This is one of several years we’ve covered the Union Des Grands Cru (UGC) Bordeaux tasting. This year we were trying the latest 2016 releases at the Jeremy Hotel in West Hollywood, surrounded by many old friends – from the wineries and wine pals – in attendence. I covered as much ground as I could in the two hours I had (traffic and parking were not on my side, though we were given three hours for the press and distributor portion of event) most of which can be seen in these four photo grids.
There were two rooms for the tasting, and as I mentioned we were late, the first larger room was pretty crowded so we headed to the second smaller room behind it. There we found the usual long row of tables of sauternes – our dessert for last that we would return to – as well as wines from other appellations: Pauillac, Saint – Estephe and Saint – Julien if I remember correctly. The larger room held the remaining Bordeaux appellations.
The entire list of the wines that were expected to be sampled is below. The Chateaus that stood out for my palate, and in no particuclar order, included Brainaire – Ducru, Talbot, Clerc Melon, Lynch – Bages, De Pez, Grand Mayne, Cap de Mourlin, Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Villemaurine, Canon – La – Gaffeliere, Leoville Poyferre, Rauzan Gassies, Coufran, Franc Mayne, d’Armailhac, Phelan Segur, La Dour Figeac, Pavie MacQuin, La Couspaude, Balestard La Tonnelle, Smith Haut Lafitte, La Louviere, Giscours, Clinet, Gazin, Fonreaud, Suduiraut, Lafaurie – Peyraguey, Guiraud and de Fargues.
Note: When I got to the Saint – Emilion tables I was quite pleased with about 90% of the wines I tried, and many had a nice little sweetness to them. One gentleman, Julien Barth of Chateau Beau Sejour Becot, was quite earnest in how “serious” he felt the appellation was that I filmed him sharing his opinion – for about 30 seconds.
Of the pals I met up with, many were completely immersed in the tasting. There was not a consensus about this particular vintage year that I heard, and as I’ve stated in past coverage of this event, there is no way I would say all was good or all was bad – my palate, such that it is, always seeks out – and always finds – outstanding wines. If a Chateau that you normally like isn’t on my list it doesn’t mean I didn’t care for it, it could just mean that I didn’t have the time to taste everything that was available. And one last word to the winery reps and family that come to pour in this tour: we appreciate you traveling to so many of our U.S. cities to share your latest vintages year in and year out. Looking forward to seeing you all again in 2020, and enjoying these 2016s wherever I can find them.
MEMBERS OF THE UNION DES GRANDS CRUS DE BORDEAUX
GRAVES Château de Chantegrive | Château Ferrande | Château Rahoul PESSAC – LÉOGNAN Château Bouscaut | Château Carbonnieux | Château Les Carmes Haut – Brion | Domaine de Chevalier | Château de Fieuzal | Château de France | Château Haut – Bailly | Château Haut – Bergey | Château Larrivet Haut – Brion | Château Latour – Martillac | Château La Louvière | Château Malartic – Lagravière | Château Olivier | Château Pape Clément | Château Picque Caillou | Château Smith Haut Lafitte SAINT – EMILION GRAND CRU Château Cheval Blanc | Château Balestard La Tonnelle | Château Beau – Séjour Bécot | Château Berliquet | Château Canon | Château Canon – La – Gaffelière | Château Cap de Mourlin | Château La Couspaude | Château Dassault | Château La Dominique | Château – Figeac | Clos Fourtet | Château Franc Mayne | Château La Gaffelière | Château Grand Mayne | Château Larcis Ducasse | Château Larmande | Château Pavie | Château Pavie Macquin | Château Soutard | Château La Tour Figeac | Château Troplong Mondot | Château Trotte Vieille | Château Valandraud | Château Villemaurine POMEROL Château Beauregard | Château Le Bon Pasteur | Château La Cabanne | Château Clinet | Château La Conseillante | Château La Croix de Gay | Château L’ Évangile | Château Gazin | Château Petit – Village | Château La Pointe | Château Rouget LISTRAC – MÉDOC Château Clarke | Château Fonréaud | Château Fourcas Dupré | Château Fourcas Hosten MOULIS – EN – MÉDOC Château Chasse – Spleen | Château Maucaillou | Château Poujeaux HAUT – MÉDOC Château Beaumont | Château Belgrave | Château de Camensac | Château Cantemerle | Château Citran | Château Coufran | Château La Lagune | Château de Lamarque | Château La Tour Carnet MÉDOC Château La Tour de By MARGAUX Château Angludet | Château Brane – Cantenac | Château Cantenac Brown | Château Dauzac | Château Desmirail | Château Durfort – Vivens | Château Ferrière | Château Giscours | Château Kirwan | Château Labégorce | Château Lascombes | Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry | Château Marquis de Terme | Château Monbrison | Château Prieuré – Lichine | Château Rauzan – Gassies | Château Rauzan – Ségla | Château Siran | Château du Tertre SAINT – JULIEN Château Beychevelle | Château Branaire – Ducru | Château Gloria | Château Gruaud Larose | Château Lagrange | Château Langoa Barton | Château Léoville Barton | Château Léoville Poyferré | Château Saint – Pierre | Château Talbot PAUILLAC Château Mouton Rothschild | Château d’ Armailhac | Château Batailley | Château Clerc Milon | Château Croizet – Bages | Château Grand – Puy Ducasse | Château Grand – Puy – Lacoste | Château Haut – Bages Libéral | Château Lynch – Bages | Château Lynch – Moussas | Château Pichon Baron | Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande SAINT – ESTÈPHE Château Cos Labory | Château Lafon – Rochet | Château Ormes De Pez | Château de Pez | Château Phélan Ségur SAUTERNES & BARSAC Château d’ Yquem | Château Bastor – Lamontagne | Château Broustet | Château Climens | Château Coutet | Château Doisy Daëne | Château Doisy – Védrines | Château de Fargues | Château Guiraud | Clos Haut – Peyraguey | Château Lafaurie – Peyraguey | Château de Malle | Château de Rayne Vigneau | Château Sigalas Rabaud | Château Suduiraut |
Château La Tour Blanche
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com
Vintage Paso: Zinfandel Weekend begins on Friday, March 15 with Zinposium, a Zin-focused seminar in downtown Paso Robles at the Paso Robles Inn Ballroom. Moderated by iconic winemaker, Neil Collins, owner and winemaker of Lone Madrone, a panel of winemakers will discuss dry farming Zinfandel and Zin blended wines. This seated tasting is guaranteed to be educational and entertaining.
Stone Edge Farm actually owns three vineyards – Stone Edge, Mount Pisgah and Silver Cloud, which are managed organically by the renowned Phil Coturri.
While working on scheduling appointments, I started thinking that maybe last time turned out the way it did because we were somehow being punished for not visiting our good friend and extremely talented winemaker Antoine Favero. I jest, of course, but I wasn’t going to take any chances either. Besides, we hadn’t seen Antoine in a couple of years so meeting up with him seemed like a great idea regardless.
The Garagiste events, co-created by our very own Doug Minnick of Hoi Polloi and the Double Trouble Wine Room on Main in Downtown Newhall, is also the non-profit brainchild of partner Stewart McLennan.
I stole away into the kitchen to sample and review the two wines alone, as is my way so that I can be completely devoted to the task. Then, as my guests asked, I let them know my findings and suggested they sample each before deciding which to start with. For me I thought that the Bordeaux was lighter than the CDP (Chateauneuf Du Pape) in both style, fruit and spice. I enjoyed both, but the chocolate and beer chili I had made for dinner screamed out for the CDP that I presumed was predominately Syrah, followed by Grenache and Mourvedre grapes.
Jointly organized with Diversified Communications, Vinexpo New York is open exclusively to trade professionals and features two days of business meetings, educational conferences, master classes, tastings and networking events. Mary Larkin, executive vice president of Diversified Communications remarked, “After the remarkable success of Vinexpo New York 2018, we are thrilled to partner with Vinexpo for another year and welcome back the international wine and spirits industry to the world’s largest wine-consuming market.”
Simon and Shannon Mee, owners of Newhall Refinery, already had re-vamped their existing Wine List with the help of Guy Lelarge, formerly of Valencia Wine Company. Lelarge introduced several new wines – that have become new favorites – while removing some older wines from the list. But it doesn’t end here for the Mees and Lelarge, as Newhall Refinery is one of the most cutting edge restaurants in the Santa Clarita Valley (many would argue that they are the most cutting edge) they wanted to create a reserve wine list that would encompass classic Napa wineries as well as global favorites, wines with high critic scores, name recognition and pair the best with their ever-changing fare.