Bordeaux … how do I love thee

Don’t Miss out on our upcoming Wine Events ….November – Celebrate with Sparkling and Champagne Nothing says “festive” more than a bottle of bubbly! This tasting and seminar is perfect for those looking to discover a sparkling wine that best suits their budget and palate. Eight sparkling wines will be tasted, including Crémant de Bourgogne and four stunning selections from Champagne including Grand Cru selections!

January 2014 – You be the judge! An Introduction to Wine.Invite a friend! This seminar and tasting is ideal for learning the basics of wine tastings. Attendees will learn how to identify the key components of a wine, how to score a wine like the experts and how to identify the style of a wine.

Announcing a once in a lifetime event featuringAngelo Gaja and

Georg RiedelHosted in

Scottsdale, Arizona on 10/23

$199 per person

Objectives: To explore and discover the wines from the most famous winegrowing area in the world.

Bordeaux … how do I love thee?

Bordeaux Winegrowing Regions

291,000 acres, 1.5% of the entire world’s vineyards, but represents 10% of the dollar value of all wine exports in the world.

Over twice the acres of all the vineyards in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Monterey and Santa Barbara counties combined.

55,000,000 cases produced every year within Bordeaux, of which 20 million cases are exported

Over 13,000 growers which include 10,000 estates

60 different appellations

BordeauxVineyard Land and Production

Bordeaux is deemed the most prestigious wine-growing region in the world, and is considered the birthplace of the wine culture as we know it today

While steeped in tradition, Bordeaux has continually updated vineyard and wine making practices in order to improve quality. The importance of Bordeaux in the world of wine should not be underestimated.

BordeauxPrestige and Background

Bordeaux is currently the leading producer of high quality red wines in the world and has been for the last 200 years.

While wineries in other areas produce great wines, at times equal to the great wines of Bordeaux, no other area in the world has nearly as many high quality wineries producing incredible amounts of high quality wines.

BordeauxPrestige and Background

• Ideal climate and soil conditions• Has centuries of experience

in making fine wine• Size and scale - the

vineyards total around 291,000 acres – bigger than the whole of Germany.

• Bordeaux has some of the best wine making techniques in the world.

BordeauxAdvantages

Châteaux were placed in five classes, from one (the highest) to five. The commission that compiled the list used the prices of each chateau’s wines as a benchmark.

Some wines have risen in status since 1855; some have fallen, but the classification is still in use today. It shows that by the mid-19th Century, the landowners of the Médoc had singled out and planted the best land.

Bordeaux1855 Classification

Bordeaux in general and the Médoc in particular, is the land of hierarchies. These widely traded wines have depended on giving customers clear signals of quality and price, and the 1855 Classification was one of several 19th century lists drawn up by the wine trade.

The 1855 Classification (as amended by the 1973 promotion of Château Mouton Rothschild to premier Cru status) is still in force. It covers the red wine chateaux of the Médoc with one Graves property, Château Haut Brion.

Bordeaux1855 Classification

Initiated by Napoleon III

Château Lafite Rothschild - Pauillac

Château Latour - Pauillac

Château Margaux - Margaux Château Haut-Brion Pessac - Graves (since 1986, Pessac-Leognan)

Château Mouton-Rothschild (became a first-growth in 1973) Pauillac

BordeauxFirst-Growths – Grand Cru Classѐ

Château Lafite Rothschild

Château Rauzan-Segla Margaux Château Rauzan-Gassies Margaux Château Léoville Las Cases St.-Julien Château Léoville Poyferré St.-Julien Château Léoville Barton St.-Julien Château Durfort-Vivens Margaux Château Gruaud-Larose St.-Julien Château Lascombes Margaux Château Brane-Cantenac -Margaux Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron Pauillac Château Pichon-Longueville-Lalande Pauillac Château Ducru-Beaucaillou St.-Julien Château Cos-d'Estournel St.-Estèphe Château Montrose St.-Estèphe

