What follows in the coming reports and pictures is exactly what is includes in my previous blog http://wineworld.spaces.live.com/
The idea of bringing the reports to new space is mainly to keep the information in only one place.
I have not done any changes to the original posts, because I believe that every experience has its particular moment.
Perhaps, today I would have other opinion on some issues, but what I reproduce here belongs to that time.
In this Part 13, I report my experience in Bordeaux, on September 2007.
Please, click on the photos to see the slide show and double click to go Picasa and see the map location.
LEARNING FROM THE EXPERIENCE
I always make my plans considering the opportunities of the present and the uncertainty of the future. As a result, they have to be flexible.
France was not on my plans at the beginning of my trip, as I first thought to visit only "new world" countries, mainly for budged restrictions. However, I had to adapt my journey as I travelled considering the circumstances and, the "old country" was an alternative to visit instead of Australia.
It ended up being an important part of the voyage, not only because the country is on of the most relevant producers of wine in the world but also for being a reference on all subjects related this theme, since long time ago.
To end my travel visiting regions where wine has being an important* part of daily life from centuries was an amazing experience and I couldn't choose better place to complete my "round the wine world" trip.
* 800 million bottles/year for (70%) internal market and (30%) export.
Source: Conseil Interprofessional du Vin de Bordeaux – 2006’s data.
Bordeaux
.JPG)
When I thought of going to France I had in mind what I always do: make the most of the opportunity of being there, because I never know if I will ever have the chance again. So, I included one French Language Course, one Wine Course, as many work experiences as it would be possible and to travel a lot, as usual.
Beforehand I booked a hotel; the language course in Bordeaux and made all contacts that I believed could result in one eventual volunteer work experience.
I arrived in Bordeaux on the 3rd of September, after a brief stay in London, and went straight to the hotel which was located in the city centre - one deservers a little of comfort occasionally, even when it means only a 2 stars rated accommodation…
The hotel was my base until I realized that I would never improve my French talking to no one and that my money would be gone shortly in a place not suitable for an 8-months-on-a-low-budged-backpacker.
I made contact with the school that I had booked to start studying from the 17th and, asked their help to find a host family, what I believed to be the best option, considering my aim to improve the language and to cut the expenses.
It didn't take long to be contacted and to move in with the family with whom I stayed for the majority of the period in the city.
The encounter with locals is always interesting and living with them is the best way to experiment the "real life" of a place. With the family I experienced a little of the French "art de vivre".
Other contact that made the difference during my stay was the owner of a Château* Perin de Naudine in Graves, Olivier Colas.
* The word "château" signifies a wine-producing estate with its own building. It is synonymous with the French words "domaine" and "clos" but has no connection with any architectural use of the word: castle.
Monsieur Colas was the only one to answer my request of opportunity to rehearsal. He was extremely kind and gave me chance to be as close to the local wine affair as it was possible. Thanks to him, French wine made a transition from theory to practice and I could visit his business; join him in a meeting with former colleagues graduated in Enology by the Bordeaux University - which took place at the Château Gazin in Pomerol; help his team to harvest one day and, have a taste of the French hospitality.
Colas runs Château Perin de Naudine with passion, wisdom and dedication. The propriety was bought by him in 1996. It is located in Castres-Gironde and has a new equipped winery, beautiful and well kept vineyard and a château - here the word is connected with the architectural use of it: the château is a beautiful renovated 17th century's mansion.
I had the chance to had samples of its wines, from the barrel to the bottle. The reds have Merlot as main variety and an captivating minerality, particular to Graves wines and usually described as "mint", and the whites have a "new" and also "old world" approaches: Sauvignon Blanc is fermented in stainless steel to keep the fruit flavour and for Sémillon oak barrels are used. The combination of both styles is a charming delight.
I couldn't help as much as I wanted because my lack of French made impossible to communicate with others but Colas, who was - understandably - very occupied dealing with the matters of the busiest time of year. However, that brief but close encounter with the Bordeaux wine making was great.
I also used my free time, before the beginning of my classes, to take a short course in l'Ecole du Vin and explore the wine area.
The "Initiations - Introduction to Bordeaux Wines" course was provide by the most recognized wine education institution in Bordeaux. In fact l'Ecole du Vin is part of the Maison du Vin de Bordeaux, where is located the Conseil Interprofessional du Vin de Bordeaux and also, a good wine bar.
During the 2-hours course we learned a little about the particularities of the Bordeaux region and tested 3 wines.
In the material provided by the school there was a very good description about the region:
The fact that Bordeaux is a reference for all wine lovers is hardly an accident... The wines come from a completely unique "terroir" with an exceptional climate and geographical location.
Bordeaux's unique flavour is linked to the careful blending of several grape varieties, which varies according to terroir and château...
All quality wines in Bordeaux come under the AOC (Appellations d'Origine Contrôlée) system, in keeping with strictly regulated viticultural and winemaking techniques, and only in authorized areas. French wine law defines not only where and how Bordeaux wine is produced, but also attributes the right to an appellation only after a wine has been accepted by professionals at a blind tasting..."
It was a very good introduction to the complex system control in Bordeaux and about wine making in general.
There I learned that Chaptalization is authorized (by Custome Agency in Bordeaux), as far the level of sugar content in the grapes is not reached and, to wait for the right level can ruin the crops. However, it is an rare resolution.
They also explained the difference between mix and blend: in the first the single variety's wines are just put together and in the second they are selected carefully for the best of the result possible.
