The Bordeaux Wine Experience Magazine 6,     November / December, Vintage 2011

The Bordeaux Wine Magazine

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Read about:

v The vintage 2011,
a preview

v Armistice Day and wine bottles

v An Australian search for the Perfect Partner in Bordeaux

v The Ultimate Chateauneuf book

v 2012 Bordeaux Tour Schedule online

Member of

The American Society
of Travel Agents

With Ryn and Cordy from "Down Under", searching in Bordeaux for the Perfect Partner

Dear Wine Lover,

Bordeaux is breaking record after record. One "best vintage ever" is following the other (2009 and 2010). In 2008 Bordeaux had the latest harvest in years. The vintage 2011 will go into history as one of the earliest harvests in a century.

More records
And this Bordeaux Wine Magazine continues breaking records as well. We currently have over 23.500 subscribers! We proudly remain the fastest growing independent publication specialising on Bordeaux, culinary experiences and premium wines.

Sneak preview
But back to wine. The quality of the 2011 will depend on the selection. So I personally feel that it will be impossible to produce a great wine in Bordeaux this year without a sorting table. I will tell you some more about the 2011 in my sneak preview.

Armistice day and wine bottles
November 11 is Armistice day in France and while we were in Paris that day, I stumbled on a moving story about the First World War that I would like to share with you.

An Australian search for the Perfect Partner
We had the pleasure of organizing a private tour for two charming cookbook authors from Down Under. As I can't even boil water, Margaret will tell you about this award winning cook book Ryn and Cordie wrote.

2012 Bordeaux Wine Tour Schedule online
Our exciting 2012 Bordeaux Wine Tour Schedule is online. Why not make your dream come true the coming Summer?
If you want to be one of the lucky ones to join us for this once in a lifetime experience, just click here now and we will send you the detailed itinerary.

I look forward to hear from you soon (Ronald@BXWINEX.com).

Don’t drink anything I wouldn't drink!

Cheers from Bordeaux,

Ronald Rens, M. Sc., Wine Master
Wine writer and President
The Bordeaux Wine Experience
 

The Vintage 2011, a sneak preview

Let's not forget that a vintage starts in the vineyard and is largely influenced by the weather. To sum up 2011 in a nutshell:

Nicolas de Bailliencourt of Chateau Gazin: "2011 is a wine maker's year with a strong emphasis on selection but the quality will be a pleasant surprise."

A very early start to the growing season, an unusual warm Spring followed by almost four months of drought.The Summer didn't know what way to go with lot's of rain alternating with higher temperatures. The harvest was one of the earliest in over a century. In the Pessac-Léognan they started harvesting the whites as early as August. But the red wines in the Médoc were exceptionally early as well. To give you an example in the Médoc Third Growth La Lagune stated the harvest of the Merlot on September 5 and brought in the last Cabernets on September 28! Even in 2003, the year of the heat wave, the harvest was not so early.

Same story on the right bank. Chateau Gazin in Pomerol started harvesting on September 5th as well. Nicolas de Bailliencourt, co-owner of Chateau Gazin and a neighbour of Petrus, is quite happy with the quality of his crop: "We are still in the malolactic fermentation so we have to be careful, but I feel that the quality will be a pleasant surprise. We had to be strict in our selections; first in the vineyard during the harvest and merciless on the selection tables. After the malo we will certainly declassify some cuves. Nobody can make a 2009 this year but I feel confident that the quality will be better than the 2007, we'll see in March with the tastings".
The harvest all over in Bordeaux was a difficult one with alternating conditions of rain and sunshine. And to be totally honest: in many vineyards not all grapes were perfect. I personally feel that without a selecting table (and strong selection practiced!) it will be impossible to produce a great wine in Bordeaux this year.

The 2011 Chateau Gazin being brought in

Even chateau owners agree. De Bailliencourt: "Never before have I experienced bunches like this: some berries were green and undeveloped and others were perfectly ripe. We were very strict in our selections".
Many chateaux are changing the manual sorting to the optical sorting. In an optical sorting machine a computer selects all individual berries and discards all that is less than perfect. Producers who invested in this equipment or who applied a strict selection at the sorting tables will be able to "save" their vintage 2011. But it won't be as long living as the 2009 or 2010. In a way this will be a relieve for us wine lovers. We need vintages to drink while we wait for the 2009 and 2010's.
De Bailliencourt: "We'll have to be reasonable with our prices. If the price is right the demand will be there, I am sure of that".

I am looking forward to tasting the vintage next Spring and I promise to keep you updated with a Vintage Special of this magazine.

