From LocalWineEvents.com – Heart of Burgundy Wine & Food Tour

August 16, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Five full days plus dinner with your guide on the evening of your arrival day – October 9th to October 14th, Cost: 2,775 euros per person – maximum 6 guests.

In October 2017 there will be a totally unique, wonderful wine tour in Burgundy and you can still join it! It includes a cellar visits, barrel tasting, cheese and wine pairing, truffle hunt, wine and chocolate tasting, vineyard visits and the most delicious dishes you could ever hope to enjoy…

A Wine and Food Tour with a difference

This is a wine tour in Burgundy that’s like no other. It will be limited to just six people and for five full days and two evenings you’ll not only be totally spoiled but will enjoy an introduction to stunning Burgundy in a unique and fabulous way. You don’t need to know anything about wine to enjoy this trip which takes in some of the most famous and beautiful vineyards in the world, although if you do, you will already know how amazing the wines of Burgundy can be.

The adventure starts in the medieval town of Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy, home of the famous Hospices de Beaune (Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune) a former charitable almshouse founded in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin, chancellor of Burgundy, as a hospital for the poor. The Hospices de Beaune is one of France’s most prestigious historic monuments. Its flamboyant Gothic architecture, its polychrome roofs and a renowned vineyard make this museum one of Burgundy’s gems. of course you’ll be visiting this with a private guide and tasting some of the amazing wines during the course of our cellar visits during the week.

Wine tasting, gourmet food and spell-binding villages in Burgundy

Each day on the trip you’ll be visiting different domains – some of them opening their doors especially for you. You’ll enjoy some of the very best wines and gourmet food in the most beautiful parts of Burgundy .

Discover then the authentic Heart of Burgundy on my fun and informative wine and food tour in the beautiful Côte d’Or (the golden slopes) of Burgundy. In my 12th season of tours, I am very passionate and proud of this historic and diverse wine region which led me to create a special signature tour to share the treasures of Burgundy’s ‘terroir’ from carefully selected cellars to delicious cheeses, regional specialities and a whole lot more, with you.

Arrival Day: (Evening) – Meet with your guide for the week at 19h30 at your hotel in Beaune for a welcome dinner at a beautiful 1* Michelin restaurant in the heart of Beaune.

Day 1 – Wine Tasting lunch in gorgeous Cote Chalonnaise

Today you will meet, talk and taste with some welcoming winemakers in their delightful cellars in these picturesque villages. Tasting both pinot noir and chardonnay from different producers, the highlight of the day is our leisurely tasting lunch, pairing excellent wines with a four course lunch at a chateau estate in the village of Mercurey.

Day 2 – Private Cooking Course, Lunch, Vineyard Tour & Tasting

Learn to cook traditional Burgundian fare with our French chef in his renovated family home in a famous wine village (or if you prefer, modern French cuisine with a Burgundian twist in a professional kitchen (exclusive to our clients) inclusive of aperitifs and a three course lunch. Morning cooking session followed by a delicious lunch with wine and after lunch touring the famous vineyards & villages of the Cote de Nuits, stopping for an excellent cellar visit in one of the renowned wine villages, tasting from village to grand cru wines and including a walk through the vineyards to the famous cross of Romanee Conti. The vineyard of Romanee Conti produces the most expensive wine in the world! You will also be able to experience a visit to the Chateau de Clos Vougeot built be cistercian monks before the french revolution.

Day 3 – Cote de Beaune, Wine & Chocolate

Today it’s the turn of the Cote de Beaune famed for its magnificent chardonnays (amongst the best in the world) & lighter red pinots. First stop in Meursault tasting some lovely reds and whites from both barrel and bottles followed by a tour of the famed grand cru vineyards of Meursault, Puligny Montrachet & Chassagne Montrachet amongst others. After a delicious typically Burgundian lunch in Volnay (on the terrace if fine) we take a break from tasting on a leisurely spectacular drive up into Hautes Cotes where you will be entirely surrounded by vineyards and enjoying some of the finest views in Burgundy. Our final visit of the day is an artisanal chocolate shop where I will show you how well certain wines pair with the right chocolate.

