Marguax has released its first group of the 2007 Vintage and set the price at €240 (approx $371). This is a drop of 27% over last year. From the article:

The drop comes despite the fact that there is less quantity of the wine this year, due to the careful selection that marked the 2007 harvest in the top estates. The extremely wet summer demanded rigorous selection - for those who could afford it.

Jean Baptiste Bourotte, managing director of Bordeaux negociant firm Audy, said, 'Generally speaking, first growths are on a different stage in term of prices but it is interesting to note that Margaux is quite aware of the market and is showing it by making a decent decrease.'

Still out of range for most people, but good to see the drop anyway...

Wine: 2002 Chateau Monbrison Bordeaux



Review: The great thing about the Margaux appelation is that I am always finding new treasures. This wine was rated one of the best wines under $50 and I agree. Laurent Vonderheyden has created an elegant wine, complex with hints of plum and a tobacco aroma. Not an intense wine, much more subtle with a medium palette

Price: $39

Grade: 90

Wine: 2003 Francoise Chauvenet Volnay



Review: This wine is from the Côte de Beaune area, which is in the southern part of Côte d'Or. It is a lighter Burgundy, but with a deep ruby color. The wine had a hint of mint and was very earthy, not very tannic. Overall, a good every day wine, but not exceptional.

Price: N/A

Grade: 80

I've made some minor changes to the site. I've removed some blogs that haven't updated in a while and expanded the winery section. While I am rearranging, if you have a blog you want me to link to, just drop me a note.

I am sure you all have have heard the story that Amazon may start selling wine. Others have posted analysis of this, so I won't. But I was curious about this line:

'The US wine market is around $25bn, and only a small percentage is purchased online,' Bergsund said. 'There is plenty of room for Amazon as well as specialty retailers like wine.com.'

I know I may be an anomaly, but I purchase almost as much wine online as I do at retail locations or wineries. I'd be curious to know what percentage of wine sales are done online.

Speaking of Amazon and Winecast, I like the idea of Wine Book Club and picked up the book, I'll post my review as soon as it is done.

Finally, speaking of Amazon and wine books, local author Miles Lambert-Gocs has written a book entitled Desert Island Wines. It is a series of essays about wine, many of them look to be very funny. I'll let you know all know what I think after I have read it

This morning was the first time in 32 years that I was able to wake up, roll out of bed and see what time it was on the clock without putting on glasses. It is a very strange feeling. Like most people, I was nervous when I went in for my initial consultation, but then I found out that my care was going to be managed by Dr. Bourrdeau and I took it as a sign (it is spelled differently, but pronounced the same).

Everything has gone well so far and yes, I did send her a bottle of her phonetical namesake wine.

Some people will probably think this is a sacrilege, but this is a good recipe for Bordeaux pork chops.

Ingredients:
4 Loin Pork Chops
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/4 cup Bordeaux
1 sliced apple

Preparation:
Season the pork chops with salt and pepper or a pork rub, then grill or broil them about 7 minutes each side. Combine the wine and the brown sugar in a casserole dish. When the pork is finished cooking, sprinkle them with the nutmeg and cloves, place them in the casserole dish and top them with the apples. Place the cover on the dish.

Cooking:
Place the covered dish in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove the cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Some Bordeaux videos to keep you busy today, because who wants to work the day after the Superbowl. The English version of the site is a little rough, but the videos there are good as well. In the meantime, you may want to take Buck 65's advice and "Been thinking about brushing up on my french."

Sorry about the dearth of postings, I have a whole bunch coming up :).

In case you hadn't heard, there is a new Virginia wine festival in town. The Virginia Wine Showcase is being held at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly Virginia on February 9th and 10th. They even offer gift cards, which is a neat idea.

They look like they have some interesting seminars -- including one on Bordeaux futures -- and most of the big Virginia wineries will be there. All this and it is indoors :).

I'd like to introduce you to Stephane Derenoncourt a Bordeaux "rebel" and creator of right bank garage wines (much like one of my favorite left bank wine makers).

