A Quick Trip to Planet Bordeaux

It is no wonder that Bordeaux as a category fights for the everyman attention in the United States. The general story an American consumer hears from Bordeaux involves intense auctions in Hong Kong, vitally important vintage variation, confusing implied quality dependent on the village name on the bottle, and the idea that Bordeaux means tannic red wines meant for a big hunk of beef. The irony is that all of these things CAN be true. But the flip-side gets lost in the sensationalism. I have found, in a couple of interactions with the marketing group Planet Bordeaux, that there is a simple and ultimately very pleasant way to skirt around these imposing generalizations. There are whole swaths of bottles of Bordeaux produced in less recognized vineyards that are categorized simply as Bordeaux, or Bordeaux Superieur. Still grown and vinified with tight standards, these wines don't demand the attention of their 'more important' cousins. This comes at a bit of a price; what do you potentially lose:

1. Not all of these wines are as high quality as the more specific regional AOC designated wines (Paulliac, Graves, etc.) but this is not always true
   


2. These wines generally do not age as long as the more specific regional AOC designated wines
   


3. The producers are certainly less well known or marketed, so it is more often the case that you are taking a chance

But what is to be gained by drinking Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur

1. These wines are fantastically affordable (usually under $20, sometimes closer to $10)
   


2. These wines can be drunk early, buy it tonight and drink it tonight
   


3. There are large quantities of these wines, new producers to explore any day of the week
   


4. These wines offer some great quality finds
   


5. There are whites, clairets, and reds to fit with a huge variety of foods and event

So the pros vastly outweigh the cons. Every time I explore this inexpensive category I am reminded that these are wonderful every day wines that more Americans can and should enjoy. They generally taste and feel like what you might expect from 'Bordeaux', therefore fitting a unique category in your wine exploration. And they won't break the bank.

During a recent tasting with Planet Bordeaux I was introduced to the following wines, all of which I can recommend, presented here in my order of preference:

Chateau de Bel 2009 Bordeaux Superieur - Smokey in the nose and on the palate, there is plenty of rich blackberry and plum to appeal to the fruit inspired folks. The tar and spice keep things nice, and the freshness to this wine keeps it from ever appearing 'gloppy' Delicious and impressive for the $16 price tag.

Chateau Lamothe Vincent 2009 Bordeaux - Fig, cedar, and tobacco invite the nose, and dark berries and earth lead to a lead like, minerally finish. A bit more classically Old World than the Bel, this is a deep and structured wine - and only $15!

Grand Vin de Reignac 2008 - You have read about Reignac wines on these pages before, and possibly heard about this star Chateau elsewhere. This is a wine that has often been blind tasted against the big boys and almost always held its own. The 2008 was a bit closed for me (these babies can take some bottle age) but the dusty hints of leather on the nose, nice oak notes on the palate, and firm tannins hint at a beautiful wine and another year of spectacular bargain.

Chateau de Parenchere 2010 Bordeaux Clairet - Bordeaux produces some wonderful rose wines, often a bit more serious than the more famous French roses from Provence. These wines are a deeper red, this one was bright cherry red, and the vibrant red fruits lean more towards ripe plums than you might expect. This wine was certainly vibrant but had more serious spice, even chocolate and earth, in the palate. Interesting for its refreshing qualities that juxtapose against its more serious qualities - and a wine that would be a blast to play with in interesting and unexpected food pairings (i.e. this could take some heft from the plate) The exciting thing about this wine is that if you generally like roses you will probably like this wine, and if you generally do not - this wine might surprise you. At $12 its worth the experimentation.

Finally we tasted the Chateau Larteau 2005 to get an idea of how these inexpensive wines can take a bit of age. There was a bit of sweet cherry to the nose and palate of this wine that surprised me, but also blueberries, sweet pipe tobacco, and some nice chalky tannins. This wine was taking its age well, but overall seemed less interesting and vibrant than the other wines. That said, it was good, and well worth the 10 BP it will cost you (shipping across the pond might be a hefty bill...) I'm not sure you can easily find this vintage in the US, but take this as a note - these wines can take some bottle age (not the 30 years of Lafitte, but if you like some tertiary development you can do this)

I can't reiterate enough how strongly I feel these wines are missing from most American's consideration. Be it the low price that does not inspire confidence, the aversion to Bordeaux as an overwhelming category, or the tendency to buy your everyday wine at the supermarket - ignoring Bordeaux is deciding to miss out. This winter take my heartfelt advice and try a few (you might just change your tune about Merlot in the meantime).