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Bordeaux versus Burgundy

Wine tasting March 2010 with a selection of wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Comparing grapes, zones, producers in Bordeaux and Burgundy, two iconic wine producing areas in France.

Cave de Lugny Blanc de Blancs sparkling Burgundy. Non vintage alcohol 12%

France produces many sparkling wines in addition to Champagne. Most of those wines use the Champagne method but cannot make reference to Champagne. This wine is from the Cremant de Bourgoge appellation and produced in the Maconnais area in the village of Lugny by the Cave de Lugny, the largest wine producer in Burgundy. Cremant is the term used for French sparkling wine produced outside of Champagne. It is Blanc de Blancs which means it is made from 100% Chardonnay. This is a creamy sparkling wine with fresh apple, citrus and biscuit notes. Goes well as an aperitif or as you would Champagne.

Chateau Tour Lognan. Pessac-Lognan, Graves. 2007 Alcohol 13%

The Graves region produces both white and red wines two thirds white. The Graves region also includes Pessac-Lognan, Sauternes and Barsac. It is located on the left bank just south of the city of Bordeaux. The name Graves comes from the largely gravel soils. The white wine grapes are Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. All Graves white are a blend of two grapes. The percentages of each grape varies considerably between producers and from year to year. In general, the Sauvignon offers crispness and freshness and the Semillon adds weight and complexity. The tasting wine is produced by Chateau Carbonnieux, a Cru Class estate and therefore one of the most prestigious in the appellation. Chateau Tour Leognan is the second wine of the chateau and production averages around 2,000 cases a year. It is 65% Sauvignon Blanc and 35% Semillon. Notes of flowers and citrus with some gentle oaking. Goes well with seafood and fish dishes. A more modestly priced wine from Graves is Chateau Saint-Jean-des-Graves. This has a higher Sauvignon content and is unoaked Sauvignon blanc is typically unoaked.

Finest Chablis. Chablis 2008, alcohol 11.5%

Grand Cru and Premier Cru Chablis are usually more elegant and complex than lesser rated Chablis. Tasting Chablis or Petit Chablis after Grand or Premier Cru can be a big disappointment. The name commands a price and even low quality Chablis or Petit Chablis can seem expensive. This wine, however, manages to balance price and Chablis character. It is part of the Finest range made especially for Tesco. Unoaked, it has fresh mieral, green and steady notes that are typical of higher priced wines from the area. A wine that goes well with fish and simple chicken dishes.

Domaine de la Bouroniere. Fleurie, Beaujolais. 2005 alcohol 13%

The village of Fleurie is located in the middle of the Beaujolais area and arguably one of the most scenic. Ther grape, as for Beaujolis, is Gamay and the wine is made using the carbonic maceration method. Fleurie is perhaps the best known of all the Beaujolais Crus and the one most likely to be seen outside of France. As the name suggests, Fleurie tends to be one of the most floral or fruity crus. Fleurie is characterized by granite rocks which seem to give the wine more depth. The tasting wine is made from vines that average c. 50 years. Produced by a small producer who is part of the Eoiles en Beaujolis group who have combined to promote the best of Beaujolais. It is a 2005 vintage which was one of the best over the last 100 years. The wine would go well with roast lamb and lighter meats. The best known and by far the biggest name in Beaujolais is Georges Duboeuf. He produces the full range of Beaujolais but sometimes is more rewarding to seek out smaller producers.

Louis Jadot cote de Beaume-Villages. Burgundy. 1999 alcohol 13%

Louis Jadot is one of the largest negociants in Burgundy he produces over 200 wines. The grapes are sourced from the classified villages of Chorey les Beaune and Ladoix and the wine therefore can be classified as Villages. The grape is Pinot Noir. The wine is around 11 years old which means that it should now have developed the savory, earthy - Farmyard? - notes that characterize aged Burgundies. The strawberry, raspberry or cherry notes of youth should have disappeared. This is a wine to go with coq au vin or game dishes.

Chateau lezongars, LEnclos. Premiers Cotes de Bordeaux. 2005 alcochol 13.5%

All red Bordeaux (claret) is always a blend of grapes. The right bank tends to be merlot dominated and the left bank tends to have a higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. 55% of Bordeaux wine is simply Bordeaux AOC i.e. it is not from a named appellation such as Saint Emilion. Bordeaux AOC is largely right bank and Merlot driven. It can be worth investigating some of the lesser known area within Bordeaux. The tasting wine is from Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux which used to be better known and still retains many fine chateaux buildings. Regrettably for the producers, their wine can never command the same prices as neighboring Saint Emilion regardless of quality. The tasting wine is from a chateau that was purchased in 1998 by an English couple and restore to its forme quality image. Today, it is regarded as one of the best estates in the appellation. It is 65% Merlot and 32% Cabernet Sauvignon. 2005 ranks as one of the best vintages over the last years. Roast lamb is the traditional match for red Bordeaux.

Berry Brothers & Rudd Good Ordinary Claret. 2007 alcohol 12.5%

Many wine retailers continue the tradition of producing their own house claret. Often, this reflects relationships with producers going back many years. Producers see supplying such an own label as highly prestigious. For many of these traditional retailers the house claret is their benchmark of quality it is the expression of the retailer. Berry Brothers & Rudd is one the better ones and it has its own Good Ordinary Claret. It is made by Dourthe. It regularly performs far better than the name might suggest. |It is their biggest selling wine. It is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon nad petit Verdot. A reliable, elegant, smooth tasting wine that goes well with roast lamb and other red meat dishes.


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