The oldest bottle from my cellar: Chateau Giscours 1911

Armistice Day and wine bottles

Armistice Day (also known as Remembrance Day or Poppy Day) is observed on 11 November to commemorate the official ending of World War I on that date in 1918.
Hostilities formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month" of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.
With the last serving soldier from WOI thought to have died, the remembrance of 11/11/11 still stirs people from all over the world.

A few years ago a grave of American soldiers was discovered. The soldiers were buried in a vegetable garden near Chateau-Thierry close to the battlefields of "la Grande Guerre" not far from Paris in the Northern part of France. They had died of their wounds in a field hospital nearby and were found buried with a wine bottle in their crossed arms.

Giscours 1911, with no reference to the 1855 Classification. Note how was mentioned III Cru Labarde

Dog tags were found to rust so quickly that soldiers came up with their own private way to ensure future identification. A note was written identifying the dead unto which was added the date and the manner of death.Two military of higher rank had to sign the paper as a witness. The note was then fitted into an empty wine bottle which was corked and buried in the arms of the deceased.

I have one bottle in my cellar that escaped being used for this purpose. This oldest bottle in my cellar is a Chateau Giscours 1911 and this year a century old.
As you can see the label mentions: III Crû de Labarde, being the village within the Margaux appellation where Chateau Giscours is located. The label mentions no Margaux as the appellation system was to be created some 25 years later in 1936.
We often visit Chateau Giscours for a tour of the cellar and a tasting with our Best of Both World package.

In search of the Perfect Partner

Ryn and Cordie hiding behind the columns in front of Chateau Coulon Laurensac

This Spring we received 2 fun guests from Down Under. Karyn MacDonald and Cordelia Smiley enjoyed a Best of Both World package with us to get better acquainted with the various wines Bordeaux has to offer. They made a stop in Bordeaux before traveling on to Paris to attend the world’s largest Cook Book fair. Here they were picking up one of the Gourmand’s World Cookbook Awards.
Australian Ryn and Cordie are the acclaimed authors of ‘In search of the Perfect Partner’. This has nothing to do with dating but all with wine and food pairings!
The book helps you to find a great recipe to go with that bottle of wine that you have just bought. Or the other way around: you’re wondering what to serve with the roast chicken and voila: Ryn and Cordie come up with the Perfect Partner.

The Australian ladies approach is both playful and fun. Their recipes are down to earth and enjoyable. And I like that in a cookbook. I feel you get more inspiration from recipes that you read and think: “You know I could actually make this” than by some fancy chef’s recipe with ingredients you have never heard of.

The recipes in the book are easily accessible through categories like starters, mains and desserts, when you have guests but also easy recipes for the family dinner on Wednesday evening. Every recipe takes only one page and is presented by a mouth watering photo.
To get you started Ryn and Cordie give you some useful rules you can follow to match food and wine.
The only down side for me is that all the wines they give as an example are all Australian! I’ll have to find a French equivalent or just wait for them to do a book on French wines!

You can visit the girls at their website www.rynandcordie.com.au where you can also order your copy of the book!

Bordeaux Wine Tours 2012 Schedule online!

If you are a Bordeaux lover you must have been dreaming about visiting our region. Why not make this dream come true? Join us for one of our tours in 2012 and you will be treated to a once in a lifetime experience. You will taste barrel samples of 2011 and impressive older vintages of Bordeaux that have matured. You will visit famous First Classified Growths like Chateau Margaux and Lafite Rothschild. But you will also savour the best food as a special guest in the private dining rooms of Classified Growths. All this while having a lot of fun with a small group of other wine lovers like yourself!
Because you don’t want to miss out on this unique opportunity I advise you to look into this now because our tours are starting to fill up and as you probably know accommodation at our Chateau is limited. So if you are really serious about touring and tasting these famous First Growths with me this summer you really need to look into this.

Your guide: Ronald Rens, M.Sc., Wine Master President and founder

Let me give you a few of the tour highlights here:

• Visits and tastings at First Growths and Château d'Yquem!
• Accommodation at our privately owned 18th century chateau!
• Taste more Classified Growths than on any other Bordeaux wine tour!
• Grand Cru wines with all meals (except for breakfast…)
• Great food and a lot of fun!
• Gourmet meals at three Bordeaux Chateaux and in a famous Michelin two star restaurant!
• Grand Cru farewell dinner with all Grand Cru wines (including First Growth Mouton Rothschild and Superior First Growth Chateau d'Yquem!)
• A small group limited to six double/twin rooms and
  one single; Expert Guidance by yours truly.

Don’t risk missing out on this unique opportunity to see Bordeaux as an insider and click here to read more. Or just reply and we will email you a full itinerary and all details.
If you reserve your spots quickly you can be sure we’ll tour Bordeaux together next year.