BordeauxSecond-Growths – Grand Cru Classѐ

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

Château Kirwan Cantenac-Margaux Château d'Issan Cantenac-Margaux Château Lagrange St.-Julien Château Langoa Barton St.-Julien Château Giscours Labarde-Margaux Château Malescot-St.-Exupéry Margaux Château Cantenac-Brown Margaux Château Boyd-Cantenac Margaux Château Palmer Cantenac-Margaux Château La Lagune Ludon (Haut-Médoc) Château Desmirail Margaux Château Calon-Ségur St.-Estephe Château Ferrière Margaux Château Marquis-d'Alesme-Becker Margaux

BordeauxThird-Growths – Grand Cru Classѐ

Château Palmer

Château St.-Pierre St.-Julien Château Talbot St.-Julien Château Branaire-Ducru St.-Julien Château Duhart-Milon Rothschild Pauillac

Château Pouget Cantenac-Margaux Château La Tour Carnet St.-Laurent (Haut-Médoc) Château Lafon-Rochet St.-Estèphe Château Beychevelle St.-Julien Château Prieuré-Lichine Cantenac-Margaux Château Marquis de Terme Margaux

BordeauxFourth-Growths – Grand Cru Classѐ

Château Duhart-Milon

Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac Château Batailley Pauillac Château Haut-Batailley Pauillac Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste Pauillac Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse Pauillac Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac Château Lynch-Moussas Pauillac Château Dauzac (Margaux) Château d'Armailhac Pauillac Château du Tertre Arsac (Margaux) Château Haut-Bages-Libéral Pauillac Château Pédesclaux Pauillac Château Belgrave St.-Laurent (Haut-Médoc) Château de Camensac) St.-Laurent (Haut-Médoc) Château Cos-Labory St.-Estèphe Château Clerc-Milon Pauillac Château Croizet-Bages Pauillac Château Cantemerle Macau (Haut-Médoc)

BordeauxFifth-Growths – Grand Cru Classѐ

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste

Red - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec

White - Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Muscadelle

BordeauxGrape Varietals

BordeauxSauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc - An aromatic, acidic grape variety for white wine. This grape produces wines that are dry, refreshing, and full of character.

Sémillon - An early ripener, this grape if full flavored, with low acidity.

Muscadelle - A minor grape in Bordeaux, it provides a rich “grapey” flavor and floral aroma.The white wines of Bordeaux are primarily grown within Graves, the most prestigious coming from Pessac-Léognan.

BordeauxWhite Grapes

In contrast to red wines, the grape juice for dry white wines is fermented without the skins. Immediately after the grapes are harvested, the skins are separated from the "must" (unfermented grape juice). The wine is bottled within twelve months of the grapes being picked. Bordeaux oenologists have improved white winemaking techniques. This has lead to much higher quality dry white Bordeaux wines.There are fantastic Sauvignon Blanc-based whites produced within the Entre-Deux-Mers, which translates into “Between Two Rivers”.

Bordeaux Blanc

BordeauxEntre-Deux-MersEntre-deux-mers is literally translated into “between two seas”

This appellation is one of the largest in the Bordeaux region and is situated between the Garonne and the Dordogne Rivers

Whites produced her are labeled as Entre-Deux-Mers but reds crafted from grapes grown here are labeled Bordeaux AOC or Bordeaux Supérieur

Château Haut Guillebot & Marie Christine Labouille

• Made with love from 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 50% Semillon

• Crafted from estate vineyards within the Entre-deux-Mers AOC

• Crafted by Marie-Christine Renier Labouille, owner and winemaker

Let's Taste!

Château Haut Guillebot Blanc Retail: $

BordeauxGraves After the Second World War the omission of wines of Graves from the official classification was having a negative effect on the price and desirability of wines from the region.

To improve marketing the region announced in 1953 its own classification of red wines and one white wine, with more white wines added in 1959. Sixteen wines were given special classification.

Denis Dubourdieu & Château Clos Floridene

• A 76-acre estate (55 acres are devoted to white grapes) located on the calcareous plateau within Graves near Barsac

• 50% Sauvignon, 47% Sémillon, 3% Muscadelle – barrel-fermented and aged in neutral barrel for 8 months

• Crafted by Denis Dubourdieu, owner and renowned winemaker

Let's Taste!

