Bordeaux
SEPTEMBER 2024
This month we're featuring wines from the classic Old World region of Bordeaux, specifically a Left Bank white blend from Graves and two Right Bank reds – one from Lalande de Pomerol and one from Côtes de Blaye to the north.
Photos above: Château Vieux Chevrol (Lalande de Pomerol) harvest & harvest party
2-BOTTLE CLUB
Graves
Graves is on the Left Bank of the Garonne River, about 30 minutes south of the city of Bordeaux. The gravelly soils of greater Graves are home to AOC Pessac-Léognan, AOC Sauternes, AOC Graves and more. The claim to fame of this region of Bordeaux is that it's the only one that produces all three Bordeaux wines – red, dry white & dessert wines.
Château Magneau
Located in La Brède, Château Magneau is owned and run by the Ardurats family, "direct descendants of a line of wine-growers dating back before the reign of Henri IV." The estate has 40 hectares of hard gravel vineyards spread out over the La Bréde and Saint-Morillon districts. The estate is certified Terra Vitis.
Click for a fun, super-fast tour of the Magneau vineyards!
Château Magneau 2023 Graves Blanc
Bordeaux, France • Reg $23.99 | Mixed Case $19.19
45% Sauvignon Blanc, 45% Semillon and 10% Muscadelle. The wine matures in stainless steel vats for about 3 months. Smooth, floral, inviting nose. Citrusy lime. Creamy, stone fruit purée. Apples, pears. Fine acidity. Limestone. Really nice, pleasantly dry, minerally finish. Friggin' delicious!
Lalande de Pomerol AOC
This sub-region is located just to the north of the more prestigious Pomerol AOC. The vineyards are located around the villages of Lalande de Pomerol (with sandy soils) and Néac (with clay & gravelly soils similar to Pomerol). The AOC produces red blends made of Merlot with a small amount of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and/or Malbec blended in.
Château Vieux Chevrol
This estate (located just outside of Néac) is a classic, family-run estate. Grandfather Martial Champseix was a wine trader, who then purchased Vieux Chevrol in the 1920’s and became a grower together with his wife, Fernande. Their son, Jean-Pierre married Gerharde and took over the winery, followed by their children, Jeanne and Michel, who run the winery today. Michel studied agricultural engineering and oenology and worked in Alsace and the U.S. before becoming winemaker at Vieux Chevrol in 2013. He converted the 21 hectare estate to organic agriculture in 2015.
Château Vieux Chevrol 2019 Lalande de Pomerol
Bordeaux, France • Reg $35.99 | Mixed Case $28.79
This winery makes one red blend every vintage. 2019 = Merlot 80%, Cabernet Franc 10%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%. Certified organic. Old vines = more body in this terrific, classic Bordeaux rouge.
Cassis, plums, sandalwood on the nose. Fruits are more dominant in the flavors: black plums, blackberry, soft note of cassis. Super elegant, complex, great acidity with a long, pleasantly dry finish. Has this wine hit its prime? It's close. I think it will be excellent for the next 2 years, but it's out of this world now. So pleased. Enjoy with braised or grilled meats, mushroom pizza or pasta, fried or roasted chicken & more.
3-BOTTLE CLUB
Blaye AOC
Formerly known as Côtes-de-Blaye which allowed for red and white wine production, the territory has now been split into Blaye AOC (reds only) and Côtes-de-Blaye AOC (whites only). The clay-limestone vineyards grow Merlot (primarily), Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc with small parcels of Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carménère.
Château Pey-Bonhomme
Rachel & Guillaume Hubert, a brother-sister team (pictured above), own and operate this estate with their parents, Catherine & Jean-Luc. The property has been in Catherine's family since 1890. In 1997, she and Jean-Luc purchased a neighboring estate, Château La Grolet, and their adventure with biodynamic farming began. In 2007, Guillaume returned to Bordeaux and joined the family business, with Rachel joining in 2012.
The full estate has been converted to organic farming, and their love of the land and its surrounding nature permeates everything they do. Their personal taste in wine has changed the winery's style to having a little more fruit. Their vineyards are located directly on the Right Bank of the Gironde Estuary 3 kms outside of the town of Blaye (across the river from Saint-Julien on the map).
Château Pey-Bonhomme 2021 Les-Tours Rouge
Bordeaux, France • Reg $25.99 | Mixed Case $20.79
75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Malbec. Organic. Biodynamic. Natural yeasts. The nose!! Black and red plums with earthy notes. Add in blackberries on the palate. Sophisticated acidity and tannins. Medium-bodied. Finishes with soft notes of mocha and chocolate. Drink now to 3 years.
Julie and I love all of the exploring we do with this wine club, but we always return with great satisfaction to the Old World classics, and these wines belong to that group. Absolutely delicious wines from Bordeaux. Hope you like them as much as we do!
We hope to see you at your wine club pickup tasting (always the 2nd Saturday of the month) to taste and learn about your club wines.
Cheers,
Jens Strecker, Owner
Portalis Wine Shop