Graileys Fine Wines Blog

By: AJ McClellan

Another great day planned… Latour, then d’Yquem, followed by Ramond Lafon, and last but not least we finish the day off with Smith Haut Lafite.

Stopping into Latour was amazing! The vineyards were beautiful with rolling hills and the chateau was fantastic. Possibly the best part was seeing the Latour tower in the middle of the vineyards… We saw the fermentation tanks and aging room then got the opportunity to taste through a lineup of 2006 Pauillac (their third label), 2005 Les Forts de Latour (Second label), and 2004 Chateau Latour. The wines were great, especially Latour which was soft and elegant for a wine of such youth.  After the tasting we wondered the vineyard for a little while and then headed to our appointment at d’Yquem.

Again I am amazed at how close together the vineyards are. Latour, Pichon Lalande, and Pichon Baron are right next to each other with some of the vines actually leapfrogging one another with the only way to tell them apart being the different color roses that are planted at the end of the vines….

We stopped in a small town right outside of Sauternes for a quick lunch then headed to d’Yquem. The region was beautiful and you can tell why d’Yquem makes such great wines, their land is perfectly situated on the hillside so they get the ideal amount of drainage for making fantastic grapes. Again we saw the tanks and aging room and had the opportunity to taste through the 2007 vintage. The wine, while young, was well developed with excellent balance. It always amazes me how structured and vibrant d’Yquem is regardless of age… After we finished tasting we went across the road to visit Raymond Lafon.

At Raymond Lafon we were greeted by the owner and winemaker, Jean-Pierre, whose father retired as winemaker of d’Yquem and move across the road to begin making wine under his own label. The estate was very interesting; Jean-Pierre was warm and inviting, showing us the vineyard and the garden. With a beautiful peacock strutting around the back yard and a garden of everything from roses to palm trees it was quite a site to see. Raymond Lafon is one of the smallest chateaus in the area, producing only 40,000 bottles a year. We tasted the 2005 vintage and it was singing, succulent honeysuckles with ripe apricots and a dollop of honey.

We finished the day over at Smith Haut Lafite. This was one of  the most impressive wineries we had seen thus far. You could tell, almost like Silver oak or Darioush, that the winery was geared towards tourism. High tech sorting and fermentation tanks with beautiful statues in the fields. We tasted the Blanc and Rouge and both were drinking great, although the Blanc was slightly more approachable in its youth. It was at this point in time that we realized that the ride back to Bordeaux would be thirsty work and decided to purchase an Imperial of 1986 Smith Haut Lafite for the drive home.

By AJ McClellan

Our second day in Bordeaux started with a great breakfast in the hotel followed by a quick lesson in the basics of Bordeaux wine regions and how to taste wine. One fact that I learned was the difference between the first nose and the second nose. The first nose is taken before the wine is swirled; this allows you to detect flaws more easily as you will detect the wood and spice of the wine on the first nose while the second nose, after you swirl the wine, will bring out the fruit. With our newfound knowledge of how to taste wines we proceeded to blind taste through several for practice. The first was a 2008 Chateau Montdoyen Divine Misericorde Bordeaux Blanc, a very crisp white with almost 20% Semilion giving it a light waxy feel in the mouth with the Sauvignon Blanc bringing out big grapefruit and lemon zest. Next on the lineup was 2008 Chateau Mons Delaunay a fun little bottle of village wine that was very pleasant but not overly complex. Our third bottle was one of my favorites the 2006 Goulee, which is a second label of Cos d’Estournel. Soft and supple with great black and red fruits and a classic Bordeaux Terrior, not one for aging more than 15 years but a great bottle to sip on while you are waiting for others to evolve. The last wine of our blind tasting was the 2001 Chateau Cadet Piola, another easy drinking Bordeaux with the Cabernet Franc showing great chocolate and coffee notes.

After our wine class we headed over to Giron’dines for lunch. We started our meal with foie gras served cold with apricot preserves, paired with a 2008 Chateau de Crabitan from the Sainte Croix du Mont. The wine was full of huge citrus notes and a subtle touch of honey. The sweet notes of the wine and the great acidity complimented the foie gras perfectly. Next was a roast duck served with a drizzle of aged balsamic and vegetable medley. The duck was served with a duo of St Emilions. First, a 2001 In Rose Cotes Roi with big chocolate and tobacco notes followed by spice box. Second was the 2001 Roc de Joanin, which was slightly softer and more round in style with plush fruit and a savory churned earth finish.