Château Clos Floridene GravesRetail: $

Bordeaux is divided into

two distinct areas:

Left Bankand

Right Bank

Cabernet Sauvignon - Esteemed by connoisseurs as the noblest of all grapes, it provides tannic backbone and structure.

It is very aromatic in young wines with aromas of blackcurrant and also allows the wine to gain enormous complexity with age.

It is especially prominent in Médoc and Graves wines and is distinguished by balanced tannin and medium to high acidity which together yield a complex, elegant, and strong-bodied wine that ages with grace.

BordeauxRed Grapes

Merlot - The most widely planted grape variety in Bordeaux. It is especially prominent in Pomerol and Saint-Émilion. With lower tannin and acid levels, it produces smoother and fruitier wines than ones blended predominantly with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. It exudes aromas of ripe plums and red fruits.

Cabernet Franc - The primary blending grape that provides acidity, fragrance and strawberry-like fruit qualities. Can also be used a primary grapes

BordeauxRed Grapes

Petit Verdot- Petit Verdot is a small, thick skinned grape known for its very deep purple color, strong tannic structure and floral aromas.

Malbec- A somewhat rustic, full-bodied grape variety for red wine. The juice is mild and low in acidity.

BordeauxRed Grapes

Raves About Bordeaux’s 2009 & 2010 Vintages

“2010, like 2009 and 2005 may be the “three greatest Bordeaux vintages I have tasted in my career.” “The wines will enjoy “astonishing longevity” on the back of high alcohol, fresh acids, lower pHs and huge tannins.”– Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

A Quick look at the Left Bank (more later)

This appellation is broken into two sub-regions. The northern area is the Médoc, with the Haut-Médoc located further south.

The red wines produced in the Médoc represent great value. They are produced for everyday consumption and do not require long-term cellaring. These reds are lighter in style, with fruit flavors reflecting the soil from which they spring.

Mѐdoc

Château Pierre de Montignac

• Cru Bourgeois crafted by Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot

• The estate is owned by the Salette family and is near the village of Civrac in the northern Medoc

• The family has 45 acres of vineyards on chalky-clay soil with vines averaging 30 years in age

Let's Taste!

Château Pierre de Montignac Medoc Retail: $

BordeauxMerlot

Key RegionsPomerolSaint ÉmilionFronsac Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux

Key GrapesMerlotCabernet Franc

BordeauxRight Bank

RIGHT BANK

The Merlot-based wines of the Right Bank are generally more fruit forward and have less tannins than those of the Left Bank. The Right Bank consists of two major regions, Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.

Saint-Émilion contains over 900 individual producers. A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc produces wines that are less tannic, softer, and more forward than those of the Left Bank.

Bordeaux Rouge - Merlot

Right Bank: St.-Émilion

RIGHT BANK

The wines of Saint-Émilion are less tannic and generally more fruit-driven in flavor than those of the Left Bank. Merlot thrives on the plateaus high above the Dordogne River, where the soil is filled with sand and clay. This soil composition fosters the creation of opulent and forward wines.

Saint-Emilion

VALUES

Values of the left bank include the satellites of Saint-Emilion including: Lussac-Saint-EmilionMontagne-Saint-EmilionSt-Georges-Saint-EmilionPuissequin-St-Emilion

Also included in the value categories are:Fronsac, Canon-Fronsac and Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux

Saint-Emilion

The Côtes de Bordeaux represents 14% of the total production of Bordeaux wine.

Côtes de Bordeaux covers 130,800 acres and is home to 1,500 winegrowers. 97% of the production is red with an emphasis on Merlot.

It is divided into 4 "terroirs": Blaye, Cadillac, Castillon and Francs.

Cotes de Castillon vineyards are located east of Saint-Emilion

Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux

Château Moya Merlot Vineyards

• In 2008, David Curl, owner of Château Gaby in Fronsac, decided to invest in this beautiful estate located a few hundred meters from the Saint-Emilion appellation.

• Crafted from 93% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon

• 2010 received 90 points from the Wine Advocate and the Wine Spectator

Let's Taste!

Château Moya Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux Retail: $

Situated on the banks of the Dordogne and of the Isle, Fronsac enjoys a soil made of a mixture of clay and limestone or clay and sand on the slopes and the top of the hills

Merlot is the dominant grape in Fronsac and is regularly paired with Cabernet Franc. Malbec is used to add complexity to the wines and Cabernet Sauvignon may also be included.