§         The Grand Tour of Bordeaux 2012 (open for booking)
-June 11 - June 16, 2012 and
-July 2 -July 7, 2012 and
-September 3 - September 8, 2012

§         The Bordeaux Harvest Tour 2012 (open for booking)
-October 1 – October 6, 2012

All tours are 6 days, 5 nights and limited to six double/twin rooms and one single!
Tour price: € 3995 Euro (per person, double or twin occupancy; one single room available)
Due to the exclusive nature of these tours, this program will sell out.

The Ultimate Chateauneuf-du-Pape Wine Book

This book is heavy, so don't try to slip it in your suitcase on a wine tour

This week is Thanksgiving and Christmas is just around the corner. And I have a great gift suggestion for you because my good friend and fellow dutchman Harry Karis has written The Chateauneuf du Pape Wine Book.
This well designed full color book will make a great holiday gift for your wine enthusiast friends. It is has almost 500 pages and weighs over two and a half kilo (5,5 pounds).
The Chateauneuf wine region was unquestionable worthy of a book and this is the first serious book ever dedicated exclusively to this appellation.
Harry Karis was a chef and a medical doctor, but five years ago gave all of this up to pursue his passion: the wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape...
Robert Parker described this book as "One of the most fascinating and profound wine books I have ever read" and I couldn't agree with him more.

Harry Karis, the author of The Chateauneuf du Pape Wine Book

To quote Parker even further: "His coverage of the geography, extraordinary history, remarkable Mediterranean climate, and famous mistral of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, as well as the diverse soil types, microclimates, and terroirs in this large appellation, is unprecedented in scope and detail.
Harry Karis also delves deeper than any previous author into the strikingly dissimilar wine making at different domains. In addition, his analysis of the domestic, as well as the export market is very worthwhile. However, the heart and soul of the book are the extraordinary estate profiles, and a description of the vignerons behind the cellar doors. This is a book that one can read from cover to cover many times and still glean new information about this sunny, windswept appellation in Provence."

More information and direct ordering:
The Chateauneuf du Pape Wine Book
by Harry Karis
Photography and design: Phil Karis
Kavino Book Publishing
488 pages, hardcover. Highly recommended!
www.cdpwinebook.com

Subscribe your Friends
Dear %%First name%%, I hope you enjoyed this Bordeaux Magazine. I would like to ask you to subscribe your friends, family members and colleagues that love wine, because it's fun, easy and free!

We wish you a very happy Thanksgiving and we look forward to seeing you all in Bordeaux in the near future!

Cheers from Bordeaux,

Ronald and Margaret Rens

Visit our website:

Bordeaux Wine Tours

www.BXWINEX.com

2012
Wine Tour Schedule

The June Grand Tour of
Bordeaux 
June 11-June 16 (2012)

The July Grand Tour of
Bordeaux 
July 2-July 7 (2012)

The September Grand Tour of Bordeaux 
September 3 - Sept 8 (2012)

The Bordeaux Harvest Tour
October 1 – October 6 (2012)

These Bordeaux Wine Tours are 6 days, 5 nights.
 

Avoid disappointment and reserve your place today!
(Click here!)

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Day Tour Packages
The most complete Packages
in Bordeaux!

Best of Both Worlds
Three days, two nights private wine tour packages
(to Médoc and Saint Emilion)
(Click here!)

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Bordeaux:
Self catering accommodation at Chateau Coulon Laurensac

Chateau Chateau Coulon Laurensac is situated less than 10 minutes from the Bordeaux city center and offers two deluxe self catering gîtes for two persons and one self catering gîte for four persons.

Click here for more information.

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The Bordeaux Wine Experience
Chateau Coulon Laurensac
1, chemin de Meydieu
33360 Latresne (BORDEAUX), France

Tel: +33 (0)556 20 64 12
Fax: +33(0)556 21 79 44

Email : info@BXWINEX.com
Web : www.BXWINEX.com
www.TheBordeauxWineBlog.com

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Copyright © 2011 by The Bordeaux Wine Experience. All rights reserved. The content, design and graphical elements of this Magazine are copyrighted. The Bordeaux Wine Experience is a Dutch company specializing in wine and culinary tours in the Bordeaux region for an English speaking international clientele.

Please note: For this issue of The Bordeaux Wine Experience Magazine, you're welcome to use the content on the Internet or in hard copy provided you e-mail Ronald (Ronald@BXWINEX.com) to let him know and use this credit line at the top under the title (please make the link clickable if it's online):

Reprinted from The Bordeaux Wine Experience Magazine a free Bordeaux e-Newsletter with permission of The Bordeaux Wine Experience, the leading Bordeaux Wine Tour Company: www.BXWINEX.com