Day 4 – Truffle Hunt, Cheese Tasting & Bubbles Day

First stop is to a family owned cheese venue, where you will enjoy some of the very typical, unpasturised cheeses of Burgundy pairing with both red and white wines. Next is a truffle hunt with a very cute dog and his master in a little forest in the Burgundian countryside set against the backdrop of an wonderful 11th Century chateau. After sampling some of their delicious truffle specialities, we drive to a neighbouring village for a lovely lunch in rustic surroundings. An enjoyable drive through the hills and villages leads us to the vllage of Savigny les Beaune where you will have your first taste of sparkling wine ‘Cremant de Bourgogne’ – Burgundy’s answer to champagne in wine domaine of several generations.

Day 5– Market Day in Beaune.

This morning you will have some time on your own meandering around Beaune’s spectacular market, full of colourful vegetables and fruits, delicious cheeses, olives and pates. With all the wonderful shops in Beaune you may wish to fit in some last minute shopping before departure. After lunch (at your own choice – maybe a picnic from your purchases at the market) we will visit the only remaining mustard museum where you will be able to mix your own mustard. The last cellar visit of the week will be in the oldest cellars in Beaune for our private candlelit wine tasting. This evening I invite you to join me for a last night gourmet dinner in a little village on the outskirts of Beaune, enjoying aperitifs on the terrace before dinner.

Additional Tour Day:

Medieval Burgundy

Enjoy a relaxed day in stunning medieval villages filled with flowers and boasting gorgeous views. First stop Semur en Auxois with its four turrets towering over the River Armancon, stopping at the market & relaxing with a drink. Next is Flavigny sur Ozerain, classed as one of the most beautiful villages in France (of ‘Chocolat’ fame), in time to enjoy a leisurely walking tour through Flavigny’s delightful streets followed by a delicious lunch at a Ferme Auberge run by local farmers’ wives with fresh produce from their farms & gardens. After lunch, a fun & informative tasting of local wines before driving across country to Chateauneuf en Auxois with its fairytale 12C Château, returning to Beaune taking the scenic route through the beautiful Ouche Valley

This tour can be customised for private groups. The tour price does not include accommodation but the accommodation can be arranged for you through Burgundy on a Plate

Burgundy on a Plate
Boulevard Clemenceau
Beaune, Bourgogne 21200

http://www.localwineevents.com/events/detail/670353/Beaune-Heart-of-Burgundy-Wine-Food-Tour-October-9th-to-October-14th

Tasting and Getting to Know: Chateau Angelus

June 2, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Getting to meet the newest (8th Generation) Estate Director and third female Director in the history of Chateau Angelus, Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal, was a huge treat for me. Add that we would meet over dinner at Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air – and taste at least five different vintages – and I was over the top with delight.

What I Learned

In 2012 Chateau Angelus, a Premier Grand Cru, was awarded a “class A” distinction.

The 2012 vintage bottle is completely different looking from the others with gold embossing instead of a front label. You can read more about it in this Forbes article.

The bell shown on the label does exist, and rings three times daily. You can hear it yourself without traveling to Saint-Emilion here. There is now a chip hidden in that bell to avoid counterfeiting.

The name Angelus is in reference to a Catholic prayer.

The estate vineyards are predominantly Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

Prices, between $350 to $450, can increase 100% after release. (The restaurant had one vintage for $880.)

The Wine

Stéphanie was enchanting, the venue and food lovely – all eclipsed by some remarkable vintages that were chosen to show us the range and depth of the wines. We tasted in this order:

2014: (Bottled September 2016, this latest release marks the 30^th vintage with a banner on the bottle). Ripe and dark with black fruit as well as raspberry, earth and smoke. Remarkably open and ready to drink. 94 Eve pts.

2012: (With a gold embossed bottle in honor of the new class A distinction.) Great fruit flavors like plum and blueberry were followed by mushroom, spice and had a great backbone. This was my favorite. 97 Eve pts.

