Part Deux: Bordeaux
I’ve spent nearly 3 months over the past 2 years of my life in Bordeaux, attending the ’07 en primeur tastings in one of my stints. Though I had never gravitated towards Bordeaux, it provided an opportunity for me to really sink my teeth into the region. So enjoy my personal take on one of the most highly revered wine producing regions of the world.
Here’s the skinny- cheap Bordeaux sucks (this post is specific to reds- I think white Bordeaux is highly underrated). This region produces more wine than any other region of France, mainly accomplished by growing grapes on inappropriate plots of land and high yields (lower the yield, more concentrated the nutrients). What entails is shit tons of insipid plonk (1 shit ton = 1 metric ton).
…HOWEVER, when Bordeaux is great, it is sublime and will probably necessitate a 2nd mortgage. That’s not exactly true but expect to drop a couple bills and I’m not talking about the Hamiltons (Lazy Sunday reference). Why so much you ask? Well, here’s the problem: Bordeaux experiences vast vintage variations and the wines are priced accordingly. For example, Lafite Rothschild’s average price for the ‘05 is $790, while the ’06 is $419 and the ’07 is $212 according to wine-searcher.com. The reality is that the pricing is based on the perceived overall quality of the wine and these indicators tend to be fairly accurate except when the vintage is exalted as the greatest ever. How can one region have already experienced two vintages of the century in the first 6 years of the 21st? Hmmm…I think not! From my experience, it is worth spending the money on the better vintages because I don’t care what the name is, a horrible vintage will at best produce a mediocre wine. However, don’t necessarily buy into the hype either. Moral of the story- learn all the good to great vintages and stick to them (see below) but don’t overpay just because the press tells you to.
I will admit that I have come across a few estates that produce solid examples in the better vintages that are reasonably priced- around $20-$25 retail, but these are the exceptions. Two wines that I particularly keep an eye out for are Château Greysac and Croix-Mouton. However, as soon as any estate starts receiving recognition in the press, the price seems to immediately double. Cos d’Estournel at the turn of the century is a prime example.
I hope this post doesn’t scare any winos away from Bordeaux but if you are a curious consumer like me, you have experienced a painful amount of shwaggy juice from Bordeaux. If you do your homework though, you could stumble upon a glorious bottling that satiates all of your desires. In reality, this is the adventurous connoisseur’s raison d’ être after all.
Ballstein
2000: ‘Vintage of the Century’ #1
2001: Good vintage that is overshadowed by the 2000’s
2002: Another solid vintage that lives in the shadows- excellent values
2003: Very hot season produced extracted, opulent wines. Good if you prefer that style.
2004: Uneven vintage- buyer beware
2005: ‘Vintage of the Century’ #2
2006: Solid vintage that is outshined by the ’05’s; Approachable in style
2007: Avoid
2008: Better than ’07 but uneven- be skeptical
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