What are the results of Derenoncourt's style? Check it out for yourself.

Why the interest in Derenoncourt? He is the winemaker at a new winery in Middleburg. One that has set out to make wines similar to those in Bordeaux.

We visited the Boxwood Tasting Room on Saturday, and it is impressive. The centerpiece of the Tasting Room is an Italian-imported tasting station that features a variety of left bank and right bank Bordeauxs as well as Boxwood's Topiary. Being able to sample their Topiary against a sampling of other Bordeaux wines really helped put it into perspective.

How does it stack up? Well, it is a medium-bodied Bordeaux that is a blend of 49% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. It has a deep color with hints of cherry and a subtle tobacco aroma. Considering that it is a 2005 it has soft tannins and a smooth finish. The Merlot does a nice job of offsetting the pepperiness of the Cabernet Franc, but making Cabernet Franc the primary grape gives it a unique taste and a strong flavor.

The tasting room is a very pleasant experience, and a great opportunity to sample a wide variety of Bordeaux wines in one place.

Wine: 1998 Chateau Margaux



Review: This is the grand-daddy of of the Bordeaux's (at least in my opinion). Something about the wines in the Margaux AOC really hits home with me, and, of course this is the premiere estate. The Margaux estate has been producing wine since the 1400s and its vines have an average age of 35 years. The estate produces approximately 12,500 case of its premiere wine each year.

I ordered this wine through WineBid in June and received it last week. I could not wait to try it, so I bought a decanter into work and when it arrived I popped open the bottle to share with my co-workers (hey, why drink something this good alone :)). it was very cool to have the aromas of berry and leather fill the office and a great prelude to drinking.

The 1998 vintage of this wine is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Petite Verdot and Cabernet Franc. This is a subtle wine that has smoothed out over time. It had hints of blackberry, cinnamon and other spices. Overall, a well-rounded wine with lots of body...and a very enjoyable experience.

Price: $180

Grade: 100

Wine: 2000 Chateau Canuet Bordeaux



Review: I've often thought about getting a list of all the Chateau in the Margaux region and checking off which ones I have tried, then using the rest to create a shopping list. Chateau Canuet is the second growth of Chateau Cantenac-brown (well, was, they have since renamed it to Brio du Chateau Cantenac Brown).

The 2000 vintage of this wine is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. This is a complex wine with a deep purple color and strong tannins. Hit had aromas of blackberry and a strong peppery taste. It lasted a long time on the palette with a surprisingly smooth finish. A very good wine.

Price: $40

Grade: 90

The Bordeaux Harvest Festival was the second wine festival put on by the French Wine Society I have attended. I have to congratulate them on knowing how to put on a festival. There was a good mix of both food and wine tables and the wine tables were spread out enough that the lines never got too long.

Overall, it was a good evening. Some of the highlights for me were the 2003 Chateau Magdelaine (I know it is not a Margaux, but it is still one of my favorites), and the 2003 Chateau Monbrison which is a very affordable Margaux.

The pourers were, for the most part, very knowledgeable and it made for an enjoyable evening.

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

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!

Wine: 2003 Segla Bordeaux



Review: Its funny how perspecitves in the wine industry change over time. With the exception of Meritage, which has been growing in popularity, Virginia wine makers have tended to look down on blended wines. Not all of them, some have always made good blended wines and are, rightfully, very proud of them. But, the majority of winemakers seemed to view blended wines as nothing more than table wines.

No less than three winemakers at the Virginia Wine Festival last week talked up their blended wines and mentioned how important they are to their future.

Of course, all that talk made me want to open a bottle of Bordeaux :). Segla is the second growth of Chateau Rauzan-Segla, part of the Margaux appellation. The wine is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot.

The wine had a strong nose and a deep ruby color. It offered hints of blackberry and tobacco and some oak. A strong finish, resting on the palette for a while, without being too overpowering.

Price: $40

Grade: 90

Wine: 2003 Chateau Dufort-Vivens Bordeaux



Review: My Bordeaux consumption tends to drop off in the summer, and increase as the fall approaches. But sometimes I just crave a good Bordeaux, and this was a very good one. This wine is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc and contains 12.5% alcohol.