2007: (Stéphanie said she loved this one.) Big fruit that included black plums, blackberry, a bit softer on the spice, cigar and dark tannins that were starting to soften. The red fruit really opened up in the mouth. 94 Eve pts.

2006: The fruit – red to black – had aged perfectly; the wine was dry, mildly spiced and held a perfect balance. 97 Eve pts.

2010: (Thought to be the most outstanding.) Bolder fruit, peppery, tannic, Stéphanie said it was opulent, one of the best they’ve produced, and my second favorite. 97 Eve pts.

http://www.angelus.com/en/

https://www.instagram.com/chateauangelus/

https://www.facebook.com/chateauAngelus

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, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. 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

Tasting 2013: My Opinion of the 2016 Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux U.S. Tour

February 12, 2016 by evebushman 2 Comments

Once again we made our way through Bordeaux, France by way of the Union des Grands Crus (UGC) de Bordeaux tasting in LA. This year the only difference was that I could visualize the wineries by memory having had a brief visit to Bordeaux last summer. I think, having seen just a handful of these wineries myself, it made the tasting that much more magical.

(From Our Bordeaux Visit:Wine 101ers Dream Part I: Visiting Bordeaux’s Château Le Grand Verdus and Château Petit Village, Wine 101ers Dream Visiting Bordeaux Part II: Château De Sales, Wine 101ers Dream Part III: Visiting Bordeaux’s Château Leoville Poyferre and Wine 101ers Dream Part IV: Visiting Bordeaux’s Château Pichon Baron.)

This year Eddie and I attended the trade/press afternoon portion of the event at the Fairmont Miramar hotel in Santa Monica, the public event would be held that same evening at the Santa Monica Airport’s Museum of Flying.

Bushman Takeaways

Stateside Bordeaux fans have a tendency, in my opinion, to generalize the entirety of a young vintage year from Bordeaux as either a good one or a bad one.

I simply can’t imagine how, logically, one could say, hey Napa year 2000/whatever was a bad year across the board. Bordeaux, like Napa, is an uber-large area with different terroir (soils, winemakers, weather, valleys and grapes) that make each unique.

There is no way I could ever say an entire area produced a not-so-great vintage year, what I will say, again in my own opinion, is not to listen to the fans/experts but to be guided by your own palate and budget.

So, without further adieu, our favorites are underlined in bold below and an under 2-minute YouTube slide show can be seen here.

Wine List at Press Time

Chateau Angludet
Chateau Bastor-Lamontagne
Chateau Beaumont
Chateau Beauregard
Chateau Beychevelle
Chateau Branaire-Ducru
Chateau Brane-Cantenac
Chateau Canon
Chateau Canon-La-Gaffeliere
Chateau Cantemerle
Chateau Cantenac Brown
Chateau Carbonnieux
Chateau Chasse-Spleen
Domaine de Chevalier
Chateau Citran
Chateau Clarkegaf
Chateau Clerc Milon
Chateau Clinet
Chateau Coufran
Chateau Coutet
Chateau d’Armailhac
Chateau Dassault
Chateau Dauzac
Chateau de Camensac
Chateau de Chantegrive
Chateau de Fargues
Chateau de Fieuzal

Chateau de France
Chateau de Lamarque
Chateau de Pez
Chateau de Rayne Vigneau
Chateau Doisy Daene
Chateau du Tertre
Chateau Fourcas Hosten
Chateau Gazin
Chateau Giscours
Chateau Gloria
Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Chateau Grand-Puy-Ducasse
Chateau Gruaud Larose
Chateau Guiraud
Clos Haut-Peyraguey
Chateau Kirwan
Chateau La Cabanne
Chateau La Couspaude
Chateau La Dominique
Chateau La Lagune
Chateau La Louviere
Chateau La Pointe
Chateau La Tour Blanche
Chateau La Tour Carnet
Chateau La Tour de By
Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey
Chateau Lafon-Rochet

