Wine

ALELLA DO

2009-12-18T00:57:00.000-08:00

This is a tiny, predominantly white appellation just north of Barcelona, where grapes are traditionally grown on windy granite hills, but due to urban development the DO was extended in 1989 into the colder, limestone vallès of the Cordillera Catalana. The red wines of Alella have good color, medium body, and a soft, fruity flavor. White and rosado are palecolored, fresh, and delicate, with good acidity when made with grapes from the best northfacing slopes.

Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Garnacha, Garnacha Blanca, Garnacha Peluda, Pansá Rosada, Tempranillo, Xarel-lo

1–5 years (red), 1–2 years (white and rosado), 1–4 years (sweet)

Alta Alella Chardonnay • Alellasol • Marfil • Marqués de Alella

ALMANSA DO

2009-12-16T01:00:00.000-08:00

Castilla-La Mancha

This red and rosado appellation, which lies north of Jumilla and Yecla, bridges the heights of the central plains of La Mancha and the lowlands of Valencia. The red wines produced here are full-bodied and richly colored, with the best examples being quite smooth and fruity. Good examples of rosado can be fruity and clean.

Airén, Garnacha, Meseguera, Monastrell, Tempranillo

3–10 years (red), 1–3 years (rosado)

Alfonso Abellan • Carrion • Piqueras

ALICANTE DO

2009-12-14T00:59:00.000-08:00

Valencia

These mild-climate red, white, and rosado wines are grown on dark, limey soil in the hills behind Alicante. The red wines are naturally deep in color and, when made in a doble pasta style, they can be ink-black and astringent, but younger, fruitier styles are emerging, as indeed they are among rosados and whites. Fortified Moscatels from this region are light and refreshing. A fortified wine of local repute called Fondillón is made from Monastrell grapes in a tawny port style.

Airén, Bobal, Garnacha, Garnacha Tinta, Meseguera, Moscatel Romano, Monastrell, Planta Fina, Tempranillo, Viura

6–12 years (reds)

Enrique Mendoza • Hijo de Luís García Poveda (Costa Blanca)

ABONA DO

2009-12-12T00:56:00.000-08:00

Canary Islands
This new appellation was established in 1996 for white wines made in the south of Tenerife, where the vines are grown on terraces that are also planted with potatoes. Before they gained DO status, these wines were sold under the names of Granadilla, San Miguel, and Vilaflor.

Listán, Malvasia

Viña Peraza

SPAIN’S BEST WINES AND ITS APPELLATION SYSTEM

2009-12-10T00:55:00.000-08:00

Vega Sicilia in the Ribera del Duero was once definitively Spain’s most expensive wine, leading many to believe that it must be Spain’s greatest. Others can now lay equal claim to be the most expensive and greatest of Spanish wines (Clos l’Ermita, Dominio de Pingus, and Cirsión are likely candidates), and many more are equal in quality if not quite as ridiculously priced, including Pesquera, Rioja Contino, Barón de Ley, Muga Prado Enea, Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva), Penedés (Torres and Jean Léon), and even some nonappellation wines such as Marqués de Griñón.

The Denominación de Origen (DO) system is Spain’s equivalent of the French Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) or Italian Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) systems. The only higher Spanish classification is Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa), and Rioja remains the only recipient of this superior status since its inception in 1981, although other highquality wines may be promoted to DOCa in the future. Ribera del Duero, Navarra, Penedés, and Cava all spring to mind as candidates for such promotion. If there is a lesson the Spanish could learn from Italy, it is not to overlook outstanding nonappellation wines such as Marqués de Griñón’s Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from south of Madrid. Indisputably two of Spain’s great wines, they should jump from DO straight to DOCa status, if Spain’s regime is to avoid the same fate as Italy’s, whose best vini da tavola were forced to build up reputations at the expense of the official system.

The WINES of SPAIN

2009-12-08T00:54:00.001-08:00

SPAIN CONTINUES TO OVERPERFORM, providing more wines of real interest and quality than the most optimistic critic could reasonably hope for. Why do I say that? For a start, as indigenous grape varieties go, Tempranillo is Spain’s only class act. Furthermore, although most Spanish vineyards are not totally lacking in potential (otherwise we would not have witnessed the revolution in Spanish wines that we have), there are no really world-class terroirs to be found beyond parts of Rioja, Penedés, and the Ribera del Duero. Yet the number of truly fine Spanish wines continues to increase, with at least as much excitement at the lower end of the quality scale as at the higher end. As recently as the 1980s, with the general exception of Rioja, most Spanish wines were either oxidized or oversulfured. Never has an established, traditional winemaking nation got its act together so quickly and thoroughly as Spain.

BLANC DE BLANCS

2009-11-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

Non-vintage, vintage, and prestige Literally meaning “white of whites,” this wine is produced entirely from white Chardonnay grapes and possesses the greatest aging potential of all Champagnes. Blanc de blancs may be made in any district of Champagne, but the best examples come from a small part of the Côte des Blancs between Cramant and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. If consumed too early, a classic blanc de blancs can be austere and seem to lack fruit and generosity, yet with proper maturity this style of Champagne can be very succulent. Given a few years’ bottle aging after purchase, most blanc de blancs develop a toasty-lemony bouquet together with intense, beautifully focused fruit. If the first blend of Lenoble’s nonvintage Cuvée Les Aventures (1990/5/6) is anything to go by, it will be fighting for a place in the top 10 nonvintage blanc de blancs.

I Nonvintage Billecart-Salmon • Boizel • Bonnaire • Gaston Chicquet • Delamotte • Pierre Gimonnet • Moncuit • Joseph Perrier • Jacques Sélosse (Tradition) • Vilmart & Cie • Vintage Billecart-Salmon • Bonnaire • Deutz • Duval-Leroy • Pierre

Gimonnet (Collection en magnum) • Jacquesson (Avize) • Henri Mandois (Chardonnay Brut) • Le Mesnil (Vigne Sélectionnée) • Pol Roger • Louis Roederer • Prestige cuvée Boizel (Joyeau) • Deutz (Amour de Deutz) • Charles Heidsieck (Cuvée de Millénaires) • Krug (Clos du Mesnil) • Ruinart (Dom Ruinart) • Salon (“S”) • Taittinger (Comtes de Champagne)

BLANC DE NOIRS

2009-11-20T07:44:00.000-08:00

Nonvintage, vintage, and prestige Literally translated as “white of blacks,” these Champagnes are made entirely from black grapes, either Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier, or a blend of the two. The most famous and most expensive is Bollinger’s Vieilles Vignes Françaises, which is a unique example of pure Pinot Noir Champagne made from two tiny plots of ungrafted vines, which between them cannot produce more than 3,000 bottles, hence the hefty price tag. Aside from Bollinger, few producers have traditionally used the term blanc de noirs, but the Vieilles Vignes Françaises has given it a certain cachet and a few commercially minded houses have begun to cash in on the term (Beaumet, Jeanmaire, Mailly Grand Cru, Oudinot, and De Venoge, for example). Many supermarkets now sell their own-label brand of blanc de noirs. Bollinger inadvertently created the myth that a blanc de noirs is intrinsically a big, full, and muscular Champagne, but it is generally little different in style from the other cuvées a house may produce. If you try Serge Mathieu’s Champagne, you will discover a wine so elegant that you would never guess it is made only from Pinot Noir, let alone that it is grown in the Aube. Pommery’s Wintertime and the Mailly cooperative’s basic nonvintage Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru just miss the cut, but deserve an honorary mention. Another cooperative, Veuve A. Devaux, has just come back on track with its nonvintage Blanc de Noirs, which should make the list next time around if standards are maintained.