Fronsac

Château La Vieille Cure Fronsac

• 50-acre estate running along the River Isle in Fronsac

• Crafted from a blend of 74% Merlot , 22% Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon 4%

• Purchased by two Bordeaux enthusiasts from the United States in 1986. They hired Christan Veyry, an associate under Michel Roland to lead their winemaking team

Let's Taste!

Château La Vieille Cure Fronsac Retail: $

The elegant and refined wines of Pomerol fetch some of the highest prices in all Bordeaux despite the fact that the chateaux are not officially classified. The renowned Château Petrus is located within this small and highly regarded region.

Pomerol

Values

The Satellite appelaltion of Pomerol represents an amazing value

Lalande-de-Pomerol

These reds are slightly lighter in body and do not age as long as Pomerol. They are a fraction of the cost.

Pomerol

BordeauxCabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon

The Left Bank generally produces big and tannic Cabernet-based wines with pronounced blackcurrant flavors. There are five major districts on the Left Bank. Listed from the most northerly, they are Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Margaux and Graves, which includes Pessac-Léognan.

Located within these esteemed communes are the five First Growth Châteaux: Château Latour, Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Mouton-Rothschild, Château Margaux and Château Haut-Brion

Left Bank

Bordeaux: Left Bank

Cabernet Sauvignon

From North to South, the famous communes on the Left Bank are:

St.Estephe – Big and tannicPauillac – most famous (some consider the greatest)St. Julien – most consistentMargaux – most feminineGraves – Pessac-Leognan – elegance, refinement

Left Bank

Graves

Derives from its intensely gravelly soil resulting from the Ice Age. This left white quartz deposits that can still be found in soils of top estates

Considered the birthplace of Bordeaux, dating back to 14th century

7,700 acres are planted within the Graves AOC.

The reds of Graves are considered terroir driven with loads of elegance

Chateau de Chantegrive

• Handcrafted from 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon with an average vine age of 25 years

• The estate is run and managed by Hélène Lévêque and is considered by many to be the shining star within Graves

• Original estate of 5 acres was Purchased in 1966 by the Lévêque family. Through the years it expanded to 240 acres

Let's Taste!

Château de Chantegrive Graves Retail: $

Saint-Julien

2,100 acres of vineyards

11 classified growths within Saint-Julien

Cabernet Sauvignon dominates along with Merlot and Cabernet Franc

The highest overall standard of quality for its wines. It is the smallest commune, with almost all of its superlative vineyards dominated by gravel.

Saint-Julien, located just South of Pauillac has perhaps the highest overall standard of quality for its wines. It is the smallest commune, with almost all of its vineyards dominated by gravel. Its proximity to the Gironde river provides exceptional drainage for the soil. The wines of Saint-Julien are tender and harmonious, with a profound richness, depth of color, balance and elegance.The Cabernet Sauvignon grape prevails in this commune, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc used for blending.

Saint-Julien

Chateau Talbot

Let's Taste!

Château Talbot Saint-JulienRetail: $

• Quite large for Bordeaux, this is a 262-acre estate located within the prestigious commune of Saint-Julien

• Chateau Talbot was classified a fourth growth in 1855

• Crafted from 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot with an average age of 42 years

Sauternes is famous for sweet wines made from Sémillon and Muscadelle. They are considered the best dessert wines in the world

Sauternes is made with noble rot (also called botrytis, a fungus covering the grape), Because soils are so diverse, and each house has its own way of making the golden wine, Sauternes is a very personalized wine.

Acre under vine: 2,175

Sauternes

Heading

Chateau Guiraud

Let's Taste a Sauternes

Château Guiraud Sauternes Retail: $• Established in 1766 by Pierre Guiraud and was famous for fine wines by 1793.

• In 1855, it became one of 11 Premier Grand Cru estate in Sauternes (only out ranked by Chateau D'Yquem)

• Handcrafted from Semillon (65%) and Sauvignon (35%) which has been hand-harvested through many successive waves. It is aged in barrels for 24 months.