It was interesting to know that the term Claret used by the English market centuries ago to refer to dry red Bordeaux wines, is still in use in France, however, as Clairet and nowadays it is more specific, referring to a wine that is made in a similar way to red wines, however maceration takes place more quickly, resulting in a middle term, between rosé and red wines.
Another useful thing I learnt was about the variations of colours according the wine aging:
White Wine
1 - 2 years old = light yellow
3 - 4 " = light green
5 - 6 " = light orange
7 + " = light brown
Rosé Wine
1 - 2 years old = pink salmon
3 - 4 " = ruby
5 - 6 " = light orange
7 + " = light brown
Red Wine
1 - 3 years old = purple
4 - 5 " = ruby
6 - 7 " = light orange
8 + " = light brown
As it is said in the book Wines of the World (Eyewitness Companions): "The people of Bordeaux like to know where they stand - hence the need to rank their wines in a table of merit. However, there is not just one system of classification in place; several different hierarchies have been introduced at various times over the past of past two centuries, each with its own history and intricate set of rules".
The Bordeaux classifications are:
1855 Classification;
1959 Graves Classification;
Classification of Médoc Cru Bourgeois and
Classification of St-Émilion.
I mention all internal classifications while relating my journey. However, as the 1855 Classification is an overall classification that ranks the various Bordeaux wine appellations, it will open the explanations.
The most famous Bordeaux classification relates to the red wines of the Médoc peninsula* and the sweet white wine of Sauternes**. The system was drawn up at the demand of Emperor Napoleon III for the wines that were being exhibited at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1855. The Bordeaux Syndicat des Courtiers ranked the wines based on decades of trading statistics.
* 60 château from the Médoc and one from Graves were ordered in five different grades according to commercial value.
** 26 château in Sauternes and Barsac were ranked as either first or second growths.
Bordeaux has 57 AOC and on my 3rd day in the city, I went to see one of those.
My first visit in the region was a tour organized by the Tourism Office - which was by far the best tourism department that I found in my whole trip, with helpful staff and a great variety of activities organized by the establishment.
We left Bordeaux city centre in direction to Graves, early morning and not long after we were exploring the area that is close located.
In the day's agenda we had two wineries, with lunch in the second and followed by a visit to the Montesquieu's castle, where the famous and influential French philosopher lived.
Back to Graves Region
The Grave area spreads from the North of Bordeaux to Langon.
Red, white and sweet white wines are produced and identified by 3 AOC:
- regional: Graves (for red and dry whites) and Graves Superieures (for sweet whites);
- commune: Pessac-Léognan (for dry red and whites).
Pessac-Léognan is considered the birth place of Bordeaux vineyards. The appellation was created in 1987, but on a very ancient wine-growing area of the Graves de Bordeaux. More than 2000 years of history, it was the birthplace of the "New French Claret", the modern type of Bordeaux reds, created in the XVIIth century in Haut-Brion.
Château Haut-Brion was also the responsible for developing the concept of using oak barrels to age wine and, it is, in fact, the only estate outside the Médoc Region classified as a 1er Cru Classé, by the famous 1855 Classification, mostly for its contribution to the industry.
The region counts with its own classification: Graves Classification - compiled by the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine, for both red and white wines, since 1953 and updated in 1959. There are 16 growers classified as Gran Cru Classé, with no hierarchy among them.
The district has a mild and temperate climate with strong influence of the River Garone and also the forest which is located between the Bordeaux region and the Atlantic Ocean, which forms a protective fence against the ocean winds.
It is the only wine-producing area in France named by the nature of its soil (graves mean gravel), which has extremely good drainage; it can have up to 3 metres of gravel.
Our first visit was to the "Gran Cru Classé de Graves" producer, Château de Fieuzal, located in Pessac-Léognan.
The Fieuzal family, who owned the Château until 1851, left their name to the vineyard.
In 1959, when the Graves wines were classified, Fieuzal was chosen for its excellent red wines.
The business, nowadays owned by an Irish couple, also includes the neighbour Château Haut-Gardère that produces wines classified as "Gran Vin de Graves". Also under the same classification is the second wine of Château de Fieuzal: L'Abeille de Fieuzal.
The manager, an elegant French gentleman, guided us through the winery explaining about the tradition and work of the state.
The production that is approximately 10000 cases of red and 2500 cases of white, has Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (33%), Cabernet Franc (4,5%), Petit Verdot (2,5%) for the red wines and Sémillon (50%) and Sauvignon (50%) for the white ones.
The vines, which have 30-years-old average, have Double Guyot pruning.
The best sample of the winery was, in fact, a white wine (Château Haut-Gardère, 2004) that had hand-picked grapes, no malolactic fermentation, a brief time in stainless steel followed by oak barrels were it was aged for 12 months on its fine lees with regular stirring.
It was fat and concentrated, with some particularly elegant aromas: citrus, white peach and apricot.
A very good surprise for me - a confessed fan of "New World" white wine fresh and fruity style.
Sauvignon Blanc was there sharing the bottle with Sémillon and showing they can be very good partners.
The second visit was to Château Haut-Bailly, situated on a high ridge off a small winding road leading from Léognan to Cadaujac, just south of Bordeaux.
The records of the winery go back to the early 17th century when the proprietor was a Parisian banker, Firmin Le Bailly. The actual proprietors, an American banker and his French wife, bought the vineyard in 1998.
The château is surrounded by vineyards planted with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc grapes. The vines have between 30 to 90-years-old.
