Wine: 1986 Chateau Siran Bordeaux



Review: When you remove the foil from from a bottle of wine, especially an older bottle, the last thing you want to see is:



And, if that really dry cork snaps in half when you try to pull it from the bottle, it makes you even more nervous.

Chateau Siran is labelled as a Grand Cru Exceptionnel. Its 99 acres are located in the Margaux region but it was not part of the 1855 classification.

I decanted the wine for about an hour, then hesitantly poured my first glass. It was slightly off-color, not the usual ruby that I expect from a Bordeaux. It had strong tobacco aromas with subtle hints of blackberry and vanilla. It was a very smooth wine, low-tannic but a long finish.

Unfortunately, the great feelings did not last past the first glass, subsequent glasses were shells of the original and very disappointing.

Price: $45

Grade: 90/75

We were up in Brandywine the last weekend in September to Brandywine Valley Harvest festival. The Brandywine Valley Wine Trail includes six wineries, all relatively close together. We opted to hit three of them.

The first winery was Folly Hill. Folly Hill is half winery, half wine merchandise shop...I know it seems a lot of wineries are that way, but this one really stood out. Their wines were nice, they have both an oaked and a stainless steel Chardonnay. I always enjoy the contrast between the two. They had a Syrah that was surprisingly good, it is not a varietal that you see a lot of in Pennsylvania, but it was well-done in this case.

The next stop was Twin Brook Winery. Of all our stops this one had the nicest tasting room and the most friendly, though overwhelmed, staff. They had a wide selection of wines including an awful Norton (of course, I think all Nortons are awful -- so don't take my word for it). Their Pinot Grigio was good, a nice light wine. Their Chambourcin Reserve was excellent. They also had a Cabernet Franc which was very smooth and an interesting contrast to the pepperiness of Virginia Cabernet Francs, it was almost like tasting a different varietal.

Finally, we ended the day at Chaddsford. Chaddsford is probably the best-known Pennsylvania winery. They produce 30,000 cases a year and distribute it throughout the Mid-Atlantic and North East regions.

They produce 18 different wines, ranging from fruity wines to a Meritage blend. There were a few wines of note. The Spiced Apple wine is an apple wine fermented with various spices. They also had a good Pinot Grigio and the oaked/stainless steel Chardonnay pairing. In reds, the Due Rossi was an excellent blend of Sangiovese and Barbera. The Miller Estate Chambourcin was also very good. On the other hand, the two Pinot Noirs were disappointing.

I know people turn all sorts of things into wine (after all, just about anything can ferment, given enough time), but...mice? Ewww (number 3 on the list).

Because the source is Cracked, I did a little checking and it seems to be true. You can even see a close up of the bottle here.

I've mentioned before that we are entering the season of wine tastings and festivals. I love a good wine tasting as much as the next person, but I get the feeling that a lot of people need some help with how to act at a tasting. So, here are some tips to help make every wine tasting event more enjoyable:

• It is not a drinking contest. A wine tasting is a place to find out about new wines in a, hopefully, fun and relaxed environment, not a place to see how drunk you can get.


• They are wine pours, they are meant to be savored, they are not shots.


• They are wine pours, they are not a glass of wine, the idea is to get a sample not a whole bottle


• No one cares how much you know about wine. If you have questions about the wine or region, ask. But please don't ask just to show off how smart you are.


• Like drinking, swirling should be done in moderation.


• Stand still. The table is already crowded enough, you don't need to move in front of each wine as it is being poured.


• Once again, the table is crowded. Taste your wine and move on, the tasting table is the wrong place to discuss your dog's worm medication


• As long as people are moving at a good clip, wait your turn. At the very least don't stick your arm in my face while trying to reach over me because you can't wait 5 seconds.


• If your winery is coming to an event, bring enough wine to last the entire duration of the event.


• Yes, they are cute. Yes, they are impressed with your vast knowledge of wine. Please just pour their wine and get to the rest of us...flirt on your own time.


• Know something, anything about the wines you are pouring. If they are good we might have actual questions. At the very least, if it is a blended wine, know what the blending is.


• I usually spend between $200-$300 when I go to a festival, I am sure most people are like me. Act like you are interested in my business,


• On a personal note: A woman with a French accent will absolutely sell me much more Bordeaux.

Obviously, I drink a lot of wine. Over the years I have managed to accumulate a lot of wine accessories, mostly in the form of gifts. But, my wine routine is pretty simple: I use a waiter corkscrew, either decant or use a wine pourer and I have a few stoppers if I can't finish off a bottle in one night.

One thing that I don't have is a good wine tray. A tray that I can use to hold the bottle while I open it, while I am drinking from it, and even while I store it until I finish off the bottle. It seems like a silly thing, but the truth is, wine bottles can be rough on counter tops and furniture.

That's why I was so excited when I found this La Boutique de Bacchus. Not only do they have really nice looking bottle trays (complete with an indentation for the bottle), but you can get it imprinted with the label from your favorite Chateau (well, most of them, they did not have Margaux or Brane-Cantenac).

Warning: If you are in the US like me, the exchange rate is killer. I'll let you all know how well they work when I get them in.

Tomorrow the DC Chapter of the French Wine Society is holding their Bordeaux Harvest Festival tomorrow. You can get tickets up until 3:00PM. It looks like alot of fun!

Thanks to Mark for the TechBargains link for Wine.com coupon codes:

5% off Orders $100+ Coupon Code: LSOCT5
20% off Any 12 Bottles From Wine List Coupon Code: CASEDEAL

Combine that with the fact that they are having a Bordeaux sale, and you could save a bit of money. Note: Both deals expire October 31st.

Thanks to the combined incompetence of Comcast and Verizon, I have been offline for 10 days. I am now back and will get back to posting soon. But, I have a couple of fanboy items to mention:

One of my favorite wine authors, Natalie MacLean has a new book coming out October 16th (in the States, it is already released in Canada). The book is Red, White, and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass it is available for pre-order from Amazon and looks really good.

I also got an email from Stephen Bainbridge asking me to add him to my blogroll. I was surprised to find that he was not on it already...I am a fan of his wine blog and you all should check it out.