I've mentioned Stephane Derencourt and the great work he's done at Boxwood Winery previously. Well, now he is going to be consulting for a second American winery, Francis Ford Coppola. If he does the same things for the Coppolla brand that he has done for Boxwood it should be interesting:

"California wines are often easy to taste but difficult to drink. I intend to do something different," the Frenchman said. In addition to the two US consultancies he is about to release the 'Derenoncourt' label made at Cuvaison and John Caldwell wineries.

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.