The soil, unique to Léognan, is sandy and rich in a petrified sandstone containing the remains of prehistoric fossilized shellfish (visible on the walls of old buildings in the area, which had local material when built). It rests on layer of sandstone.
The first fermentation (1-3 weeks) takes place in cement vats - the same practice that I saw in almost all Argentinean wineries - and the second in oak barrels.
After a visit to the winery and vineyard, we tasted the wine in the patio, contemplating the beautiful scenery.
We also had the opportunity to try the estate's wines, while having lunch.
The lunch was wonderful and we had a 4 course meal, with wines to match and bread to pair - a real French habit.
The group was mostly merry and we chatted a lot. I met an American girl who was in a trip with similar purpose to mine: learn about wine, however we didn’t talk much, she didn’t seem to be very comfortable in the environment - very bizarre for who choose to have wine as a career. But, everyone has the own way to do things. I was having fun.
The meal was a pleasant time; however the wine that impressed me the most was still the white version of the previous winery visited.
It was time to leave and visit the Montesquieu's château, where does not have any grape growing; however it is on their plans. In consequence, the historical part of the building was the theme of the tour.
Finished the touristiest part of the day, Bordeaux city was the next destination.
BORDEAUX WINE WEEK COURSE
In following week I was much busier. I had the mornings occupied by French classes and the afternoons by the wine course at L'Ecole du Bordeaux. Both of them were really good.
The language course was 3 weeks long and the wine one was only one week, but it was worthy every minute.
The course at L'Ecole du Bordeaux had Maguelone de Blasi as teacher. She is a courtier en vins (broker, who is the intermediary between winegrowers and negociants).
There are 130 brokers in the Bordeaux wine industry and to have Maguelone as an instructor was a privilege. The course was hold in French, with translation to English when the group was lost.
My French is good enough to understand a subject which I am familiar with, that was the case. However, I don't dare to try to speak - my knowledge of the Victor Hugo's idiom is just good sufficient to order a meal. In consequence, I was able to understand the content and I learnt a lot (it helped a little to improve my French as well).
The course had 3 days of conference, tasting and, two days of visits to vineyards in Médoc and St-Émilion.
The school belongs to the owners of Château Lynch Bages, a "Gran Cru Classé", located in Pauillac, location of their first wine school.
We were a culturally diversified: group Japan, England, Italy, Holland and myself, representing Brazil. Apart from Adelaide; a lovely young lady born in Hong Kong, who was risen in Australia, currently lives in the United Kingdom and had her mother's recommendation the main reason to join the class; we were all above 30 years old of age and had already wine as an important subject in our lives, for different reasons.
During the classes we went through Tasting Techniques; Vinification Methods; Terroirs; Technical Vocabulary; Tasting - of course; and we had the opportunity to blend our own wine, with single varieties wines supplied by Château Lynch Bages - an exciting experience that included the marketing outlook of the business.
We tasted wines from diverse producers and regions:
Michel Lynche, Graves, 2006;
Château Villa Bel-Air, Graves, 2004;
Château de Rayne Vigneon, 1er Cru Classé, Sauternes, 1997;
Château Lynch Bages, Paulliac, 2001;
Château Quinault (L'Enclos), Grand Cru, Saint-Émilion, 2001;
Château Chante Grive, Graves, 1999;
Château La Tour Carnet, Haut-Médoc, 1999 and
Château Batailley, Pauillac, 1998.
On Thursday we went to visit the Médoc region, located at the north-west of Bordeaux city.
The Médoc Region
Médoc means "in the middle of waters", from the Latin: ‘in medio aquae’.
It has a very mild climate, with influences of the Atlantic Ocean (Gulf Stream) and the Gironde estuary.
All the vineyards are situated in a thin area of land. The Médoc Appellations benefit from a network of small brooks, and the best vineyards are situated by these rivers.
The region has 3 classifications:
Cru Classés
of 1855: 1/4 of the production;
Crus Bourgeois (Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels, Cru Bourgeois Supérieurs and Cru Bourgeois): 1/2 of the production;
Cru Artisans: 11% of the wines.
There are many levels of Appellations:
North of the Médoc (previous called "Bas-Médoc"): AOC Médoc;
Centre and South: Haut-Médoc;
Inside the Haut-Médoc, six famous appellations, the "communales": Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Listrac, Moulis and Margaux.
The first day of visits, we left Bordeaux city early afternoon and travelled via the Road D1 and then N215 from where you see vineyards along the whole way.
It was a stop-along-drive journey, making the most of the opportunity to contemplate the vineyards, some of them with the harvest taking place.
We also stopped at prestigious Château Margaux for a picture time and wonder around.
It wasn't our final destination, so, we carried on up to Paulliac that is considered the capital of the appellation.
The estate visited at that day was a classified Cru Classé: Château Lynch Bages - surprise, surprise.
We visited vineyard and winery where our guide instructed us about the history of the business and processes involved in the production. There is a museum where they keep ancient objects formerly used to make wine. It was the most fascinating part of the visit.
The transition to modernity in the winery is very recent. They adopted concrete vats in 1973 and replaced them by stainless still in 1988.
Located on the Bages plateau, with the vineyard overlooking the Gironde estuary at the distance. The estate was at one time owned by the Lynch family from Galway in Ireland, but is now in the hands if the Cases family.
For their first wine, the oldest vines (average of 30-35 years old) supply the grapes and, time in oak barrels is longer than applied for the second wine, named Château Haut-Bages Averous.