I Bollinger (Vieilles Vignes Françaises) • Canard-Duchêne (Charles VII) • Serge Mathieu (Cuvée Tradition) • Moët & Chandon (Les Sarments d’Aÿ)

CHÂTEAU CARONNE STE. GEMME

2009-11-19T09:51:00.000-08:00

AOC Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois Supérieur

This property is situated south of Château Lagrange—a superb island of vines on a gravel plateau. Matured in wood for 12 months, with 25 percent new oak.

RED Full-bodied wines rich in flavor with undertones of creamy oak, and a supple, tannin structure.

Cabernet Sauvignon 65%, Merlot 33%, Petit Verdot 2%

8–20 years

Second wine: Château Labat

CHÂTEAU CHANTELYS

2009-11-17T02:57:00.000-08:00

AOC Médoc Cru Bourgeois

Owner Christine Courrian Braquissac brings a gentle touch to the naturally firm wines of this district.

RED Well-colored, medium-bodied, gently rich-flavored wines of some elegance.

Cabernet Sauvignon 55%, Merlot 40%, Petit Verdot 5%

3–8 years

Second wine: Château Gauthier

CHAMBAVE DOC

2009-11-09T08:29:00.000-08:00

A subappellation of the regional Valle d’Aosta DOC, Chambave produces attractively scented, crisp red wines primarily from Petit Rouge grapes, plus up to 40 percent Dolcetto, Gamay, and Pinot Noir. Two white wines are also permitted; one sweet, long-lived, and passito in style, the other a highly perfumed, earlydrinking, dry- to off-dry white—both from the Moscato grape. See Valle d’Aosta DOC.

2–3 years (red and passito) • upon purchase (white)

La Crotta di Vegneron • Ezio Voyat

BARBERA

2009-11-07T08:27:00.000-08:00

Although this grape can be a bit rustic, overly acidic, and may lack elegance if not grown in a suitable terroir, stunning vini da tavola, often aged in a barrique, are made in classic areas by producers who do not want to be restricted by the DOC and thus do not claim it.

Braida (Bricco dell’Uccellone) • Castello di Neive (Rocca del Mattarello)

BARBARESCO DOCG

2009-11-06T08:26:00.000-08:00

Generally more feminine and elegant than Barolo, Barbaresco has a greater suppleness,

softer fruit, and a more obvious charm, although some producers overlap the weightier Barolo style. Produced from Italy’s greatest indigenous grape variety, Nebbiolo, these wines must be aged for a minimum of two years, one of which must be in oak or chestnut casks.

5–20 years

Produttori di Barbaresco • Ceretto • Pio Cesare • Fratelli Cigliuti • Giuseppe Cortese • Angelo Gaja • Bruno Giacosa • Piero Busso • Cantina del Glicine • Marchesi di Gresy • Moccagatta • Castello di Neive • Alfredo Prunotto • Bruno Rocca • Scarpa

CLASSIC BRUT

2009-11-05T08:22:00.000-08:00

SPARKLING WINES

All these wines are made by the traditional method.

Upon purchase—for all regions

Lombardy Bellavista Cuvée Brut

• Bellavista Gran Cuvée pas Operé

• Berlucchi Brut Cuvée Impériale

Millesimato • Berlucchi Brut Cuvée Impériale Max Rosé • Ca’del Bosco Franciacorta Pinot

Brut • Ca’del Bosco Franciacorta pas Dose • Ca’del Bosco Franciacorta Crémant Brut •

Doria Pinot Brut, Mirabella Franciacorta Brut • Villa Mazzucchelli Brut • Villa

Mazzucchelli pas Dose

Piedmont Stefano Barbero, Luigi Bosca Brut Nature, Contratto Brut

VEUVE A. DEVAUX

2009-10-31T07:50:00.000-07:00

Domaine de Villeneuve

10110 Bar-sur-Seine

This was the most dynamic cooperative in Champagne from the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, producing richer, crisper, fruitier Champagnes than some Marne-based cooperatives with a large percentage of grand cru vineyards. The quality took a dip at the turn of the millennium, but is now back on track.

Grande Réserve Brut (NV) • Cuvée D Brut (NV) • Blanc de Noirs (NV) • Cuvée Distinction Rosé (V) • D. de Devaux (V)

VRANKEN

2009-10-30T07:47:00.000-07:00

42 avenue de Champagne

51200 Epernay

The house of Vranken is owned by Belgian Paul Vranken, whose ideas on quality I do not share but who undoubtedly has one of the most clever commercial brains in the region. His brands include Charles Lafitte, René Lallement, Demoiselle, Vranken, Barancourt, and Heidsieck & Co. Monopole, but his masterstroke was the purchase of Pommery in 2002. Marne et Champagne bought Lanson at the top of the market, and watched its assets dwindle, whereas Vranken bought Pommery at the bottom of the market, and watched his assets grow. He paid 150–180 million ($180–215 million), which was some 50 ($60 million) less than LVMH was asking. Although sales inevitably sank after the millennium blip, Vranken knew they were about to rise, and very quickly saw the value of Pommery jump 50 million ($60 million). In addition, Pommery sells at a premium compared to other Vranken brands, thus his group’s profit margin increased overnight. Some critics believed the Belgian business maestro would have to sell more bottles of Pommery to meet his bank repayments, and the only way he could do that would be by cutting prices, but he has in fact increased both sales and price! Vranken also owns subsidiaries in Portugal (Port: Quinta do Convento, Quinta do Paco, and São Pedro) and Spain (Cava: Senora, and Vranken).

CHÂTEAU LA CARDONNE

2009-10-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

AOC Médoc Cru Bourgeois Supérieur

This property was purchased by the Rothschilds of Lafite in 1973 and has since been expanded and

renovated. This wine is matured in wood for 12 months, with 50 percent new oak.

RED These are attractive, mediumbodied wines with a good, grapey perfume and a silky texture, made in an elegant style.

Cabernet Sauvignon 45%, Merlot 50%, Cabernet Franc 5%

6–10 years

VINTAGE BRUT

2009-10-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

Not more than 80 percent of any year’s harvest may be sold as vintage Champagne, so at least 20 percent of the best years’ harvests are conserved for the future blending of nonvintage wines. Some houses stick rigidly to declaring a vintage in only the greatest years, but many, sadly, do not, which is why we have seen vintage Champagnes from less than ideal years such as 1980, 1987, and even 1984. Most coopératives and a large number of growerproducers produce a vintage virtually every year, which is possible, of course, but rather defeats the object and debases the value of the product. However, even in great years, a vintage Champagne is more the result of tightly controlled selection of base wines than a reflection of the year in question, and this makes these wines exceptionally good value. The character of a vintage Champagne is more autolytic, giving it an acacialike floweriness, than that of a nonvintage of the same age because it has no reserve-wine mellowness. If you like those biscuity or toasty bottlearomas, you should keep vintage for a few years. For those who have read about me trumpeting Henri Giraud’s 1993 Fût de Chêne, despite its ludicrous price (five euros ($6.50) more than Cristal, at the time of writing), I have not tasted another vintage from this producer that comes remotely close to the special quality of his 1993.

