Bordeaux Lunch

Three gentlemen from France visited South Carolina recently to visit with a few folks who trade in their wines. With no fanfare or uproar they quietly chatted over lunch and allowed the wines to speak mostly for themselves. There was talk of old friends, golf, and life “on the farm”. There was a bit of talk about trends in winemaking (while things change slowly in long established wine regions they have indeed changed). There was almost no talk of marketing, exchange rates, trade difficulties and the like. Mostly, there was quiet enjoyment of food, wine and company. That’s about as good as it gets.

Niolas de Bailliencourt of Chateau Gazin, a highly favored estate in the true heart of Pomerol, endured gentle prodding from his French travel companions. One had to take careful notice to observe that his expertise was frequently called on, even as gentle jokes were made about the surety with which he spoke of many things. At some turns of the conversation his companions spoke as if he were from another planet, the planet Pomerol. Chateau Gazin is truly a fine example of a “Right Bank” wine, but the right bank of Pomerol and St. Emilion is quite a different thing in circumstance and style from the left bank of the Medoc. For Americans, the difference easiest to understand is that the Medoc wines are largely Cabernet Sauvignon and de Bailliencourt’s Pomerol, true to form for the district, is almost entirely made with Merlot. The grape-type is only the beginning of what makes Pomerols different, there are the all-important matters of distance from the coast, soil structure, and situation on the inevitable undulations of the land above a river. Then there are considerations of local custom and unique growing conditions of a given season. Weather can be as different from Pomerol to the Medoc as, for example, Greenville to Hendersonville.

Patrick Maroteaux of Branaire-Ducru deferred much of the time when topics were generalized, but spoke lovingly and well when questions gave the opportunity to speak of his own wine and the special place of its origin. Situated in the village of Saint-Julien, Branaire shares it immediate local with the largest cluster of Grand Cru vineyards in the Medoc. The heritage of this estate is notable. The property was already notable as part of Chateau Beychevelle by 1650. Mr. Maroteaux’s influence dates from 1988. Since, then Branaire-Ducru has belonged to a family group of which he is chairman. By all accounts the estate is enjoying a golden era. The wines present at the table supported this notion well, as did Mr. Maroteaux’s direct and modest presentation.

Alfred Tesseron assisted his father Guy (a Cognac native) in the elevation of Chateau Pontet-Canet to the very highest stature among the ranks of the Grand Crus. Although Tesseron’s purchase of this estate is a 30 year old story, it is still very often spoken of as a current event in the annals of Bordeaux wine’s ebb and flow over the centuries. Pontet-Canet has 200 acres of vineyard whose vines, about 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, now average about 35 years of age. A prototypical Pauillac, Pontet-Canet seems to pack a lot of grapes into each bottle. Of the wines at the table, Pontet-Canet seemed the most solid and power packed in vintages new and old.

All three estates produce notable “second wines”, wines made at the estate from estate-grown fruit but separated into a separate bottling to allow the “first wine” to maintain its quality standard, and just as importantly, its house style. Remarkably in the case of all three samples, from the currently available 2001 vintage, the wines showed not just regional style and fine quality, but also the qualities of their respective estates. It is impossible to resist mentioning that these wines sell at very attractive prices relative to premium domestic reds of similar quality. As tasting proceeded casually during lunch, to the primary wines of 2001, and on to Gazin 1999, Branaire-Ducru 1996, and Pontet-Canet 1990 there was no talk of reviews, ratings, or competitions, only talk of the vintages, the properties and their “terroir”. As there was no controversy there was no need to fashion any agreement. Nevertheless, agreement arose: vintage to vintage, even with changes in technique, and even changes in management, the beauty of this class of wine is that “the terroir always speaks”. On this – all agreed.

5/05

Back to "Articles"