Chateau Lagrange
Chateau Langoa Barton
Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion
Chateau Lascombes
Chateau Latour-Martillac
Chateau Le Bon Pasteur
Chateau Leoville Barton
Chateau Leoville Poyferre
Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion
Chateau Lynch-Bages
Chateau Lynch-Moussas
Chateau Malartic-Lagraviere
Chateau Malescot Saint-Exupery
Chateau Marquis de Terme
Chateau Maucaillou
Chateau Olivier
Chateau Ormes de Pez
Chateau Pape Clement
Chateau Phelan Segur
Chateau Pichon Longueville Baron
Chateau Prieure-Lichine
Chateau Rauzan-Segla
Chateau Saint-Pierre
Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte
Chateau Suduiraut
Chateau Talbot
Chateau Troplong Mondot
Chateau Villemaurine

Eve’s Wine 101 Event Picks: Garagiste Southern Exposure 2/13-14, American Wine Specialist course Feb 2016 (this is the one you can take with me, so let me know if you signed up: Eve@EveWine101.com), LA Essentials 2/20, Paso Robles Distillery Trail presents Fire and Ice 2/27, Food Fare 3/3, Taste of Solvang 3/16-20 and Paso Zin Weekend 3/18-20.

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years. She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Wine 101ers Dream Part IV: Visiting Bordeaux’s Château Pichon Baron

August 14, 2015 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Talk about a gorgeous winery! The iconic grounds alone should make you gasp and we took lots of photos and selfies before even starting the tour. (Facebook album link here.)

Once our guide met us we learned that the winery started in 1694 with 73 hectares when the Baron de Longeville married the daughter of a winemaker. The land, much like Leoville (see Part III of this series that ran on 8/7/15) was eventually divided between five family members in 1850. In 2012 the “Baron” was added as a nickname for the winery. After the revolution the French church confiscated all vineyards. The baron had survived and was able to buy more vineyards to add to his estate.

Eddie Bushman getting the royal treatment.

Notes

The largest varietal grown on the estate is Cabernet Sauvignon with 40 hectares, and they only have “a drop of Merlot.”

It takes two vines to make one bottle.

No 100-year old vines in the vineyard like we have in the U.S.

The Château was built in 1851.

Their bottling program is also like Leoville in that the wines spend 6 months in barrel before blending, and then another 18 months in barrels.

They only use French oak but the “recipe changes every year” so they get the barrels the way they want them (a degree of toasting) from the coopers.

All wines comprise at least two grape varietals in the blend.

They use the gravity flow method to deliver juice to vats from above; they also have vats both above and below the floor.

“Progress is made in the vineyards” not by watching what other wineries are doing.

The tasting room, much like many we saw, is large and inviting in an effort to do one thing like Napa: make the wine accessible to the consumer. (We made appointments, which are necessary. You can do that, hire a guide or schedule a tour.)

They produce three wines, two are second labels. Thankfully we got to sample a few:

2012 Les Tourrelles

Blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Balanced tart fruit and spice, well done, look for it at K & L and Wally’s. 91 Eve Points.

2012 Les Griffons

55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon

Darker fruit, pepper, more depth, smoke, can be found offered by the glass in some restaurants as it’s a Drink Now wine. 93 Eve Points.

2009 Château Pichon Baron

Due to the vineyard yield (it was a hot dry vintage) it is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot.

Dusty plums, beautiful dark fruit layers and perfect balance with tannins. Loved this one, said it was perfect for the American Palate. 96 Eve points

2012 Château Pichon Baron

80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot

Dark, dry, tart and balanced. Perfect when aged. 95 Eve points.

http://www.pichonlongueville.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ch%C3%A2teau-Pichon-Longueville-Baron/113075185369167?fref=ts

(Appointment courtesy Planet Bordeaux)

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years. She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a guest judge for the L.A. International Wine Competition. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Wine 101ers Dream Part III: Visiting Bordeaux’s Château Leoville Poyferre

August 7, 2015 by evebushman Leave a Comment

An hour’s drive from Bordeaux’s center is St. Julien – where you will see Châteaux, some directly across the street or next door to one another with vines as far as the naked eye can see. We hit the mother load. We took photos where we could (see Facebook album here.) and even found a cafe tucked behind Château Lynch Bages where I had my first hamburger in two weeks (this trip also included over a week in Paris).