I Billecart-Salmon (Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart) • Bollinger (Grande Année)

• Deutz • Alfred Gratien • Krug • Lanson • Pol Roger • Louis Roederer • Veuve Clicquot • Vilmart & Cie (Grand

Cellier d’Or)

NON VINTAGE BRUT

2009-10-27T09:53:00.000-07:00

No wine depends upon the winemaker’s blending skills more than nonvintage Champagne, which accounts for more than 75 percent of all Champagne sold. Although nonvintage Champagnes are not usually the finest Champagnes, they are capable of being so. Their base wine, to which reserve wines may be added, will always be from the last harvest. Most producers make up between 10 and 15 percent of their blends from reserves from the previous two or three years, but some utilize as much as 40 percent, while a few will add much less reserve wine in volume, but from a greater number of much older vintages. Many growers have no reserve wines, thus their nonvintage will in fact be from one year, but of a lesser quality than the cuvée selected for their vintage Champagne. All but the most dynamic coopératives typically make up just 5 percent of their blends from reserves from the year immediately preceding that of the base wine—and they seldom excel.

Billecart-Salmon • Deutz (Classic) • Gosset (Grande Réserve) • Charles Heidsieck (Mis en Cave) • Jacquesson(Cuvée No XXX) • Henri Mandois • Serge Mathieu (Tête de Cuvée Select) Bruno Paillard • Louis Roederer • Vilmart & Cie (Grand Cellier d’Or)

SERGE MATHIEU

2009-10-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

Les Riceys 10340 Avirey-Lingey

Mathieu, a small grower in the Aube, consistently produces excellent Champagnes that are beautifully focused, have much finesse, and a real richness of fruit for such light and elegantly balanced wines.

Entire range

CHAUVET

2009-10-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

41 avenue de Champagne

51150 Tours-sur-Marne

A small, quality-conscious house situated opposite Laurent Perrier, Champagne Chauvet is owned by the Paillard-Chauvet family, who are wonderfully eccentric. They are related to Pierre Paillard in Bouzy, Bruno Paillard in Reims, and the Gossets of Aÿ. I have always enjoyed Chauvet’s Carte Vert blanc de blancs, which is an excellent nonvintage blend of exclusively grand cru wines, and I have also greatly admired the consistency and quality of their entire range since the early 1990s.

Entire range

PAUL DÉTHUNE

2009-10-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

2 rue du Moulin

51150 Ambonnay

As one of the more consistent growers, Paul Déthune always makes good vintage and rosé, but is best known for his prestige cuvée, the luxuriously rich, big, deliciously creamy Princesse des Thunes, which is made from an assemblage of mature vintages. Try his fascinating, educational, and quality-driven Trilogy Ambonnay Grand Cru: three bottles labeled Cuvée 1, 2, and 3 each one being made from the same Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines, but in different proportions. Decide which one you prefer (they are all excellent), then discover why. Also, from 2005, look out for Cuvée à l’Ancienne.

Grand Cru Rosé (NV) • Millésimé (V) • Trilogy (V) • Princesse des Thunes (PC)

DEUTZ (GM)

2009-10-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

16 rue Jeanson

51160 Aÿ-Champagne

The profitability and quality of Deutz suffered from underfunding until Roederer acquired it in 1983. Its resurgence began a little shakily with the 1985 vintage but was firmly established by 1988, when it returned to making very stylish Champagnes. Now on stunning form. Deutz also owns Delas Frères in the Rhône and Château Vernous in the Médoc, and has a partnership with Montana to produce Deutz Marlborough in New Zealand (owned by Allied-Domecq, which owns Mumm and Perrier-Jouët).

Entire range

CHÂTEAU CAPLÉON-VEYRIN

2009-10-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

AOC Listrac Cru Bourgeois Supérieur

Simply called Château Cap-Léon originally, the vines of this property are planted in two plots of claygravel soil over marl.

RED Deep-colored, full-bodied, richly flavored wines with high extract levels and a good balance of tannin.

Cabernet Sauvignon 35%,Merlot 60%, Petit Verdot 5%

5–12 years

CHÂTEAU CANTEMERLE

2009-10-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

AOC Haut-Médoc 5ème Cru Classé

In 1980, new stainless-steel fermentation vats replaced the old wooden ones that had been responsible for some stingy vintages. Also discarded were all the old casks, so the 1980 vintage was uniquely matured in 100 percent new oak. The wine is normally matured in wood for 18 to 20 months, with onethird new oak. It is currently performing above its classification.

RED Deliciously rich wines of fine color, creamy-oaky fruit, beautiful balance, and increasing finesse.

Cabernet Sauvignon 50%, Merlot 40%, Cabernet Franc 5%, Petit Verdot 5%
8–20 years
Second wine: Villeneuve de Cantemerle

CHÂTEAU CAMENSAC

2009-10-19T09:37:00.000-07:00

AOC Haut-Médoc 5ème Cru Classé

Situated behind Château Belgrave, this property was renovated in the mid-1960s by the new owners, the Forner brothers, who are of Spanish origin, and later established Marquès de Cáceres in Rioja. Camensac began making wine equivalent to its classification in the late 1970s, and since 1995 has been performing beyond its class. It is matured in wood for 17 to 20 months, with 35–70 percent new oak.

RED Well-structured wine, with a medium weight of fruit and a certain amount of finesse.

Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Merlot 40% k8–20 years

Second wine: La Closerie de Camensac
Other wine: Le Bailly de Camensac

CHÂTEAU BRANAS GRANDPOUJEAUX

2009-10-16T06:07:00.000-07:00

AOC Moulis

These excellent and rapidly improving wines are aged in wood for 18 months, with 100 percent new oak.

RED Thanks to an increase in Merlot, this wine has plenty of accessible fruit, charming aromatic properties, and increasing finesse.

Cabernet Sauvignon 50%, Merlot 45%, Petit Verdot 5%

5–12 years

Second wine: Clos des Demoiselles

CHÂTEAU BRILLETTE

2009-10-15T06:09:00.000-07:00

AOC Moulis

Cru Bourgeois Supérieur

This château’s name reputedly derives from its glinting, pebbly soil. The wine is matured in wood for 12 months, with 40 percent new oak.

RED These are attractively colored wines of full but supple body, with delightful summer-fruit and vanilla aromas. Easily equivalent to cru classé quality.

Cabernet Sauvignon 40%, Merlot 48%, Cabernet Sauvignon 9%, Petit Verdot 3%

5–12 years

CHÂTEAU CAMBON-LA-PELOUSE

2009-10-15T06:04:00.000-07:00

AOC Haut-Médoc

Cru Bourgeois Supérieur

Under the same ownership as Château Grand Barrail-Lamarzelle Figeac, this estate was classified cru bourgeois in 1932, but not included in the Syndicat’s 1978 list. This wine is matured in wood for 12 months, with 45 percent new oak.

