also modern.
Bordeaux has been
experiencing a wave of
rejuvenation. Many wineries
have invested in new production
facilities and tasting rooms,
improving their viticulture,
winemaking and hospitality
experiences. There’s also a
generational shift, with younger
winemakers giving a fresher vibe
to the region’s image.
And Bordeaux is not resting
on its history in the face of
climate change. As I reported
last year, the region is changing
its blends, even experimenting
with nontraditional grape
varieties in response to the
warming climate.
And although a conservative,
traditional region such as
Bordeaux might be slow to
embrace a trend, winemakers
are always willing to
experiment. Franck Bijon, chief
winemaker at Chateau Larose-
Trintaudon, makes a limited
cuvée without sulfites, a nod to
the natural wine movement, and
another from all five grape
varieties harvested on the same
day. “We are trying to innovate
so we are not considered just a
classic Bordeaux producer,” he
says.Bordeaux is worth visiting.
Bordeaux city and Saint-
Émilion are UNESCO World
Heritage sites. Bordeaux also
features the Cité du Vin wine
museum, opened in 2016 and
built to resemble wine swirling
in a decanter. It’s a fabulous
exhibition with many interactive
features showing the history of
wine throughout the world.
Bordeaux city also has a thriving
restaurant scene and its own
signature pastry, the canelé.
Wineries are best visited by
appointment. To ur companies
such as A La Francaise and
Ophorus can handle the
arrangements for you. And when
you want to escape the
vineyards, the Atlantic beach
resort of Arcachon is only about
an hour away. To the north, the
Dordogne region offers foie gras,
castles and more history.Bordeaux is not always
expensive!
Yes, you can spend a fortune
on bordeaux futures, especially
the prized First Growths, and
even more to store them
properly for years before
enjoying them. But even cheap
bordeaux — for as little as $15 a
bottle — can be a delicious value
that will give you a taste of wine
royalty.
[email protected]Mcintyre blogs at dmwineline.com.
on twitter: @dmwine.Bordeaux is more
contemporary, affordable
than you might think
Wine
DAVE
MCINTYRE
exceptional
excellent Very goodthis week we feature three
bordeaux to demonstrate the
value this historic and still very
important region can offer. and
since spring is coming, here are
two white wines to help you relax
and think of flowers, rejuvenation
and new beginnings.
— D.M.chateau des Laurets 2014/2015
Puisseguin Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux,
Fr ance, $37
Hailing from the right bank, this
delightful blend of merlot and
cabernet franc is savory and
delicious, with flavors of dark
plum, cherry and earth. i tasted
the 2014, generally considered a
lighter vintage, and the wine is
delicious. the distributor is now
selling the 2015, a riper, bolder
vintage. a fun afternoon could be
spent comparing the two; both
should have good availability in the
market. alcohol by volume:
14 percent.
imported by Wilson daniels, distributed in
the district and Maryland by bacchus, in
Virginia by rndc: available in the district at
barmy Wines & liquors, rodman’s.
available in Maryland at bin 201 Wine
sellers in annapolis; eddie’s of roland park,
north charles fine Wine & spirits and Wine
source in baltimore; iron bridge Wine co. in
columbia. available in Virginia at dominion
Wine and beer in falls church, Mermaid
Winery in Virginia beach.GReAt VALUe
stefano Accordini Pastel Bianco
Veronese 2018
Italy, $15
Made from garganega, the primary
white grape grown in the Veneto
region of northeastern italy (think
soave), this is a delightful,
beguiling wine. it flirts with aromas
of white flowers, then seduces with
a touch of honey-roasted peach.
pair it with seafood or light pasta
dishes, but be sure to save some
to savor by itself later, as it opensup and reassures you that life can
still be wonderful. abV:
12.5 percent.
imported and distributed by simon n
cellars: available in the district at a. litteri,
Via umbria. available in Virginia at the
italian store (lyon Village) in arlington,
tastings of charlottesville, unwined
(alexandria, belleview), the Wine outlet
(great falls, Mclean, Vienna).GReAt VALUe
chateau La Freynelle cabernet
sauvignon 2016
Bordeaux, $17
this wine is 100 percent cabernet
sauvignon, unusual for bordeaux,
and especially for the entre-deux-
Mers, the region between the
garonne and dordogne rivers,
where merlot is king among red
grapes. no matter — Veronique
barthe, the seventh generation
and first woman of the barthe
family to run the estate — has
crafted a delicious wine. black
currant flavors dominate over a
core of graphite minerality that
gives the wine heft and backbone,and carries it to a satisfying finish.
enjoy this with grilled steaks or
hearty stews. abV: 13.5 percent.
imported by aquitaine Wine usa,
distributed by M. touton selection:
available in the district at calvert Woodley,
central liquors, district liquors, riverside
liquors, rodman’s. available in Maryland at
fishpaws Marketplace in arnold, Harrison’s
Wine & liquors and town & country Wines
liquor etc. in easton.GReAt VALUe
disznoko tokaji dry Furmint
2018
Hungary, $17
furmint is the grape of Hungary’s
marvelous sweet tokaji wines. the
dry version tastes crisp and
refreshing, with an underlying
complexity that waits for you to pay
attention before revealing itself.
this wine is beguilingly delicious,
and is worth your attention. abV:
13.5 percent.
imported and distributed by M. touton
selection: available in the district at calvert
Woodley, central liquors, district liquors,
Macarthur beverages, rodman’s, sherry’s
Wine & spirits. available in Maryland at
chester river Wine & cheese inchestertown, Jason’s Wine & spirit in
ellicott city, Viniferous in fr ederick.
available in Virginia at specials Wine seller
in Kilmarnock.GReAt VALUe
chateau La mothe du Barry
2018
Bordeaux Supérieur, Fr ance, $1 4
Here’s a perennial favorite of mine
for the delicious fruit and sheer
value it offers. this is also from the
entre-deux-Mers, but the estate is
close to saint-emilion, so some of
the juju apparently wafts over on
the wind from its prestigious
neighbor. certified organic
viticulture. abV: 14.5 percent.
imported and distributed by elite: Widely
available at independent markets and wine
stores in the district, Maryland and Virginia.availability information is based on
distributor records. Wines might not
be in stock at every listed store and
might be sold at additional stores.
prices are approximate. check
Winesearcher.com to verify
availability, or ask a favorite wine
store to order through a distributor.RecommendAtIonsstacy Zarin goldberg for tHe WasHington post
From left, Chateau des Laurets 20 14 /2015, Chateau La Mothe du Barry 2 01 8, Disznoko Tokaji Dry
Furmint 2018, Chateau La Freynelle Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Stefano Accordini Pastel Bianco
Veronese 2018.Cité du Vin, a museum of wine that opened in 201 6 in the heart of
Bordeaux, is designed to resemble wine swirling in a decanter.
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