The May edition of our Bordeaux Wine Tours Newsletter is out.

You can read about:   

§        The Bordeaux First Growths 2007, tasting notes
§        Robert Parker on the 2007 vintage
§        ProWein Germany; impressions
§        What Ronald’s been drinking this month
§        And much more You can subscribe to this Bordeaux Wine Newsletter here:  To see an online version of the latest edition, please click here

Jean-François Quenin, owner of Château de Pressac in Saint-Etienne de Lisse has been elected to become the new president of the Conseil des Vins de Saint Emilion. His predecessor, Hubert de Boüard from Château Angelus, will step down in order to devote more time to his duties at the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine (INAO).  Quenin, 59, is a relative newcomer in the small world of Saint-Emilion. He bought Pressac in 1997 after having made a lucrative career in the electric-appliances retail business. Since 2007 he has been President of the Union des Syndicates of Saint Emilion, Pomerol and Fronsac, which will remain “a priority on his agenda”.

Source: Meininger’s Wine Business International

If you enjoy reading this: Please help TheBordeauxWineBlog:

Please click here to vote The Bordeaux Wine Experience your favorite blog.

Please continue to vote for us once per day.
 

Thanks very much for your help!

Decanter’s first tasting of the newly-bottled 2005 Medocs produced a record-breaking 25 awards - only two of them First Growths.Of the 25 five-star awards only Margaux and Mouton-Rothschild represent the very top rank. Haut-Brion (Pessac-Leognan) was not tasted.
Other winners in the five-star category spanned the 1855 classification, including Calon Segur (3rd growth), Duhart-Milon (4th) and Haut-Bages-Liberal (5th). Chateaux Latour and Lafite-Rothschild were awarded 4- and 3-stars (Highly Recommended and Recommended) respectively.
All wines were tasted blind, by a panel including consultant editor Steven Spurrier, the Wine Society’s Sebastian Payne MW, Stephen Browett of Farr Vintners, Richard Bampfield MW, Hugo Rose MW and other elite tasters.
You can taste at some of these chateaux yourself if you join The Bordeaux Wine Experience at some of their Wine Tours to the Bordeaux region.

Fifth growth Chateau Pedesclaux gets five stars, as do such eminent properties as Brane-Cantenac, Pichon Longueville and Rauzan-Segla.   Following a leak of the tasting results, Pedesclaux has been the subject of fevered speculation on both internet message boards and merchants’ order lists. The wine was one of three (along with Mouton and Pichon) to garner an automatic 5-star award (averaging a score of over 18.5/20 from all tasters) without the need for re-tasting. There is almost £1000 difference in the price tags between the top ranking wines. Pedesclaux is retailing for £20-30 per bottle, for example – while Chateau Margaux weighs in at up to £903. When the wines were revealed the panel expressed amazement that so many lowly 4th and 5th growths could have trumped their more illustrious counterparts. The main reason, Payne said, was the overall excellence of the vintage, with beautifully balanced wines at every level. ‘It really is exceptional – and very exciting.’

As well as this, the panel stressed that the wines develop at a different rate. Browett said, ‘If you’re honest, Forts de Latour, when it is young, is better than Latour. Wines that have an early drinking date show better than wines that are there for the long term.’

If you enjoy reading this: Please help TheBordeauxWineBlog:

Please click here to vote The Bordeaux Wine Experience your favorite blog.

Please continue to vote for us once per day.
 

Thanks very much for your help!

 The Bordeaux Wine Tour Guy celebrates the big 50

What Ronald has been drinking this month… 

The best improve with age…

The most interesting:

We had two very special dinner party’s to commemorate my lost youth. On the first we started with a foie gras prepared in sea salt with a Chateau Haut-Bergeron 1990, one of the most decorated chateaus in Sauternes. The 1990 was excellent and has everything we look for in a great Sauternes in a top vintage; a beautiful balance buttery notes and honey and of course tropical fruit like pineapple and papaya.  For the main course we had a Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1994 with the label by the Dutch artist Karel Appel. The classical nose of the 1994 had hints of black fruit mixed with toasted smoky notes. On the palate we enjoyed the round and soft tannins and a beautiful balanced fruit. A delight! The most interesting wine was without a doubt the Chateau Jean Faure 1958, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé. This bottle had been reconditioned and re corked at the chateau in 1991. I served this wine without decanting on the cheese dish. A very light fragile color. Very soft hints of tannins that had almost all melted away. Some spices and a bit strong in the acidity without a doubt as a result of the less than optimal weather conditions in 1958. Still a very interesting and unique wine experience. The first time I tasted a Bordeaux from “my” vintage. 

The cork from the reconditioned 1958 Saint Emilion
Grand Cru Classé, re corked, rebouché, in 1991 

Outstandingly the best:

The second dinner we hosted for my big 50 (yes, yes, I know) started with an impressive Chateau d’Yquem 1995 to accompany the foie gras.
This wine had an impressive “jammy” taste with a good balance between the sweets and the acidity.
There were hints of pineapple and peach.
The wine seemed to go on and on and on. A great Sauternes!
For the main course I selected a little vertical of Mouton’s from my cellar. I picked bottles with a special meaning to us. We began with the Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1991, the year Margaret and I were married. This Mouton was a little closed but gave beautiful aroma’s of vanilla, leather, cedar wood and tobacco. This wine was followed by a massive and impressive Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1985, (the year Margaret and I met!).
This 1985 showed a distinctive and well developed nose with hints of spices, herbs and ripe fruit. In the mouth we really liked the elegance of this wine that was ready to drink but on the other hand still had some 10 to 15 years of ageing potential left.

On the cheese (Stilton) I served a Tuke Holdsworth Vintage Port from the vintage 1958. How this young bottle could have gathered such a thick layer of dust I don’t understand (okay, indulge me…).
With difficulty we managed to get the cork out in some chunks.
The 1958 was a fragrant and delicate Vintage Port. It was an aromatic and elegant wine with a gentle tawny color. The wine still had good fruit and balance.
The good news is I still have a bottle left to celebrate my 60th birthday, so more on this wine in the 2018 edition of this Newsletter…

If you enjoy reading this: Please help TheBordeauxWineBlog:

Please click here to vote The Bordeaux Wine Experience your favorite blog.

Please continue to vote for us once per day.
 

Thanks very much for your help!

Second Michelin star for Hostellerie de Plaisance
Saint Emilion’s spectacular Michelin rated restaurant the Hostellerie de Plaisance obtained its second Michelin star. This second “macaron”, as the french lovingly call the Michelin stars, was long overdue. The excellent and very modest chef Philippe Etchebest surprised many of our guests with his original and delicious creations. The location of the restaurant is just spectacular especially with the view from the terrace in the summer.
On our Grand Tour of Bordeaux we traditionally enjoy a delicious meal prepared by this gifted chef.
Many of our guest have asked me why the Plaisance didn’t have a second star. I have had the pleasure of eating in many Michelin rated restaurants, but I could give no reason why. The Michelin inspectors finally agree with our verdict. We already have extended our warmest congratulations to Philippe and we are looking forward to our next food and wine experience in the Plaisance.

Bravo Philippe! Hope to eat with you again soon.

For all rated wines from the new vintage, please go to The Bordeaux Wine Experience vintage notes 2007.

If you enjoy reading this: Please help TheBordeauxWineBlog:

Please click here to vote The Bordeaux Wine Experience your favorite blog.

Please continue to vote for us once per day.
 

Thanks very much for your help!