Tag: Grand Cru Bordeaux

The Autumn trade wine tasting season is upon us. That’s when the import/distributors and various trade associations host wine tastings for members of the restaurant/hotel industry.

Some of the tastings are small, intimate affairs, while some are mega tastings that feature triple digit number of wines poured at the tasting.

On September 9th, Baron Francois, one of the many distributors in the New York tri state area, held a trade only tasting of the Grand Crus Classe Bordeaux in their portfolio.

This was one of those small tastings, held at their offices at 11 Hanover Square in lower Manhattan.

There were about 25 Grand Cru wines to be sampled, many with some bottle age to them. I’m a sucker for a Bordeaux with some bottle age to them so I was looking forward to the tasting.

Some highlights:

2007 Chateau Leoville Las Cases (St. Julien): Opaque black, light brick rim, sweet perfume of dirty tar, concentrated and crunchy black fruit ending tight, with firm tannin.

2012 Chateau Pouget (Margaux): Opaque dark brick, brown rim, nice perfume of graphite and sweet tar, chewy and dusty black fruit with some smoke on the finish, crunchy tannin.

2015 Chateau Moulinet (Pomerol): Opaque dark brick, dirt, sweet tar and barnyard on the nose, chewy and silky black fruit, firm tannin with gun metal notes, long finish.

2016 Chateau de Ferrand (St. Emillion): Opaque black, purple rim, sweet slate and petroleum on the nose, chewy red fruit ending with dusty and firm tannin.

2018 Chateau Saint Pierre (St. Julien): Opaque black, sweet dirty tar and graphite on the nose, chewy and chunky black fruit with slate notes, chewy finish.

2018 Chateau Meyney (St. Estephe): Opaque black, brick rim, dried leaf notes on the nose, chewy black fruit ending with dusty and firm tannin.

2019 Chateau Le Gay (Pomerol): Opaque black, brick rim, graphite and dirty tar on the nose, chewy and silky red fruit with crushed rock notes on the finish, nice balance, long finish.

2019 La Reserve du Baron (St. Julien): Opaque black, brick rim, toast, coffee and dirty barnyard on the nose, concentrated black fruit with crushed stone notes, silky tannin.

2019 La Chapelle de Haut Bages Liberal (Pauillac): Opaque dark red, purple rim, closed nose of tar and dirt, chewy black fruit, tight tannin.

2019 L’Heritier de Grand Puy Ducasse (Pauillac): Opaque dark brick, mint, graphite and crushed black fruit on the nose, chewy fruit with mint notes ending with silky and firm tannin.

2020 Petit-Figeac (St. Emillion): Opaque dark red, purple rim, sweet cinnamon and crushed red berry on the nose, chewy black fruit ending with tart tannin.

There are wine tastings, and then there are wine tastings.

There are many trade/professional wine tasting events in New York City since this city is one of the largest markets for fine wines and spirits.

All the distributors/importers and various trade organizations are here to market and sell their products to the people and businesses that sell to the public.

Sometimes a distributor will showcase their whole product line which would be a massive tasting with triple digit bottles to be sampled while the trade associations will showcase the wines of a particular country.

The best consumer tastings are the ones that are run by wine magazines such as Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast and Decanter.

Sometimes those distributors will show only a part of their portfolio at a smaller tasting. The trade organizations will have a smaller tasting promoting a particular wine region.

On May 13th I attended one of those smaller, more intimate tasting.

Masion Barriere manages the operations of Grands Millesimes de Framce, which has been offering a curated selection “of the finest Bordeaux wine and wines from around the world”.

Bordeaux Rendez-Vous began in 2012 as a marketing arm of 10 Grands Crus Classes Chateaux. These Chateaux were represented at this small, intimate tasting.

There was a little over a dozen Chateau at the tasting. Along with their Grand Cru wines, many poured their second and third label wines which are a good way to drink good Bordeaux at a more approachable price point than the Grand Cru wines.

More importantly, along with the second and third label wines, they poured older vintages from their Grand Cru wines, good Bordeaux needs some time in the bottle to open up, and there was some very nice wine to be sampled.