Château Leoville Poyferre

2^nd Grand Cru Classé, Saint-Julien. Léoville is situated in St Julien in the heart of the Médoc. The origin of the domain goes back to the French Revolution, when Léoville was the largest estate in the Médoc. (Appointment courtesy Planet Bordeaux)

Sunrise at Chateau Leoville Poyferre.

Our host, Morgan, explained that St. Julien is a small region of Bordeaux – there are a total of 8,000 Château in Bordeaux! The Medoc area has 200 acres with 23 Château in St. Julien with 19 owners.

They make three wines, the first has the “Château” name on the label, the second is called “Pavillon de Leoville Poyferre” and made with the youngest wines, and the third is named “Château Moulin Riche” from the area the grapes come from.

Notes

The winery makes wine from four grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.

The soil is made up of sand, rock and clay. It is very deep and the rocks heat up during the day and “gives back (the heat) at night.”

No one waters the soil.

2009 was a very good vintage as it was good weather for Cabernet that does well in colder weather. (Warmer weather is needed for Merlot.) Robert Parker gave the vintage a 100. 2009 was also a good year, Parker gave it a 98. The 11s and 12s are “classic.”

Petit Verdot leaves have three parts to them while Merlot, Cabernet and Cabernet Franc have five distinct sections.

New meets the old as the visitor’s center is across the courtyard from the original Château.

The Leoville name is attached to three separate Châteaux that were once all the same family, and are now owned by three families since 1840: Le Cases, Barton and Poyferre. Each own between 150 to 200 acres. “An imaginary line separates the estates…and they are friends and not foes.”

The winery has unique temperature-regulated concave stainless steel vats that allow more color and extraction. The vats are different sizes allowing for different varietal yields, no blending is done with the vats.

After de-stemming and two hand sorts the grapes are sorted by a machine that pulls out green and too-small berries that “don’t suit them.” The state-of-the-art computer program photographs the grapes to determine which won’t make the cut. Similar machines are used to sort tomatoes so that only the perfect sized ones are sold in supermarkets.

Wines leave the vats to spend 6 months in oak barrels, then they are blended, and put back into 80% new oak barrels for 12 months. Barrels are only used 1-2 times. They cost 800 Euros new and are usually only worth 50 Euros when they are sold to others for use.

Egg whites, 5 to 6 of them per barrel, are used to clarify the wines and reduce impurities.

They are currently blending the 14s and bottling the 13s. The 13s will remain in bottle for 6 months before sold.

It is the law to allow 3 years from the time of harvest before selling finished bottles. It is also the law that no wine exceeds 15% alcohol.

We saw a kosher vat, the first we’ve ever seen, and most of the kosher wine is exported to New York.

Most wines are sold to English-speaking countries.

The vintages currently thought to be good years are from 2000, 03, 05, 09 and 10.

The Cuvelier family has owned the winery since 1920, their personal cellar collection goes back to 1920 as well.

We tasted:

2011 Pavillon that had bright red fruit, black peppery, young but can be drunk now. 91 Eve points. A 2009 Moulin Riche was considered “the best vintage here” and it was my fave of the three with lush black fruit, smoke, blackberry jam, raisins and good tannins. 94 Eve points. Finally the 08 Château Leoville Poyferre made me think, whoa, was there a fire near the vineyard? GREAT smoke followed by dark plum and even darker chocolate. I’d give it a little age…but you don’t have to! 95 Eve pts.

http://www.leoville-poyferre.fr/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/chateau.leoville.poyferre?fref=ts

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years. She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a guest judge for the L.A. International Wine Competition. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Wine 101ers Dream Visiting Bordeaux Part II: Château De Sales

July 31, 2015 by evebushman Leave a Comment

If you are lucky enough to visit Château De Sales in Pomerol, and have the owner Bruno De Lambert meet you for your tour, you must ask to see inside his Château. I can’t write very much about what I learned while in his home, but suffice it to say, his stories were very entertaining, even for my 20 year-old daughter that ISN’T a wine drinker!