The taste itself was, in reality, nothing new, because we sampled a wine that was familiar to all of us, as it had been tasted in class a couple of days before (Château Lynch Bages, Paulliac, 2001). It was a bit frustrating as our guide declined our request to sample something different.
Any way, the wine was still good, made of blend that is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon (73%) and it has Cabernet Franc (10%) and Petit Verdot (2%) as partners.
The wine showed leather aroma and in the mouth it had smooth tannins, with some acidity and spicy flavours and in my opinion still it had some space to develop, if desired.
A tiny amount if white wine, Blanc de Lynch-Baes, is also made - from Sémillion, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. Something of a rarity for the Médoc, it is similar in style to white Graves.
Saint-Émilion and Pomerol
Next day, the very last one of the wine course, we crossed over the River Garonne, passed by Entre-deux-Mers and ended on what is known as the Right Bank, where the main river is Dordogne.
Merlot is the king in this part of Bordeaux. Saint-Émilion and Pomerol are they key appellations.
The limits between the two regions is almost virtual and, if you blink on the journey you loose the limits where one finishes and the other starts.
Pomerol
Winegrowing in Pomerol goes back to the 12th century. Vines were planted by the charitable order of the Knights Hospitallers of Saint-John of Jerusalem (Order of Malta). These vines produced wine for the Church and pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela.
Despite the world-famous reputation, these wines have never been classified.
Located on a gently sloping plateau northeast of the town of Libourne, the richest wines come form the clay and gravel soils of the central plateau. It is here that all the top château, including Pétrus, Lafleur and Le Pin, can be found. On the lower terraces to the west and south, the soils are sandier and the wines lighter and less powerful in style.
This was my second visit to this region, but the first at day-light time. I had been at Pomerol, previously to the meeting at Château Gazin with Olivier Colas, opportunity when I tried a couple of their wines, included a 1988 vintage.
At this time we didn't visit any winery in the appellation, apart from the usual stop to picture a spot. We actually just tasted a wine from Pomerol (Château Vieux Maillet, 2003, 35) that took place in another estate: Château Franc-Mayne, this one, in fact, located in Saint-Émilion.
This appears to be a common practice among the local wineries open for visits, to sell other labels in their premises.
Saint-Émilion
The fortified village of Saint-Émilion was built on a limestone hill. Its origin is related to religion (named after an hermit monk Emilianous, who lived in a cave in the 8th century) and the Middle Ages is still alive through the architecture, the wine producing area and the structure of the wine estates and those are the main reasons why the whole district was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO, in 1999.
The region is known as the "Hill with 1000 Chateaux". It is easy to picture with you take in consideration that more than 50% of the local vineyards have less than 5 ha.
The wines of Saint-Émilion were first classified in 1954. This classification is revised every ten years. It is divided into two appellations:
Saint-Émilion Gran Cru
- only for the best of the region, considering only the quality, and they are graded as Gran Cru Classé or Premier Gran Cru Classé;
Saint-Émilion - for all the other wines produced.
The second most important grape variety is Cabernet Franc that is known locally as Bouchet.
We began the visits in the Château Franc-Mayne, Gran Cru Classé, which I previously mentioned.
Château Franc-Mayne has 7 hectares of vineyards in a single block located on the prestigious Cotê des Francs slope in the heart of Saint-Émilion appellation.
Two hectares of wines grown on top of former quarries, which consists on caves mined to extract limestone for construction when the town was build, in the 12th century. This is not in practice any more; however the quarries are still in use to store some of their barrels, in the naturally chilled environment (12-13° C) and, as a tourist attraction.
However, most of the barrels are kept in a modern storage. This is part of numerous investments that started 5 years ago in order to produce the finest possible quality: the vat room was entirely renovated, a detailed vineyard management programme was instituted (pot by plot), the grapes are hand-picked into small crates and carefully sorted prior to crushing, malolactic fermentation takes place in barrels, the well-known oenologist Michel Rolland provides expert advice on viticulture and winemaking.
We tasted a couple of wines, among them the first wine, labelled as usual under the château name (1999, 49).
Next stop was the closest one to the charming town of Saint-Émilion: Clos La Madeleine.
We arrived in Clos La Madeleine at the same time that the guide was busy with a group of Canadian tourists, so, we decided to join them to save time and started by the tasting.
The cellar door is located in a cave that adds a special charm to the experience. We had three different wines, two from Clos La Madeleine itself (2004, 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, € 38 and, 2005, 50% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Franc, € 12) and one from Magnan La Gaffeliere, 2003 (75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, € 19) that was a presented as a typical Saint-Émilion, had a good balance, was ready to drink and a great value for money. The last was in fact, my favourite wine of the day. Perhaps it means that a good wine doesn't have to be necessarily expensive or that I am a low-cost-wine-appreciator.
After I bought a bottle of my favourite wine as a souvenir to a couple of friends, I joined the group in the tour that followed.
The vineyards are in a slop with a beautiful over-view to others local estates.
We went after the guide to the winery and finally to the cave, where the production of the winery is kept. The production is small, so does is the winery. To solve any problems of space, creativity is applied, for example, a door and a fan on the wall can be opened or closed depending on what a room is used for and, in consequence, the temperature required: malolactic fermentation or ageing.
We finished the day leaving the gorgeous region behind and ending the week of the wine course.
It was my best week in Bordeaux, I learnt a lot and also had the good company of a couple of classmates, with whom I used to visit a wine bar after class and carry on the studies there, chat and exchange life experiences.
That is what wine is about to me, sharing.