The tasting was held at the Suntory offices at 11 Madison Avenue, across from Madison Square Park in Manhattan.

Saint-Estephe

2010 Chateau Cos d”Estournel: Opaque dark red, brick rim, cherry tar and crushed black fruit on the nose, chewy dark fruit, silky tannin, nice grip.

2012 Chateau Cos d’Estournel: Opaque black, brick rim, smokey and dirty dark chocolate on the nose, silky dark fruit ending with firm and silky tannin.

Pessac-Leognan

2014 Domaine de Chevalier “L’Esprit de Chevalier”: Opaque black, purple rim, closed nose of tar and black cherry, chewy and chunky dark fruit with great balance.

2019 Domaine de Chevalier: Opaque black, purple rim, slate and forest floor on the nose, darkly concentrated with a chewy finish, great balance.

2022 Chateau Malartic Lagraviere: Opaque dark red, purple rim, dirty tar and black cherry on the nose, chewy, firm fruit ending with crisp acidity.

Pomerol

2016 Chateau Rouget: Opaque black, purple rim, graphite and cooked fruit on the nose, chewy black fruit ending with firm tannin and acidity.

2018 Chateau Rouget: Opaque dark red, purple rim, closed nose of milk chocolate and graphite, silky red fruit, firm finish.

Saint-Emilion

2016 Chateau Grand Mayne: Opaque dark red, brick rim, tar, saline and red cherry on the nose, chewy dark fruit, nice grip.

2018 Chateau Grand Mayne: Opaque dark red, purple rim, dusty sweet dark chocolate and crushed black fruit on the nose, chewy, silky and dusty fruit with slate notes, long, firm grip.

2018 Chateau Troplong Mondot: Opaque black, purple rim, closed nose of cocoa and pickle juice. chewy and dense black fruit, firm finish.

Haut-Medoc

2018 Chateau Cantermerle: Opaque dark red, purple rim, tar, chocolate, mint and toast on the nose, chewy black fruit with a firm and long finish.

2020 Chateau Cantermerle: Opaque black, purple rim, white pepper, tar and milk chocolate on the nose, dense red fruit, firm finish.

2022 Chateau Beychevelle “Brulieres de Beychevelle”: Opaque medium purple, closed nose of stone and tar, silky dark fruit with gun metal notes, silky tannin, great balance.

Margaux

2016 Chateau Marquis d’Alesme: Opaque black, purple rim, crushed chocolate and black cherry on the nose, chewy dark fruit with gun metal notes on the firm finish.

2016 Chateau D’Issan: Opaque dark red, brick rim, dark chocolate and crushed red fruit on the nose, chewy dark fruit, great balance.

2019 Chateau D’Issan: Opaque dark red, purple rim, toast and petroleum on the nose, silky red fruit with chocolate notes on the finish, good grip.

2020 Chateau D’Issan: Opaque dark red, purple rim, saline, red fruit and milk chocolate on the nose, tight red fruit, firm finish.

Saint-Julien

2005 Chateau Lagrange: Opaque medium red, brick rim, perfume of dirty tar and roasted nuts on the nose, concentrated, chewy and silky fruit, good grip.

2019 Chateau Beychevelle: Opaque dark red, purple rim, closed nose of sweet tar and pencil shavings, silky red fruit with good balance.

2020 Chateau Beychevelle: Opaque dark red, purple rim, tar, sweet graphite and forest floor on the nose, chewy dark fruit, silky and dusty tannin, nice grip.

2020 Chateau Beychevelle “Amiral de Beychevelle”: Opaque dark red, purple rim, saline, tar and graphite on the nose, silky dark fruit, chewy grip, good balance.

Pauillac

2018 Chateau Pichon Baron: Opaque black, purple rim, saline, smoke and ripe cherry on the nose, chewy dark fruit, good balance.

2020 Chateau Pichon Baron: Opaque dark red, purple rim, graphite, dirty tar and crushed dark fruit on the nose, chewy dark fruit with gun metal notes, good grip.