My family and Mr. De Lambert behind the Chateau.

De Lambert explained that the story of the winery was really a story about the family. According to the website it is “the largest estate in the Pomerol appellation and has been owned by the same family for more than five hundred years.”

The home is all one level, completed in the 17th century. The short set of stairs we climbed to enter the home are the original stones and as you enter De Lambert may point out the indentation in the stone floor from the many years of foot traffic.

Worn tapestries (ask De Lambert to tell you a story about those) adorn several of the walls and an antique book of maps lays open to a page of the thirteen colonies…and past that, in French, the words for “we don’t know” what lands lay beyond.

De Lambert pointed out interesting architectural designs such as a repeated face over doors and chimneys, carvings placed vertically on one wall and horizontally on another.

Notes:

There are no vines visible to the eye from this remarkable Château. (See Facebook album link here.)

A train can be seen from the Château that has been there since 1850, bringing passengers, and De Lambert’s family every weekend, back and forth from Paris and beyond.

There are windows that are now filled with stone due to a window tax.

The smallest estate in Pomerol, 1/2 acre, used to just be a garden.

There are 22 Châteaux in Pomerol that have over 22 acres.

The trees on the property won’t be cut down to make room for vines, the idea would be an “impossible” one for De Lambert. There are stories of the De Sales trees being a common spot for romantic trysts.

The vineyard is only seen from the front of the Châteaux property.

De Lambert believes that “terroir is…soil and climate…(and it’s) through the vines (that) the winemaker gives the maximum of quality. (It’s not) a technical style of wine.” Instead, De Lambert says, you “respect what the terroir gives you.”

The grapes are all handpicked and about 40 people are needed for harvest.

No yeast is added to their wines.

Two wines are made, the primary and secondary labels. The remaining balance is sold in bulk.

All of the wines only spend “9 months in wood” to insure that the fruit doesn’t “disappear.”

The original cellar was built in 1893, the new cellar was added in 1970 and now 100% is bottled at the Château when the bottling truck rolls in.

For the last 40 years De Lambert has sold to the same 5 Bordeaux merchants.

We tasted both the primary and secondary labels, both priced under 23 Euros, both predominantly Merlot followed by Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon: Château Chantalouette 2011 and Château De Sales 2011. Neither deserves less than 90 Eve points! An amazing price point that a wine 101er could easily appreciate. It’s important to try these wines when you can find them (60% are imported to the U.S. and Belgium, and we already found them at Wally’s). Not all Bordeaux are costly.

De Lambert commented, it’s all about “family, estate and architecture (as that’s what makes us) unique.”

http://www.Château-de-sales.com/welcome-eng.html

(Appointment courtesy Bordeaux Office of Tourism)

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years. She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a guest judge for the L.A. International Wine Competition. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Wine 101ers Dream Part I: Visiting Bordeaux’s Château Le Grand Verdus and Château Petit Village

July 24, 2015 by evebushman Leave a Comment

If you enjoy Cabernet Sauvignon (or any of the 5 noble grapes of Bordeaux that also include Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot) visiting Bordeaux may be on your bucket list, it certainly was on mine. And, after my first day in Pomerol where Merlot is the predominant grape, I’m sitting in my hotel in Bordeaux city center sipping a glass of wine from one of the five wineries we (my husband Eddie is in many of my photographs) planned to visit on our trip.

Visiting a Château is not something I wanted to rush so visiting only five over two days seemed just fine, and thanks to Planet Bordeaux and the helpful tourism office of Bordeaux, I was set with leisurely tours and tastings.

Note: As I was walking or standing most of the time my notes are brief, but I think you will get the idea!

Château Le Grand Verdus

Winemaker/Export Manager Thomas Le Grix de la Salle showing the winery to Eddie Bushman.