RED Soft, medium- to full-bodied wines with fresh and juicy flavors.

Cabernet Sauvignon 30%, Merlot 50%, Cabernet Franc 20%

3–8 years

Other wine: Château Trois Moulins

CHÂTEAU LE BOURDIEU VERTHEUIL

2009-10-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

AOC Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois

Situated between Vertheuil and St.Estèphe, this château was classified cru bourgeois in 1932, but not included in the Syndicat’s 1978 list. This wine is matured in wood for 12 months, with 30 per cent new oak.

RED Well-colored, full-bodied wines of robust character that are not lacking in charm.

Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Merlot 25%, Cabernet Franc 10%, Petit Verdot 5%

7–15 years

Second wine: Château Haut-Brignays

Other wines: Château La Croix des Sablons, Château Victoria-Picourneau

CHÂTEAU BOUQUEYRAN

2009-10-13T05:59:00.000-07:00

AOC Moulis

A big improvement in quality and value since this 32-acre (13-hectare) property was leased by Philippe Porcheron of nearby Château Rose Saint-Croix. Wines are matured in wood for 18 months with up to 50 percent new oak. La Fleur de Bouqueyran is a superior cuvée.

RED Lovely deep-colored, deepflavored wines of not inconsiderable style and finesse.

Cabernet Sauvignon 41%, Merlot 57%, Petit Verdot 2% k5–10 years

Second wine: Les Tourelles de Bouqueyran

CHÂTEAU BISTON-BRILLETTE

2009-10-12T05:54:00.000-07:00

AOC Moulis

Cru Bourgeois Supérieur

This top-quality Moulis property ages its wines in wood for 12 to 15 months, with up to 35 percent new oak.

RED Wines that are very rich in color and fruit with a full, spicycassis character and a supple tannin structure.

Cabernet Sauvignon 55%, Merlot 40%, Malbec 2%, Petit, Verdot 3%

5–15 years

Second wine: Château Biston

Other wine: Château Graveyron

CHAMPAGNE

2009-10-09T00:58:00.000-07:00

If you have become accustomed to the quality and character of good Champagne, there really is no other sparkling wine that will satisfy you—and the very best of Champagne’s competitors are just as expensive as the real thing.

NO OTHER VINE-GROWING region can challenge Champagne’s claim to produce the world’s greatest sparkling wine because no other area resembles this viticultural twilight zone where the vine struggles to ripen grapes each year. In order to produce a truly great sparkling wine in the classic brut sense, the grapes must be harvested with a certain balance of richness, extract, and acidity, which can be achieved only through the long-drawn-out ripening process that occurs when the vine is grown on a knife-edge between success and failure. The Champagne terroir, which includes a cold, sometimes stingy, northern climate and lime-rich chalk soil, is the key to the wine’s intrinsic superiority, yet if such an area were to be discovered today, modern wine experts would quickly dismiss it as unsuitable for viticulture, thus economically unsound for winemaking.

A SPECIFIC WINE, NOT A STYLE Contrary to beliefs in some parts of the world, Champagne is not a generic term for any sparkling wine, but the protected name of a sparkling wine produced from grapes grown within a specific, legally defined area of northern France.

In Europe and various countries throughout the world, strict laws ensure that only true Champagne may be sold under the name “Champagne,” but this principle is not respected in a number of places. The most blatant misuse in the developed world is in the US, although the Americans are not entirely to blame, since the Champenois have stubbornly refused even to consider a compromise, such as “Champagne-style.” Considering this intransigence and the fact that for many years some of the most powerful Champagne houses have sold the sparkling wines they produce in South America under the name “Champaña,” which is Spanish for Champagne, the Champenois deserve the treatment they get in the US. In 1985, the term méthode champenoise was banned for all wines produced or sold in the European Economic Community (now the European Union). The term, while not a guarantee, had proved useful for separating the wheat from the chaff, since the quality of the product must warrant the cost of fermenting in bottle. Now consumers have to look for linguistic variations along the méthode traditionnelle or classique theme. In addition, there are Crémant AOCs in France, Cava DO in Spain, as well as new terms (for example Talento in Italy), which crop up all the time.

BURGUNDY

2009-10-08T00:56:00.001-07:00

Villages with double-barreled names are the key to Burgundy’s greatest wines. This is because these villages hijacked the names of their most famous vineyards, so that humble village wines could sell on the backs of the finest grands crus. The village of Gevrey was the first to do this when in 1848 it took the name of its Chambertin vineyard to become Gevrey-Chambertin. You cannot become a Burgundy expert overnight, but if you remember the second part of every double-barreled Burgundian village is one of its best vineyards, you will instantly know some of Burgundy’s greatest wines.

SAY “BURGUNDY” AND most people think of the famous wines of the Côtes de Nuits and Côtes de Beaune, but Burgundy in fact stretches from Chablis in the north, which is close to the Aube vineyards of Champagne, down to Beaujolais in the south, in the Rhône département. In fact, the Côtes de Nuits and Côtes de Beaune account for less than 10 percent of Burgundy, while Beaujolais represents almost half of the region’s entire production. Burgundy still produces the world’s greatest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines, and the only Gamay wines ever to achieve classic status, but it is increasingly debased by a growing number of lackluster, sometimes quite disgusting, supermarket wines that rely solely upon the reputation of the famous Burgundian names, which their producers abuse to sell low-quality wines at high prices.

Burgundy, or Bourgogne as it is known in French, is an area rich in history, gastronomy, and wine, but unlike the great estates of Bordeaux, the finest Burgundian vineyards are owned by a proliferation of smallholders. Prior to 1789, the church owned most of the vineyards in Burgundy, but these were seized and broken up as a direct result of the Revolution, which was as much antichurch as antiaristocracy. While in Bordeaux, although some of the large wine estates were owned by the aristocracy, many were owned by the bourgeoisie, who, because of their long

association with the English, were antipapist, and so escaped the full wrath of the Revolution. In Burgundy the great vineyards were further fragmented by inheritance laws, which divided the plots into smaller and smaller parcels. Consequently, many crus, or growths, are now owned by as many as 85 individual growers. The initial effect of this proprietorial carve-up was to encourage the supremacy of le négoce. Few commercial houses had been established prior to the mid-18th century because of the difficulty of exporting from a land-locked area, but with better transportation and no opposition from land-owning aristocracy, merchant power grew rapidly. A network of brokers evolved in which dealers became experts on very small, localized areas. As ownership diversified even further, it became a very specialized, and therefore rewarding, job to keep an up-to-date and comprehensive knowledge of a complex situation. The brokers were vital to the success of a négociant, and the négoce himself was essential to the success of international trade and therefore responsible for establishing the reputation of Burgundy.

ASTI DOCG Piedmont

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Formerly sold as Asti Spumante, the spumante (which means “sparkling”) has been removed because it has become tarnished by cheap products that also use the term. It is now known simply as Asti and has been promoted to full DOCG status, which the best wines deserve, but an increasing number of underperformers do not. Italy’s finest sparkling wine, and one of the most famous wines in the world, Asti is made by cuve close, which is far superior to the traditional method when producing an aromatic, sweet sparkling wine. The grapes used are grown in 52 communes throughout the provinces of Asti, Cuneo, and Alessandria.