Next wine region to explore: Rhone - where I had Avignon as base and, loved it.
Cheers,
Marcia Amaral
The idea of bringing the reports to new space is mainly to keep the information in only one place.
I have not done any changes to the original posts, because I believe that every experience has its particular moment.
Perhaps, today I would have other opinion on some issues, but what I reproduce here belongs to that time.
In this Part 13, I report my experience in Bordeaux, on September 2007.
Please, click on the photos to see the slide show and double click to go Picasa and see the map location.
LEARNING FROM THE EXPERIENCE
I always make my plans considering the opportunities of the present and the uncertainty of the future. As a result, they have to be flexible.
France was not on my plans at the beginning of my trip, as I first thought to visit only "new world" countries, mainly for budged restrictions. However, I had to adapt my journey as I travelled considering the circumstances and, the "old country" was an alternative to visit instead of Australia.
It ended up being an important part of the voyage, not only because the country is on of the most relevant producers of wine in the world but also for being a reference on all subjects related this theme, since long time ago.
To end my travel visiting regions where wine has being an important* part of daily life from centuries was an amazing experience and I couldn't choose better place to complete my "round the wine world" trip.
* 800 million bottles/year for (70%) internal market and (30%) export.
Source: Conseil Interprofessional du Vin de Bordeaux – 2006’s data.
Bordeaux
.JPG)
When I thought of going to France I had in mind what I always do: make the most of the opportunity of being there, because I never know if I will ever have the chance again. So, I included one French Language Course, one Wine Course, as many work experiences as it would be possible and to travel a lot, as usual.Beforehand I booked a hotel; the language course in Bordeaux and made all contacts that I believed could result in one eventual volunteer work experience.
I arrived in Bordeaux on the 3rd of September, after a brief stay in London, and went straight to the hotel which was located in the city centre - one deservers a little of comfort occasionally, even when it means only a 2 stars rated accommodation…
The hotel was my base until I realized that I would never improve my French talking to no one and that my money would be gone shortly in a place not suitable for an 8-months-on-a-low-budged-backpacker.
I made contact with the school that I had booked to start studying from the 17th and, asked their help to find a host family, what I believed to be the best option, considering my aim to improve the language and to cut the expenses.
It didn't take long to be contacted and to move in with the family with whom I stayed for the majority of the period in the city.
The encounter with locals is always interesting and living with them is the best way to experiment the "real life" of a place. With the family I experienced a little of the French "art de vivre".
Other contact that made the difference during my stay was the owner of a Château* Perin de Naudine in Graves, Olivier Colas.
* The word "château" signifies a wine-producing estate with its own building. It is synonymous with the French words "domaine" and "clos" but has no connection with any architectural use of the word: castle.
Monsieur Colas was the only one to answer my request of opportunity to rehearsal. He was extremely kind and gave me chance to be as close to the local wine affair as it was possible. Thanks to him, French wine made a transition from theory to practice and I could visit his business; join him in a meeting with former colleagues graduated in Enology by the Bordeaux University - which took place at the Château Gazin in Pomerol; help his team to harvest one day and, have a taste of the French hospitality.
Colas runs Château Perin de Naudine with passion, wisdom and dedication. The propriety was bought by him in 1996. It is located in Castres-Gironde and has a new equipped winery, beautiful and well kept vineyard and a château - here the word is connected with the architectural use of it: the château is a beautiful renovated 17th century's mansion.
I had the chance to had samples of its wines, from the barrel to the bottle. The reds have Merlot as main variety and an captivating minerality, particular to Graves wines and usually described as "mint", and the whites have a "new" and also "old world" approaches: Sauvignon Blanc is fermented in stainless steel to keep the fruit flavour and for Sémillon oak barrels are used. The combination of both styles is a charming delight.
I couldn't help as much as I wanted because my lack of French made impossible to communicate with others but Colas, who was - understandably - very occupied dealing with the matters of the busiest time of year. However, that brief but close encounter with the Bordeaux wine making was great.
I also used my free time, before the beginning of my classes, to take a short course in l'Ecole du Vin and explore the wine area.
The "Initiations - Introduction to Bordeaux Wines" course was provide by the most recognized wine education institution in Bordeaux. In fact l'Ecole du Vin is part of the Maison du Vin de Bordeaux, where is located the Conseil Interprofessional du Vin de Bordeaux and also, a good wine bar.
During the 2-hours course we learned a little about the particularities of the Bordeaux region and tested 3 wines.
In the material provided by the school there was a very good description about the region:
The fact that Bordeaux is a reference for all wine lovers is hardly an accident... The wines come from a completely unique "terroir" with an exceptional climate and geographical location.
Bordeaux's unique flavour is linked to the careful blending of several grape varieties, which varies according to terroir and château...
All quality wines in Bordeaux come under the AOC (Appellations d'Origine Contrôlée) system, in keeping with strictly regulated viticultural and winemaking techniques, and only in authorized areas. French wine law defines not only where and how Bordeaux wine is produced, but also attributes the right to an appellation only after a wine has been accepted by professionals at a blind tasting..."
It was a very good introduction to the complex system control in Bordeaux and about wine making in general.
There I learned that Chaptalization is authorized (by Custome Agency in Bordeaux), as far the level of sugar content in the grapes is not reached and, to wait for the right level can ruin the crops. However, it is an rare resolution.
They also explained the difference between mix and blend: in the first the single variety's wines are just put together and in the second they are selected carefully for the best of the result possible.