With full bellies we took a stroll across St Emilion to Chateau Canon, stopping in at the vineyards of Ausone and several other great vineyards. One thing that was amazing to me was how close all of the vineyards were to each other – literally across the street or only separated by a fence. Once we got to Canon we were ready to try some wine! The Chateau was absolutely beautiful with a grand tasting room and beautiful vineyards. After seeing the fermentation tanks and the barrel aging room we got an extra little treat when our guide took us more than 10 meters underground to show us the old mining caves under the vineyards. We finished with a tasting of the 2006 Chateau Canon in a beautiful courtyard overlooking the vineyards.

After Canon Ivan hooked us up with his friend Nickolas and we went to Pavie Macquin to taste through the 2010 barrel samples of Chateau Puygueraud, George, La Prade, Berliquet, Larcis  Ducasse, Beausejour, and Pavie Macquin. The barrel samples were all powerful and inky in the glass, showing huge red and black fruits with giant oak spice and massive teeth-staining tannins.

After our vineyard adventures it was time to stop in at a local cafe in St Emilion to grab a bite to eat for dinner. Simon and Dave ordered the Andouiellette Sausage and when it came out it we immediately knew something was wrong. When Dave cut into his sausage what looked like cadavers intestines spilled out releasing the smell of death and decay. Unfortunately Simon was not paying quite as much attention to what he was doing and managed to take a bite of the sausage before realizing that it was rancid; the look on his face was classic. We fled the diner in St Emilion and retreated to the safety of the hotel dinner room.

By: AJ McClellan

A wonderful tasting of the current release of four of Nickel & Nickel’s 14 single vineyard estates complemented by the Medina Chardonnay, Enroute Pinot Noir, and of course the famed Dolce. Nickel & Nickel have a great history in the Napa Valley, not to mention one of the coolest labels, and their 2007 vintage is one of the best I have had from this remarkable producer.

2009 Medina Vineyard Chardonnay – I great chardonnay with a nose of green apple, apricot, and peaches. The palate was round and rich with a dollop of butter surrounded by ripe fruit and a srisp minerality.

2009 Russian River Enroute Pinot Noir – A very impressive Pinot Noir. I have been a fan of this wine from its first vintage in 2007. The nose is full of ripe fruits with notes of blackberry and raspberry there is also a pleasant floral note on the back end of the wine. The palate is well balanced with great structure and a long finish.

2007 Tench Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – At first the Tench was a little shut down and not giving much up, but after an hour in the glass if opened to show dark blue and black fruits and a woody finish.

2007 Branding Iron Cabernet Sauvignon – This was the fruitiest of the four single vineyard cabs we tried. Big cherry, raspberry, plum, and boysenberry on the palate with soft tannins and medium body.

2007 Sullenger Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – This was my personal favorite of the foursome. Showing Staall the great fruit of the Branding Iron and the ridged structure of the State Ranch. Black cherries, blueberries, leather, and some smoke on the nose. The palate was powerful with a smooth finish. I think this wine will age very well and in 5 years it will be stunning.

2007 State Lane Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon – This was the biggest of the four wines with huge black fruits and massive tannins.

2006 Far Niente Dolce – A great desert wine, honey and apricot with excellent balance between sugar and acidity.

After the tasting the members pulled out a few treats for the table to enjoy.

2006 Bodega Chacra Cincuenta Y Cinco – From the owner of Sassicaia this Argentinean Pinot Noir tastes like a Grand Cru Gevrey. Soft blue and red fruits with a excellent palate of earth and minerality. In ten years this wine will compete with some of the best Burgundians for a third of the  price.

2000 Insignia – A great bottle of Insignia, I was impressed with how well this wine has aged. Black fruits with great spice notes and subtle vanilla and cinnamon on the finish.

2008 Corra – Another great Cali Cab. Black Currants, blackberries, black cherries, black liquorish, tobacco, black earth with great huge fruit. The palate is seductive with soft velvety tannins and delicious dark chocolate great vanilla and clove, and allspice. Brilliant long finish of soft fruits and cooking spices.

1988 Pape Clement – This Bordeaux was drinking like a champ. Big coco powder on the nose with star anise, clove, dry foliage, and amazing ripe dark fruits. The palate was creamy and rich with blackberries, plum pie, red roses, and liquorish. The wine has an excellent balance with a long finish of chocolate butter.

1988 Remoissenet Clos Vougeot GC Magnum – The nose was wonderful pure Burgundy. Big earth with subtle spice and dry red fruits. The palate was plush and smooth showing forest floor and crushed fruits. Wonderful wine.