The best Asti has a fine mousse of tiny bubbles, a fresh and grapey aroma, a luscious sweetness, and a light, delicately rich floweryfruitiness that hints at peaches. Asti should be consumed as young as possible primarily because one of the most important compounds contributing to the Moscato aroma is geraniol, which is wonderful when fresh, but with bottleage assumes a pungent geranium odor. Gancia’s special selection cuvée called Camilo Gancia (no longer produced) was the best Asti I ever tasted. See also Moscato d’Asti DOCG.

Upon purchase Barbero (Conte di Cavour) • Walter Barbero

(Acini Dolce) • Batasiolo • Bersano

• Capetta • Villa Carlotta • Cerutti (Cesare)

• Conte di Cavour • Giuseppe Contratto

• Romano Dogliotti (La Selvatica)

• Fontanafredda (Millesimato) • Marenco O

• De Miranda • Mondoro • Perlino

• Sperone • Tosti • Cantina Sociale Vallebelbo

CHÂTEAU BERNADOTTE

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AOC Haut-Médoc

Consistently performing above its class, this château is situated on fine, gravelly ground that once had the right to the Pauillac appellation and formed part of a cru classé. The quality has improved since the property was purchased in 1996 by the redoubtable Madame Lencquesaing, who also owns Pichon-Longueville-Comtesse-de-Lalande. This wine is now matured in wood for 12 months, with 30 percent new oak.

RED These wines are very stylish, with lush Cabernet fruit backed up by the creamy richness of new oak.

Cabernet Sauvignon 62%, Merlot 36%, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot 2%

6–12 years

Second wine: Château Le Fournas Bernadotte

ARNEIS DI ROERO DOC

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Piedmont

These wines are produced from the ancient Arneis grape grown in the hills north of Alba. Formerly a vino da tavola, the high price and reputation of these wines ensured they would eventually become part of the Roero DOC. The best are amazingly rich and full-flavored white wines, yet soft and deftly balanced with a fine frizzantino. Essentially dry wines, some renditions are, however, less dry than others and Deltetto’s Bric Tupin has started a trend for a lusciously sweet style. See Roero DOC.

3–5 years

Ceretto (Blangé) • Carlo Deltetto • Bruno Giacosa • Castello di Neive • Vietti

CHÂTEAU BEL-ORMETRONQUOY- DE-LALANDE

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AOC Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois

This property has a confusingly similar name to Château Tronquoy-Lalande, St.-Estèphe. Steady improvement since the mid-1990s has turned the once four-square character of these wines into a more classically structured style. This wine is matured in wood for 12 to 14 months, with 10 percent new oak.

RED These are firm, fruity, classically structured wines.

Cabernet Sauvignon 35%, Merlot 55%, Cabernet Franc 10%

7–15 years

NORTHWEST ITALY Wine

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This area includes the great wine region of Piedmont as well as the regions of Liguria, Lombardy, and Valle d’Aosta. Generally, the wines are fuller and richer than those of northeastern Italy, which is a more mountainous area.

AREAS ENCOMPASS such contrasting topographies as northwest Italy, from the alpine pistes of the Valle d’Aosta and the Apennines of Liguria to the alluvial plains of the Po River. Contrast is also evident in the character of its two most famous wines—the big, black, and tannic Barolo DOCG and the light, water-white, effervescent, and grapey-sweet Asti DOCG.

PIEDMONT (PIEMONTE)
Piedmont is dominated by two black grapes (Nebbiolo and Barbera) and one white (Moscato). Nebbiolo makes the magnificently rich and smoky Barolo and the elegant, more feminine, yet sometimes just as powerful, Barbaresco. The Barbera has a much greater yield than Nebbiolo but is potentially almost as fine. It is softer in tannin, at least as high in acidity, and excels around Alba and, to a slightly lesser extent, around Asti. White Asti, made from Moscato, is Italy’s most popular fine wine. Whether still, frizzantino, or spumante, Asti is light and succulently sweet, with a mesmerizing grapey character. Fully sparkling Asti is no longer called Asti Spumante because the term, like mousseux, has a cheap, low-quality connotation and Asti is undeniably the world’s greatest dessert-style sparkling wine.

LOMBARDY (LOMBARDIA)
Northeast of Piedmont, Lombardy stretches from the flat plains of the Po Valley to snow-clad Alpine peaks. The region’s finest wines include Franciacorta’s full reds and its new DOCG for classic brut sparkling wines, plus the best of Valtellina’s red Sassella. These wines are still relatively unknown compared with Piedmont’s Barolo and Barbaresco and are good value.

LIGURIA
One of Italy’s smallest regions, Liguria is more famous for its Riviera, which is set against the dramatic and beautiful backdrop of the Maritime Alps, than it is for its wines. Cinque Terre, which is the best-known Ligurian wine, is named after the Cinque Terre, or five villages, which are perched along the Ligurian coast, above which the steep, intricately terraced vineyards tower like some great Aztec pyramid. Other than the Cinque Terre, interesting wines include the soft, spicy Rossese di Dolceacqua and the vividly colored Albenga rosé of the Riviera Ligure di Ponente DOC. The Colli di Luni is almost Tuscan, and part of this DOC even overlaps that region, so it is not surprising that it is capable of producing a decent Sangiovese. However, most Ligurian wines belong to the
category of pleasant vacation drinking, and some of the best potential vineyards have been grubbed up to accommodate the tourists who drink them.

VALLE D’AOSTA
If Liguria is a marginal wine region, then Valle d’Aosta is almost subliminal. High in the Alps, overlooked by Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn, the Valle d’Aosta looks at first as if it could as easily be a part of France or Switzerland as of Italy, but the only easy, natural access is from Piedmont along the Dora Baltea River. Italy’s smallest and most mountainous wine region, the Valle d’Aosta has picturesque, high-altitude vineyards that produce some
enjoyable wines, particularly Chambave, Nus, and Torrette, just three of the 20 wines within the Valle d’Aosta DOC. However, most are tourist wines; the best are easydrinking and unpretentious.

CHÂTEAU BELGRAVE

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AOC Haut-Médoc 5ème Cru Classé

Situated on a good gravel bank behind Château Lagrange, the wine, which is matured in wood for 24 months with up to 50 percent new oak, has improved consistently throughout the 1990s.

RED A good balance of blackcurrant fruit and ripe acidity, with much more supple tannin structure than used to be the case, and vanilla overtones of new oak.

Cabernet Sauvignon 55%, Merlot 32%, Cabernet Franc 12%, Petit Verdot 1%

8–16 years

Second wine: Diane de Belgrave

CHÂTEAU BEL-AIR LAGRAVE

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AOC Moulis, Cru Bourgeois

This growth was classified cru bourgeois in 1932, but not included in the Syndicat’s 1978 list. The wine is matured in wood for 18 to 20 months, with 70 percent new oak.