It was interesting to know that the term Claret used by the English market centuries ago to refer to dry red Bordeaux wines, is still in use in France, however, as Clairet and nowadays it is more specific, referring to a wine that is made in a similar way to red wines, however maceration takes place more quickly, resulting in a middle term, between rosé and red wines.
Another useful thing I learnt was about the variations of colours according the wine aging:
White Wine
1 - 2 years old = light yellow
3 - 4 " = light green
5 - 6 " = light orange
7 + " = light brown
Rosé Wine
1 - 2 years old = pink salmon
3 - 4 " = ruby
5 - 6 " = light orange
7 + " = light brown
Red Wine
1 - 3 years old = purple
4 - 5 " = ruby
6 - 7 " = light orange
8 + " = light brown
As it is said in the book Wines of the World (Eyewitness Companions): "The people of Bordeaux like to know where they stand - hence the need to rank their wines in a table of merit. However, there is not just one system of classification in place; several different hierarchies have been introduced at various times over the past of past two centuries, each with its own history and intricate set of rules".
The Bordeaux classifications are:
1855 Classification;
1959 Graves Classification;
Classification of Médoc Cru Bourgeois and
Classification of St-Émilion.
I mention all internal classifications while relating my journey. However, as the 1855 Classification is an overall classification that ranks the various Bordeaux wine appellations, it will open the explanations.
The most famous Bordeaux classification relates to the red wines of the Médoc peninsula* and the sweet white wine of Sauternes**. The system was drawn up at the demand of Emperor Napoleon III for the wines that were being exhibited at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1855. The Bordeaux Syndicat des Courtiers ranked the wines based on decades of trading statistics.
* 60 château from the Médoc and one from Graves were ordered in five different grades according to commercial value.
** 26 château in Sauternes and Barsac were ranked as either first or second growths.
Bordeaux has 57 AOC and on my 3rd day in the city, I went to see one of those.
My first visit in the region was a tour organized by the Tourism Office - which was by far the best tourism department that I found in my whole trip, with helpful staff and a great variety of activities organized by the establishment.
We left Bordeaux city centre in direction to Graves, early morning and not long after we were exploring the area that is close located.
In the day's agenda we had two wineries, with lunch in the second and followed by a visit to the Montesquieu's castle, where the famous and influential French philosopher lived.
Back to Graves Region
The Grave area spreads from the North of Bordeaux to Langon.
Red, white and sweet white wines are produced and identified by 3 AOC:
- regional: Graves (for red and dry whites) and Graves Superieures (for sweet whites);
- commune: Pessac-Léognan (for dry red and whites).
Pessac-Léognan is considered the birth place of Bordeaux vineyards. The appellation was created in 1987, but on a very ancient wine-growing area of the Graves de Bordeaux. More than 2000 years of history, it was the birthplace of the "New French Claret", the modern type of Bordeaux reds, created in the XVIIth century in Haut-Brion.
Château Haut-Brion was also the responsible for developing the concept of using oak barrels to age wine and, it is, in fact, the only estate outside the Médoc Region classified as a 1er Cru Classé, by the famous 1855 Classification, mostly for its contribution to the industry.
The region counts with its own classification: Graves Classification - compiled by the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine, for both red and white wines, since 1953 and updated in 1959. There are 16 growers classified as Gran Cru Classé, with no hierarchy among them.
The district has a mild and temperate climate with strong influence of the River Garone and also the forest which is located between the Bordeaux region and the Atlantic Ocean, which forms a protective fence against the ocean winds.
It is the only wine-producing area in France named by the nature of its soil (graves mean gravel), which has extremely good drainage; it can have up to 3 metres of gravel.
Our first visit was to the "Gran Cru Classé de Graves" producer, Château de Fieuzal, located in Pessac-Léognan.
The Fieuzal family, who owned the Château until 1851, left their name to the vineyard.
In 1959, when the Graves wines were classified, Fieuzal was chosen for its excellent red wines.
The business, nowadays owned by an Irish couple, also includes the neighbour Château Haut-Gardère that produces wines classified as "Gran Vin de Graves". Also under the same classification is the second wine of Château de Fieuzal: L'Abeille de Fieuzal.
The manager, an elegant French gentleman, guided us through the winery explaining about the tradition and work of the state.
The production that is approximately 10000 cases of red and 2500 cases of white, has Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (33%), Cabernet Franc (4,5%), Petit Verdot (2,5%) for the red wines and Sémillon (50%) and Sauvignon (50%) for the white ones.
The vines, which have 30-years-old average, have Double Guyot pruning.
The best sample of the winery was, in fact, a white wine (Château Haut-Gardère, 2004) that had hand-picked grapes, no malolactic fermentation, a brief time in stainless steel followed by oak barrels were it was aged for 12 months on its fine lees with regular stirring.
It was fat and concentrated, with some particularly elegant aromas: citrus, white peach and apricot.
A very good surprise for me - a confessed fan of "New World" white wine fresh and fruity style.
Sauvignon Blanc was there sharing the bottle with Sémillon and showing they can be very good partners.
The second visit was to Château Haut-Bailly, situated on a high ridge off a small winding road leading from Léognan to Cadaujac, just south of Bordeaux.
The records of the winery go back to the early 17th century when the proprietor was a Parisian banker, Firmin Le Bailly. The actual proprietors, an American banker and his French wife, bought the vineyard in 1998.
The château is surrounded by vineyards planted with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc grapes. The vines have between 30 to 90-years-old.