20 km east of Bordeaux. 16th-century Renaissance residence has been in the hands of the same family since 1810 – four generations of the LE GRIX DE LA SALLE family. In 1579, the fortified country residence was built on the site of an old fortified castle. In 1974, Château Le Grand Verdus, one of the architectural jewels of the Bordeaux region, was listed as a historical monument. (Appointment courtesy Planet Bordeaux)

The one thing I asked was to please book us a tour in the oldest Château possible, like the iconic images we see on many Bordeaux wine labels. Château Le Grand Verdus did not disappoint. Three generations of the family currently live at the Château, and our guide said that the “grandfather would end his life here.”

We learned that the property started out as a farm where cows made their home, and now is where vines reside. After World War II they decided it was a nice terroir for vines and the family began cultivating and selling grapes.

Negotiants – thought to be untrustworthy – were soon discarded by the winery, and they chose to sell their wines directly to the consumer. As a point of history they were the first to do this in Bordeaux. The vine production grew from its original of 40 hectares to 120 hectares.

Notes:

Windows of the Château were not installed in an effort to prevent bandits from entering.

The Château belonged to Napoleon’s architect. (Now if that isn’t a slice of history I don’t know what is!)

The makeup of the soil – clay, gravel, limestone, calcareous, shells, etc. – can all be seen on the walls of the Château and make it a “nice parcel for planting.” (See more in this Facebook album link here.)

Grapes include Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscadet, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

The three-level cellar was built in 1970. The stainless steel tanks were originally designed to use for milk before then!

Winemaker/Export Manager Thomas Le Grix de la Salle explained that you can’t make “good wine without clay…Latour, Petrus, all have clay” and both clay and limestone are needed for their sponge effect in holding water.

Thomas studied agriculture in Toulouse, travelled to gain experience at Santa Barbara Winery and then in far off Marlborough, New Zealand; making Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in both locations.

95% of the grapes used in their wines are from their own estate.

Due to global warming, a very real thing to Thomas, he is having great success with Cabernet Franc and is using more in his blends. This may be a trend to watch.

We tasted several whites, a rosé, a red vertical from 2009 to 2012 of their Grand Reserves, and a 2010 and 2011 from their second label “Generation” red blends. (The second label had different color capsules, making them easier to find for a buyer according to Thomas.) Most were predominant Merlot with Cab and/or Cab Franc. All with great balance, fruit, acidity and ageability. Across the board I’d have to give them all high marks, and nothing less than 90 Eve points.

Vertical tasting at Chateau Le Grand Verdus

33670 Sadirac
Tel. +33 (0)5.56.30.50.90
http://www.chateaulegrandverdus.com/en/accueil.html

https://www.facebook.com/ChateauLeGrandVerdus?fref=ts

Château Petit Village, Pomerol

(Appointment courtesy Planet Bordeaux)

Our guide, Julie Bellot, explained that they only make red wines in this very modern looking facility. Most wineries are small and have 4 to 10 hectares. They produce Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Julie said that they were one of the first Pomerol wineries to modernize. Many chocolate colored concrete tanks fill the winery – that was a first for me to see! They are lined with epoxy so no concrete flavor imparts to the wine.

Notes:

Petit Village benefits from both wind and humidity – the wind dries the leaves and the bunches.

The Merlot benefits from the sand, gravel and clay in the soil.

Petrus, their neighboring winery, benefits from blue clay. (Did you know about blue clay before today? I didn’t!)

“Bad pollinates” result in uneven grape size in the bunches.

Birds and small animals like foxes are not a problem.

Cabernet Franc leaves are smaller than the other grape leaves.

The older the vines the smaller the yield.

They only make two labels, first and the second. The second label will not have the word “Château” on the label, is made from the youngest wines and will be a lesser cost.

Wines of Pomerol have to have a majority of Merlot.

We tasted a 2012 Merlot (second label) and the 2009 Merlot that had longer aging before its release. Both were enjoyable now, or you can age. “This is the best place in the world to grow Merlot,” Julie commented, there is “always that velvet sensation in (the) mouth (and there is) great quality of Pomerol wines.” Both of these wines deserved a minimum 90 Eve points.

Château: +33 (0)5 57 51 21 08

www.petit-village.com

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years. She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a guest judge for the L.A. International Wine Competition. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com