RED These vividly colored wines have a fine bouquet and firm tannic structure.
Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Merlot 35%, Petit Verdot 5%
8–20 years
Second wine: Château Peyvigneau

Types of Grape: ALIGOTÉ

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This is a thin-skinned grape of unexceptional quality grown in Burgundy and Bulgaria. It makes tart wines of moderate alcoholic content, but in exceptionally hot years
they can have good weight and richness. The variety’s best wines come from certain
Burgundian villages, especially Bouzeron, where the quality may be improved by the
addition of a little Chardonnay.

CHÂTEAU BEAUMONT AOC

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Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois Supérieur

A large property that consistently produces wines of good quality. This wine is matured in wood

for 12 months, with 30 percent new oak.

RED These are aromatically attractive wines with elegant fruit and supple tannin.

Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Merlot 35%, Cabernet Franc 2%, Petit Verdot 3%

4–8 years

Second wine: Château d’Arvigny

Other wine: Tours de Beaumont

CRÉMANT DE BORDEAUX AOC

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This was introduced in 1990 to replace the old Bordeaux Mousseux AOC (which was phased

out on December 31, 1995). Although preferable to a lot of poorly produced Loire sparkling wines, there is nothing special about Bordeaux bubbly. Changing the appellation has

done nothing to change the product because, like its predecessor, Crémant de Bordeaux is

merely a modest and inoffensive fizz. It lacks the spirit and expressiveness to stand out from

the sea of far cheaper, but equally boring, sparkling wines that exist almost everywhere. I

have tasted much better from areas far less suited to sparkling wine than Bordeaux. SPARKLING WHITE Varies from dry to sweet and light- to medium-bodied, but is almost

always bland.

Sémillon, Sauvignon, Muscadelle, Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot

1–2 years

SPARKLING ROSÉ The authorities should have taken advantage of the introduction of a new

appellation to allow the inclusion of white grapes for this style, as this would potentially have improved the quality.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc,Carmenère, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot

2–3 years

Types of Grape: SÉMILLON

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In Sauternes and Barsac, this is the grape susceptible to “noble rot.” Some say its aroma is

reminiscent of lanolin, but as pure lanolin is virtually odorless, the comparison hardly conveys the Sémillon’s distinctive bouquet. For dry wine, this grape is at its best in Australia, particularly the Hunter Valley, where its lime fruit takes to oak like a duck to water, whereas bottle-aged Sémillon can be sublime after several decades.

CHÂTEAU D’AURILHAC

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AOC Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois

A relative newcomer that has quickly developed a cult following. The grapes are machine harvested, and the wine is matured in wood for 12 months, with 35 percent
new oak.

RED A flashy, huge, dark, and dense wine with masses of fruit to balance the ripe tannins and extrovert oak.

Cabernet Sauvignon 56%, Merlot 38%, Cabernet Franc 3%, Petit Verdot 3%

5–15 years Second wine: Château La Fagotte

BORDEAUX SUPÉRIEUR ROSÉ AOC

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This appellation has a small cast—and Château Lascombe’s Rosé de Lascombes still tops the bill.

ROSÉ As few examples of these medium-dry, medium-bodied wines exist, it is possible to
generalize and describe them as fuller, richer, and having more class than any Bordeaux Rosé AOC wines.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot

1–2 years

Types of Grape: VIOGNIER

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This individual, shybearing variety was until relatively recently confined to a tiny part of

the Rhône Valley, where it produced the famous wines of Condrieu and Château Grillet. Although this variety crept out to Australia in the 1970s, the real explosion did not occur until the 1990s in Languedoc-Roussillon and California. At its best, Viognier has a lush, aromatic quality, with distinctive peachy character, but it is all too often over-oaked.

CHÂTEAU D’AGASSAC

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AOC Haut-Médoc

Cru Bourgeois Supérieur

This is one of the best unclassified wines in the Haut-Médoc. The wine is matured in wood for 15 months, with one-third new oak.

RED Dark-colored, plummy wine, with a lot of soft, ripe fruit.

Cabernet Sauvignon 47%, Merlot 50%, Petit Verdot 3%

4–10 years

Second wine: Château Pomiès-Agassac

BORDEAUX SUPÉRIEUR AOC

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Technically superior to Bordeaux AOC by only half a degree of alcohol, yet most of these wines do seem to have a greater consistency of quality, and, therefore, value. All generics are variable, but this one is less so than most.

RED These dry, light-bodied or medium- to fullbodied wines vary a lot but are generally fuller and richer than most red wines using the basic Bordeaux appellation.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot

2–6 years

WHITE Dry or sometimes sweet, light- to medium-bodied white wines that are little seen.

Sémillon, Sauvignon, Muscadelle plus up to 30% in total Merlot Blanc, Colombard, Mauzac, Ondenc, Ugni Blanc; the proportion of Merlot Blanc must not exceed 15%

1–2 years

THE CLASSIC GRAPE VARIETIES OF BORDEAUX

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Contrary to what one might expect, it is Merlot, not Cabernet Sauvignon, that is the most important grape variety in Bordeaux. Cabernet Sauvignon represents only 27 percent of black grapes cultivated in Bordeaux, whereas Merlot accounts for more than 58 percent. It is nearer the truth, therefore, to say that Cabernet Sauvignon gives backbone to Merlot, rather than to suggest that Merlot softens Cabernet Sauvignon (which is the old adage). Although Château Mouton-Rothschild contains no less than
90 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, it is an exception, as even on the Médoc’s hallowed ground, where it is blasphemy to mention the name of Merlot, 40 percent of the vines grown are of that variety. Château Pétrus (see p123), one of the most expensive wines in the world, contains 95 percent Merlot, without any Cabernet Sauvignon at all. Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic grape, quite possibly the greatest red-wine grape in the world, but its importance for Bordeaux is often overstated.
Sémillon is the most important white grape variety grown in Bordeaux. It is significant both in terms of its extent of cultivation and quality. This grape variety is susceptible to botrytis, the “noble rot” that results in classic Sauternes and Barsac. It is therefore considered to be the world’s greatest sweet-wine grape. Sémillon also accounts for most of the fine dry white wines of Bordeaux, but these are relatively few and lack prestige. Sauvignon Blanc plays the supporting role in the production of sweet wines, and is used to a greater or lesser degree for dry
wines. Many of the less expensive dry white wines are pure Sauvignon Blanc varietals.

Types of Grape: SYLVANER

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Originally from Austria, this variety is widely planted throughout Central Europe. It is

prolific, early maturing, and yields the dry wines of Franken and Alsace. It is also widely believed to be the Zierfandler of Austria. Sylvaner has a tart, earthy, yet neutral flavor, which takes on a tomato-like richness in the bottle. This grape is now known to be the offspring of the Österreichisch Weiss and Traminer.