The soil, unique to Léognan, is sandy and rich in a petrified sandstone containing the remains of prehistoric fossilized shellfish (visible on the walls of old buildings in the area, which had local material when built). It rests on layer of sandstone.
The first fermentation (1-3 weeks) takes place in cement vats - the same practice that I saw in almost all Argentinean wineries - and the second in oak barrels.
After a visit to the winery and vineyard, we tasted the wine in the patio, contemplating the beautiful scenery.
We also had the opportunity to try the estate's wines, while having lunch.
The lunch was wonderful and we had a 4 course meal, with wines to match and bread to pair - a real French habit.
The group was mostly merry and we chatted a lot. I met an American girl who was in a trip with similar purpose to mine: learn about wine, however we didn’t talk much, she didn’t seem to be very comfortable in the environment - very bizarre for who choose to have wine as a career. But, everyone has the own way to do things. I was having fun.
The meal was a pleasant time; however the wine that impressed me the most was still the white version of the previous winery visited.
It was time to leave and visit the Montesquieu's château, where does not have any grape growing; however it is on their plans. In consequence, the historical part of the building was the theme of the tour.
Finished the touristiest part of the day, Bordeaux city was the next destination.
BORDEAUX WINE WEEK COURSE
In following week I was much busier. I had the mornings occupied by French classes and the afternoons by the wine course at L'Ecole du Bordeaux. Both of them were really good.
The language course was 3 weeks long and the wine one was only one week, but it was worthy every minute.
The course at L'Ecole du Bordeaux had Maguelone de Blasi as teacher. She is a courtier en vins (broker, who is the intermediary between winegrowers and negociants).
There are 130 brokers in the Bordeaux wine industry and to have Maguelone as an instructor was a privilege. The course was hold in French, with translation to English when the group was lost.
My French is good enough to understand a subject which I am familiar with, that was the case. However, I don't dare to try to speak - my knowledge of the Victor Hugo's idiom is just good sufficient to order a meal. In consequence, I was able to understand the content and I learnt a lot (it helped a little to improve my French as well).
The course had 3 days of conference, tasting and, two days of visits to vineyards in Médoc and St-Émilion.
The school belongs to the owners of Château Lynch Bages, a "Gran Cru Classé", located in Pauillac, location of their first wine school.
We were a culturally diversified: group Japan, England, Italy, Holland and myself, representing Brazil. Apart from Adelaide; a lovely young lady born in Hong Kong, who was risen in Australia, currently lives in the United Kingdom and had her mother's recommendation the main reason to join the class; we were all above 30 years old of age and had already wine as an important subject in our lives, for different reasons.
During the classes we went through Tasting Techniques; Vinification Methods; Terroirs; Technical Vocabulary; Tasting - of course; and we had the opportunity to blend our own wine, with single varieties wines supplied by Château Lynch Bages - an exciting experience that included the marketing outlook of the business.
We tasted wines from diverse producers and regions:
Michel Lynche, Graves, 2006;
Château Villa Bel-Air, Graves, 2004;
Château de Rayne Vigneon, 1er Cru Classé, Sauternes, 1997;
Château Lynch Bages, Paulliac, 2001;
Château Quinault (L'Enclos), Grand Cru, Saint-Émilion, 2001;
Château Chante Grive, Graves, 1999;
Château La Tour Carnet, Haut-Médoc, 1999 and
Château Batailley, Pauillac, 1998.
On Thursday we went to visit the Médoc region, located at the north-west of Bordeaux city.
The Médoc Region
Médoc means "in the middle of waters", from the Latin: ‘in medio aquae’.
It has a very mild climate, with influences of the Atlantic Ocean (Gulf Stream) and the Gironde estuary.
All the vineyards are situated in a thin area of land. The Médoc Appellations benefit from a network of small brooks, and the best vineyards are situated by these rivers.
The region has 3 classifications:
Cru Classés
of 1855: 1/4 of the production;
Crus Bourgeois (Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels, Cru Bourgeois Supérieurs and Cru Bourgeois): 1/2 of the production;
Cru Artisans: 11% of the wines.
There are many levels of Appellations:
North of the Médoc (previous called "Bas-Médoc"): AOC Médoc;
Centre and South: Haut-Médoc;
Inside the Haut-Médoc, six famous appellations, the "communales": Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Listrac, Moulis and Margaux.
The first day of visits, we left Bordeaux city early afternoon and travelled via the Road D1 and then N215 from where you see vineyards along the whole way.
It was a stop-along-drive journey, making the most of the opportunity to contemplate the vineyards, some of them with the harvest taking place.
We also stopped at prestigious Château Margaux for a picture time and wonder around.
It wasn't our final destination, so, we carried on up to Paulliac that is considered the capital of the appellation.
The estate visited at that day was a classified Cru Classé: Château Lynch Bages - surprise, surprise.
We visited vineyard and winery where our guide instructed us about the history of the business and processes involved in the production. There is a museum where they keep ancient objects formerly used to make wine. It was the most fascinating part of the visit.
The transition to modernity in the winery is very recent. They adopted concrete vats in 1973 and replaced them by stainless still in 1988.
Located on the Bages plateau, with the vineyard overlooking the Gironde estuary at the distance. The estate was at one time owned by the Lynch family from Galway in Ireland, but is now in the hands if the Cases family.
For their first wine, the oldest vines (average of 30-35 years old) supply the grapes and, time in oak barrels is longer than applied for the second wine, named Château Haut-Bages Averous.