This is a smokey wine, with strong underpinnings of tobacco. It had strong aromas of cherry and blackberry. Age has mellowed the tannins it was a very drinkable wine. I've read it described as rustic and that is a good adjective.

Price: $28

Grade: 90

Wine: 2003 Pavillon Rouge Bordeaux



Review: This is one of those wines that I have been keeping stored waiting to try. Pavillon Rougue is the second growth of Chateau Margaux. Same vines, but slightly lesser quality grapes and a price which reflects the difference. The 2003 was supposed to be a stellar year for Pavillon Rouge and the prices for this vintage are hovering in the $80 range.

This particular vintage was especially well-received with the winemaker, Paul Pontallie, calling it his "best ever." It even received a 93 from Robert Parker

The wine is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot, so it is less complex than most Bordeauxs but that does not detract from its flavor. It is a rich wine with a deep ruby color and aromas of blackberries and leather. It sat very long on the palate and was tannic, with a hint of vanilla.

It definately needs to be decanted and you will be richly rewarded for doing so the aromas seemed to fill the room as the I let it sit. If I had one complaint, it might have needed another year of aging.


Price: $80

Grade: 95

Wine: 2002 Chateau Dauzac Bordeaux



Review: Chateau Dauzac is one of the Andre Lurton vineyards, it is classified as a 5th growth in the Margaux region. The wine is a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc.

This wine has a rich purple color and very floral aromas. The wine has a medium body with hints of blackberry and a strong finish with smooth tannins.

Price: $35

Grade: 90

Bordeaux futures week recently passed. For those of you who could not be there in person JJ Buckley has a great video blog. Check it out.

Wine: 2000 Clos Margalaine Bordeaux



Review: When I first glanced at it this bottle looked strikingly familiar. A little research into the wine showed that it is the 2nd growth of the Marojallia estate. A Marojallia for less than 1/2 price? I had to try it.

The wine is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Merlot, which is not a true Bordeaux blend and the lack of complexity hurts it. It has a very pleasing aroma, with the scent of cherries and cranberry. The taste was slightly tannic, but it smoothed out over the evening, making it an enjoyable, though not spectacular wine.

Price: $35

Grade: 85

Wine: 2003 Chateau Les Grands Marechaux Bordeaux



Review: Two things stand out about this wine: It has an incredible aroma and a great price. If you can get your hands on this wine, and you love Bordeaux it is a great choice. It is not your typical Bordeaux, it has a style similar to California Pinot Noirs, in that it has strong aromas and a full-bodied taste.

However, unlike a Pinot Noir, it has a complexity that has developed quickly and hopefully will continue to grow as the wine ages. It also boasts a strong finish with heavy tannins. I bought a couple of extra bottles to age -- at this price there is no reason not to do so.

Price: $19

Grade: 95

I tend to get confused by the Bordeaux classification system, and I am not always sure which classification is best...or how much that matters.

I tend to favor Bordeaux wines with the Margaux appellation and have found them to be remarkably consistent. I had a chance to put this to the test the other night. A friend came over for dinner and we had two bottles, the first was a 1983 Chateau Brane-Cantenac, the second was a 1993 Chateau Cantenac Brown:





Both wines were excellent, and have aged very nicely giving them a full-bodied, yet smooth taste and a medium finish. Both have received 90+ ratings, and who am I to argue with the "experts"

The Chateau Brane-Cantenac is considered second growth, and is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc.

The Chateau Cantenac Brown is a third growth and is 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc.

We finished up the evening with Texas Chocolate cake served with Hope's Raspberry Merlot, which I have already reviewed.

Wine: Chateau Pontet-Canet 1998 Bordeaux



Review: This is a Bordeaux from the Pauillac region, so it is Merlot-based. It has a nice red color with oak and coffee aromas. It has a smooth, sweet taste, with a long aftertaste. A very good wine, aged to perfection.

Price: $40

Grade: 90