BORDEAUX CLAIRET AOC

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“Clairet” is a term that refers to a red wine that is light in body and color. It derives from vin claret in Old French, a term of respect; this suggests that Bordeaux achieved a reputation for limpidity before other wines. ROSÉ Rich, dark rosé or failed, feeble red? The best examples of this medium-dry, mediumbodied wine come from the village of Quinsac in the Premières Côtes de Bordeaux.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot

1–2 years

THE CLASSIFICATION OF BORDEAUX WINES

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Of all the Bordeaux classifications that exist, it is the 1855 Classification that is meant whenever anyone refers to “The Classification.” It was commissioned by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce, which was required by the government of the Second Empire to present a selection of its wines at the 1855 Exposition Universelle in Paris. For their own ends, the brokers of the Bordeaux Stock Exchange traditionally categorized the most famous Bordeaux properties on the basis of the prices they fetched, so they were charged by the Chamber of Commerce to submit a “complete list of classified red Bordeaux wines, as well as our great white wines.” The classifications listed above and to the right give the 19th-century names in the original form as listed by the brokers on April 18, 1855. The frequent absence of the word château has been followed, as has the circumflex in crû, and the use of second crû for red wines and deuxième crû for whites.

ST-ESTÈPHE AOC

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The potential of St-Estèphe is exemplified by Cos d’Estournel, which is one of the best deuxièmes crus in the Médoc, but the strength of this appellation lies in its range of crus bourgeois. The area under vine is slightly less than that of Margaux, which has the largest area, but St.-Estèphe has far more unclassified châteaux, and even the best wines are wonderfully cheap.

RED If Pauillac is the stallion of the four famous appellations, St.-Estèphe must be the dray horse. These dry, full-bodied wines are big and strong, yet not without dignity. St-Estèphe demands affection and, with the rich fruit of a sunny year, deserves it. These

most enjoyable, sweet-spice and cedary wines can have lots of honest, chunky fruit. Cos d’Estournel is the thoroughbred of the commune.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot

8–25 years (crus classés);

5–12 years (others)

ST-JULIEN AOC

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St-Julien is the smallest of the four famous appellations and the most intensively

cultivated, with almost 50 percent of the commune under vine. There are no first

growths, but there are as many as five seconds, and the standard and consistency of style is very high. This AOC overlaps part of the commune of Pauillac, and, historically, châteaux Latour and Pichon-Longueville-Comtesse-de-Lalande could as easily have become St-Julien AOC as Pauillac AOC.

RED These are dry, medium-bodied, sometimes full-bodied, wines that have purity of style, varietal flavor, and can be longlived. Well balanced and elegant, these wines fall somewhere between the lushness that is typical of Margaux and the firmer structure

of Pauillac.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot

6–20 years (crus classés);

5–12 years (others)

PAUILLAC AOC

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This commune vies with Margaux as the most famous appellation, but is without doubt the most rock solid and consistent of Bordeaux AOCs, while its premiers crus of Latour, Lafite, and Mouton make it the most important.

RED Dark and virtually opaque, great Pauillac is a dry, powerfully constructed wine, typically redolent of blackcurrants and new oak. It might be unapproachable when young, but is always rich with fruit when mature. Although it does not have the grace of great Margaux, Pauillac brings power and style together to produce wines of incomparable finesse for their size.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc,

Carmenère, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot

9–25 years (crus classés);

5–12 years (others)

MOULIS-EN-MÉDOC AOC

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MOULIS AOC OR

One of the two communal appellations located on the Atlantic side of the Médoc, Moulis-en-Médoc is smaller and potentially more interesting than its neighbor Listrac. Like

Listrac, it has no cru classé châteaux, despite adjoining Margaux, the appellation that

has the highest number of such properties in the Médoc.

RED These dry, medium-bodied, sometimes full-bodied, wines have more power than those of Margaux, but far less finesse.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot

5–12 years

MÉDOC AOC

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Technically, this appellation covers the entire Médoc, but most wines actually come from

north of the Haut-Médoc in the area that was formerly called the Bas-Médoc. Its vineyards

have undergone a rapid and extensive expansion since the mid-1970s.

RED The best of these dry, mediumbodied wines are similar in style to good Haut-Médocs, although the style is less sophisticated.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot

4–8 years

BORDEAUX AOC

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As with any large, and thus variable, appellation, the generic Bordeaux AOC is responsible for the good, bad, and ugly wines of the region. Overall, quality is of a decent standard, although the best wines are unlikely to fit the classic descriptions that have made the region famous. Wines carrying the generic appellation may come from any AOC vineyard in the entire Gironde. Some of the most interesting wines are from classic areas where the more specific appellation is confined to a precise style: such as a red Bordeaux produced by a château in Sauternes. If the wine is a brand, it should be ready to drink. If it is a château wine, the address should reveal its origin, and the price will be an indication of its quality and a guide to when it should be drunk.

RED Most are simply dry, luncheon claret styles, made for early drinking and usually softened by a high Merlot content.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot

1–5 years

WHITE All medium-dry, basic white bordeaux contain at least 4 grams of residual sugar per liter, and have a certain sweetness. It is by far the most variable appellation category, with many dull wines. If the wine contains less than 4 grams of residual sugar per liter, the Bordeaux appellation must be qualified by “Sec.” These dry whites are also variable, but most of the best wines of the appellation are found among them. They may be sold from December 1 without any mention of primeur or nouveau.

Sémillon, Sauvignon, Muscadelle plus up to 30% in total of Merlot Blanc, Colombard, Mauzac, Ondenc, Ugni Blanc

1–2 years

ROSÉ When made by individual properties, this medium-dry, medium-bodied wine can be attractive. These wines may be sold from December 1 following the harvest without any mention of primeur or nouveau.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot kImmediately

MARGAUX AOC

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The best Margaux are potentially the greatest wines in the whole of Bordeaux, but this is an appellation that covers five communes encompassing a great diversity of soil and some of its wines not unnaturally have a tendency to disappoint. Margaux benefits enormously from having a namesake château, which is unique in Bordeaux, and the fact that this property sets the most extraordinarily high standards has done no harm to the reputation and price of these wines generally. The phenomenal success of Château Margaux has, however, unfairly raised expectations of many lesser-quality châteaux in the area, but those critics who widely accuse proprietors of sacrificing quality for quantity could not be further from the truth. There are individual châteaux that overproduce and therefore fail to achieve their full potential, but excessive volume is not typically the problem with this appellation, since it has the lowest yield per acre of the four famous Médoc AOCs.

RED Exquisite, dry, medium-bodied, and sometimes full-bodied, wines that can be deepcolored and fabulously rich, yet they have great finesse and a silky finish.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot

5–20 years (crus classés);
5–10 years (others)

LISTRAC-MÉDOC AOC

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Significant funds have been invested in a number of high-performance châteaux in this commune, although its heavy clay soil does not have anything like as much potential as the gravel ridges found in the most famous Médoc appellations.

RED These dry, medium- to full-bodied wines have the fruit and finesse of St.-Julien combined with the firmness of St.-Estèphe. The most successful wines tend to have a large proportion of Merlot, which enjoys the Haut-Médoc’s clay soil.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot

5–10 years

HAUT-MÉDOC AOC

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This AOC encompasses the Médoc’s four finest communes—Margaux, St.-Julien, Pauillac, and St.-Estèphe—as well as the less well-known Listrac and Moulis communes. Wines produced outside these six appellations but within the Haut-Médoc are not generally as thrilling, although infinitely superior to those of Médoc. Among these very reliable wines are a few great-value crus classés and many high-quality crus bourgeois, but although Haut-Médoc is a name to look out for on the label of châteaubottled wines, it counts for little on a generic.