The taste itself was, in reality, nothing new, because we sampled a wine that was familiar to all of us, as it had been tasted in class a couple of days before (Château Lynch Bages, Paulliac, 2001). It was a bit frustrating as our guide declined our request to sample something different.
Any way, the wine was still good, made of blend that is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon (73%) and it has Cabernet Franc (10%) and Petit Verdot (2%) as partners.
The wine showed leather aroma and in the mouth it had smooth tannins, with some acidity and spicy flavours and in my opinion still it had some space to develop, if desired.
A tiny amount if white wine, Blanc de Lynch-Baes, is also made - from Sémillion, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. Something of a rarity for the Médoc, it is similar in style to white Graves.
Next day, the very last one of the wine course, we crossed over the River Garonne, passed by Entre-deux-Mers and ended on what is known as the Right Bank, where the main river is Dordogne.
Merlot is the king in this part of Bordeaux. Saint-Émilion and Pomerol are they key appellations.
The limits between the two regions is almost virtual and, if you blink on the journey you loose the limits where one finishes and the other starts.
Pomerol
Winegrowing in Pomerol goes back to the 12th century. Vines were planted by the charitable order of the Knights Hospitallers of Saint-John of Jerusalem (Order of Malta). These vines produced wine for the Church and pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela.
Despite the world-famous reputation, these wines have never been classified.
Located on a gently sloping plateau northeast of the town of Libourne, the richest wines come form the clay and gravel soils of the central plateau. It is here that all the top château, including Pétrus, Lafleur and Le Pin, can be found. On the lower terraces to the west and south, the soils are sandier and the wines lighter and less powerful in style.
This was my second visit to this region, but the first at day-light time. I had been at Pomerol, previously to the meeting at Château Gazin with Olivier Colas, opportunity when I tried a couple of their wines, included a 1988 vintage.
At this time we didn't visit any winery in the appellation, apart from the usual stop to picture a spot. We actually just tasted a wine from Pomerol (Château Vieux Maillet, 2003, 35) that took place in another estate: Château Franc-Mayne, this one, in fact, located in Saint-Émilion.
This appears to be a common practice among the local wineries open for visits, to sell other labels in their premises.
The fortified village of Saint-Émilion was built on a limestone hill. Its origin is related to religion (named after an hermit monk Emilianous, who lived in a cave in the 8th century) and the Middle Ages is still alive through the architecture, the wine producing area and the structure of the wine estates and those are the main reasons why the whole district was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO, in 1999.
The region is known as the "Hill with 1000 Chateaux". It is easy to picture with you take in consideration that more than 50% of the local vineyards have less than 5 ha.
The wines of Saint-Émilion were first classified in 1954. This classification is revised every ten years. It is divided into two appellations:
Saint-Émilion Gran Cru
- only for the best of the region, considering only the quality, and they are graded as Gran Cru Classé or Premier Gran Cru Classé;
Saint-Émilion - for all the other wines produced.
The second most important grape variety is Cabernet Franc that is known locally as Bouchet.
We began the visits in the Château Franc-Mayne, Gran Cru Classé, which I previously mentioned.
Château Franc-Mayne has 7 hectares of vineyards in a single block located on the prestigious Cotê des Francs slope in the heart of Saint-Émilion appellation.
Two hectares of wines grown on top of former quarries, which consists on caves mined to extract limestone for construction when the town was build, in the 12th century. This is not in practice any more; however the quarries are still in use to store some of their barrels, in the naturally chilled environment (12-13° C) and, as a tourist attraction.
However, most of the barrels are kept in a modern storage. This is part of numerous investments that started 5 years ago in order to produce the finest possible quality: the vat room was entirely renovated, a detailed vineyard management programme was instituted (pot by plot), the grapes are hand-picked into small crates and carefully sorted prior to crushing, malolactic fermentation takes place in barrels, the well-known oenologist Michel Rolland provides expert advice on viticulture and winemaking.
We tasted a couple of wines, among them the first wine, labelled as usual under the château name (1999, 49).
Next stop was the closest one to the charming town of Saint-Émilion: Clos La Madeleine.
We arrived in Clos La Madeleine at the same time that the guide was busy with a group of Canadian tourists, so, we decided to join them to save time and started by the tasting.
The cellar door is located in a cave that adds a special charm to the experience. We had three different wines, two from Clos La Madeleine itself (2004, 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, € 38 and, 2005, 50% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Franc, € 12) and one from Magnan La Gaffeliere, 2003 (75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, € 19) that was a presented as a typical Saint-Émilion, had a good balance, was ready to drink and a great value for money. The last was in fact, my favourite wine of the day. Perhaps it means that a good wine doesn't have to be necessarily expensive or that I am a low-cost-wine-appreciator.
After I bought a bottle of my favourite wine as a souvenir to a couple of friends, I joined the group in the tour that followed.
The vineyards are in a slop with a beautiful over-view to others local estates.
We went after the guide to the winery and finally to the cave, where the production of the winery is kept. The production is small, so does is the winery. To solve any problems of space, creativity is applied, for example, a door and a fan on the wall can be opened or closed depending on what a room is used for and, in consequence, the temperature required: malolactic fermentation or ageing.
We finished the day leaving the gorgeous region behind and ending the week of the wine course.
It was my best week in Bordeaux, I learnt a lot and also had the good company of a couple of classmates, with whom I used to visit a wine bar after class and carry on the studies there, chat and exchange life experiences.
That is what wine is about to me, sharing.
Next wine region to explore: Rhone - where I had Avignon as base and, loved it.
Cheers,
Marcia Amaral