RED These dry wines have a generosity of fruit tempered by a firm structure, and are mediumto full-bodied.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot,
Malbec, Petit Verdot, Carmenère

6–15 years (crus classés);
5–8 years (others)

Factors affecting taste and quality of Médoc wine

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LOCATION
The Médoc lies on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, stretching northwest from Bordeaux in the south to Soulac in the north.

CLIMATE
Two large masses of water on each side of the Médoc—the Atlantic and the Gironde—act as a heat-regulator and help provide a
microclimate ideal for viticulture. The Gulf Stream generally gives the Médoc mild winters, warm summers, and long, sunny falls. The
district is protected from westerly and northwesterly winds by the continuous coastal strip of pine forest that runs roughly parallel to
the Médoc.

ASPECT
Undulating hillsides with knolls and gentle slopes are characteristic of the Médoc. The best vineyards can “see the river” and virtually all areas of the Haut-Médoc gradually slope from the watershed to the Gironde. Marshy areas, where vines cannot be grown, punctuate most communes.

SOIL
Similar topsoils lie over different subsoils in the Médoc. Its topsoils are typically outcrops of gravel, consisting of sand mixed with siliceous gravel of varying particle size. Subsoils may contain gravel and reach a depth of many feet, or may consist of sand, often rich in humus, and some limestone and clay.

VITICULTURE AND VINIFICATION
Only red wines can use the Médoc appellation. Mechanical harvesting is commonplace and all grapes are destalked prior to fermentation in
tanks, or in vats increasingly made of stainless steel. Skin contact lasts for one to two weeks, although some châteaux have reverted to the once standard four weeks.

GRAPE VARIETIES
Primary varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot Secondary varieties: Carmenère, Petit Verdot, Malbec

RECENT BORDEAUX VINTAGES

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2003 Unlike in the rest of France, this was not a drought year. In fact, precipitation levels were slightly above average. However, as in other French wine regions, 2003 was a very hot and sunny vintage, with exceptional ripeness. Exceptionally, acidification was permitted, but although initial concerns about low acid musts were widespread, relatively few producers bothered to add acid. This is a great Bordeaux vintage, with good to superb wines produced throughout the region, but favoring the Right Bank and improving the further north the vineyards are in the classic communal appellations of the Médoc. The most concentrated wines will be quite exotic and flamboyant. Great Sauternes were also produced.

2002 Hyped-up immediately after the vintage, when the wines were tasted the following spring, this vintage turned out to be far more variable than anyone had imagined. Essentially, it is a Cabernet year, not Merlot, thus some very high-quality Médocs were produced, particularly in, but not restricted to, Pauillac. The further up the cru classé scale you go, the better the wines are, with Lafite a match for the greatest wines of any Bordeaux vintage. Excellent for Sauternes too.

2001 But for the outstanding 2000 vintage, everyone would have been hyping that of 2001 as one of Bordeaux’s finest vintages
across the board. Homogeneity (relevant to the intrinsic quality of the château, of course) is almost as widespread as in 2000, but the quality, although excellent, is not as great as that special year, while the style is more elegant, less concentrated. Another superb Sauternes vintage, and some of the best dry white cru classé wines produced in 10 years.

2000 God forgave the bordelais their transgressions and excesses of the recent past, and smiled on the world’s foremost red wine
region for the last vintage of the old millennium. He held back the rains until almost everyone had brought their harvest in. The reds on both banks are beautifully colored, high in alcohol, with the weight and plumpness of a truly great year. This is a very special vintage indeed, producing wines of extraordinary concentration, except in Sauternes and Barsac, which were hit by rain during their late harvests—the results are not that bad, with quality equaling that of 1999.

1999 This is the year when almost everything that could go wrong did go wrong in
Bordeaux. It was as if the last vintage of the1990s was a testament to the climatic difficulties that masked this decade, with disease in the vineyards, rain at harvest, and ahuge crop of unripe grapes. Very patchy, but most of the best wines were made in St.Émilion, with some excellent Margaux and St.Julien, and some Sauternes that can vie with the 1998s, though not the 1997s. It is in vintages such as 1999 that the difference in quality between Bordeaux as a whole and that found when tasting at the top 100 or so Bordeaux estates becomes so marked.

LADOIX PREMIER CRU AOC

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Premiers crus: Basses Mourottes, Bois Roussot, Les Buis, Le Clou d’Orge, La Corvée, Les Gréchons, Hautes Mourottes, Les Joyeuses,
La Micaude, En Naget, Rognet et Corton. These premiers cru vineyards were expanded from 35 to 59 acres (14 to 24 hectares) in 2000.

RED These wines are decidedly finer in quality and deeper in color than those with the basic village appellation.

Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Liébault
7–20 years

WHITE Prince Florent de Mérode of de Serrigny makes the only white Ladoix Premier Cru I know: Ladoix Hautes Mourottes blanc.
tCapitain-Gagnerot • Edmond Cornu & Fils
• Prince Florent de Mérode • Naudin Ferrand • André Nudant & Fils • G. & P. Ravaut

BORDEAUX’S BEST GENERIC BRANDS

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Bordeaux has the greatest reputation for red wine in the world, but as in all regions, ordinary wines do exist. In fact, the majority of wines produced in any region is very ordinary, and Bordeaux is no exception. Remember that more than money separates Mouton Cadet from Château Mouton- Rothschild. While the former might be the most famous of all generic Bordeaux brands, it is merely the blended product of relatively inferior wines grown anywhere within the vast départemental appellation of Bordeaux, while the latter is a selection of one of the finest wines grown on a single estate—a premier cru classé in the small, communal AOC of Pauillac. As a branded generic Bordeaux wine can be a disappointing introduction to the world’s greatest wine region, the following brands are suggested as reliable choices:

DOURTHE NUMÉRO 1
Probably the best, largest-selling branded Bordeaux available.

LA COUR PAVILLON
One of the most reliable and underrated generic Bordeaux wines on the market at the moment. Made at Château Loudenne, this wine always displays good fruit, but possesses enough structure to keep for a while.

MAÎTRE D’ESTOURNEL
This has the same connection to Château Cos d’Estournel as “Mouton Cadet” has to Château Mouton-Rothschild, which is absolutely nonexistent as far as the wine is concerned, but both brands hope to sell on the back of their respective château name. There is however, a fundamental difference between the two, of course: “Maître d’Estournel” happens to be an expressive, early-drinking wine that can also take a few years in bottle, whereas “Mouton Cadet” is mutton posing as lamb.

MICHEL LYNCH
Produced by Michel Cazes of Château Lynch-Bages in an unashamedly up-front, fruity style. Red, white, and rosé are all thoroughly
recommended.

PREMIUS EXIGENCE
Produced by Yvon Mau, the step up between the premium Premius and Premius Exigence is about as big as it can get for two wines sharing the
same brand. The stricter selection of grapes and no-expense-spared handling shows through in the richer, oak-layered fruit.

SICHEL SIRIUS
This is as serious as it sounds. An excellent oakaged generic Bordeaux, it will improve for a further year or two in bottle.