The futures are now as the much anticipated 2005 Bordeaux wines begin to land on the shelves of American retailers. The vintage, much hyped when sold on speculation back in 2006, promises to be spectacular, thanks to extraordinarily fine weather that allowed the grapes to really strut their stuff.
The big names, particularly the first growths, are destined for the cellar, where years of slow aging will give them the complexity and richness worthy of their respective chateaux and the hefty price paid for them. But you can enjoy more moderately priced wines now from lesser-known Bordeaux winemakers — if you like your wine young and can pair it with full-flavored foods, such as lamb.
Lamb is a traditional meat at Easter, whether it’s a politely trimmed and parsleyed rib rack or a brawny leg heady with the perfume of roasted garlic.
There are two broad styles of red Bordeaux divided roughly by the Gironde River, the province’s major waterway. Left Bank estates, located on the west side of the river, produce wines in which cabernet sauvignon predominates. This is the land of the Medoc, Margaux and Pauillac. Right Bank reds are made mostly of merlot or cabernet franc. Saint-Emilion, Pomerol and Montagne-Saint-Emilion are located there.
“Left Bank wines … are authoritative,” writes Jacqueline Friedrich in “The Wines of France.” “They have perfect postures and are capable of great elegance and longevity. Right Bank wines are cozier, spicier, more zaftig. Also capable of amazing elegance, they can be drunk somewhat sooner than those of the Left Bank.”
Tom Benezra of Sal’s Beverage World stores likes the Left Bank’s cabernet-based wines with lamb over the Right Bank’s merlots but admits the margin of favor is pretty close.
“The firmer texture and bigger flavors of the Medoc wines, epitomized by Paulliac, are especially enhanced by a nice cut of lamb that acts to open up and explore the various flavor complexities of the wine,” he said. “The meat can also take the edge off and reveal hidden aspects of a Bordeaux which is drunk younger than its ideal maturity. And most are.”
Most Bordelais reds aren’t as expensive as you might think, even now with the lousy dollar-euro exchange rate. That’s the message the French are trying to get out with their new “Today’s Bordeaux” campaign. The subtitle says it all: “100 Classic, Contemporary, Affordable Wines.”
The list of 100 wines priced between $8 and $30 was compiled by an independent panel of judges who tasted more than 325 Bordeaux wines in New York City late last fall. (To see the list go to the bureau’s Web site: bordeauxwinebureau.org.) Among the judges was Barbara Hermann, fine wine buyer for Binny’s Beverage Depot stores. She said the tasting, sponsored by the Bordeaux Wine Bureau, was conducted blind.
“I still have no idea what all the wines were,” Hermann said. She is sure, however, many were from 2005. “You had to really screw something up not to make something tasty that year.”
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Tamed by the lamb
Bordeaux reds can be terribly hard to drink young. They’re too tannic, too tight, too, well, tiresome. But in a stellar year like 2005, hope springs anew. The rich taste of roasted lamb, a staple offering at Easter, helped make these just-released, moderately priced 2005 Bordeaux easier to swallow. Six of the eight wines sampled in a blind tasting had higher scores when paired with the meat than when drunk alone. The ratings reflect how well the wines worked with the lamb.
2005 Chateau La Rousselle
Made with 80 percent merlot, this wine from the Fronsac region saw its score jump a full point when judged with lamb. The aroma offers notes of plum and leather, while the flavor is marked by earth, leather and touches of bitter chocolate. The wine and the lamb bolster each other’s taste profile.
(3 corkscrews) $20
2005 Chateau Tour Seran
This Medoc wine is a blend of 65 percent merlot, 15 percent cabernet sauvignon and 10 percent each of cabernet franc and petit verdot. The fragrance is smoky with touches of tobacco and green pepper. Strong tannins provide structure to the wine’s dark cherry and black pepper flavors. The wine holds up well to the lamb, underscoring its meaty quality.
(3 corkscrews) $25
2005 Chateau Barrabaque Prestige
From the Canon-Fronsac appellation, this muscular blend of 60 percent merlot, 25 percent cabernet franc and 5 percent cabernet sauvignon had a meaty, mushroom aroma and a flavor that called to mind dark chocolate, earth and leather. The wine cuts the fattiness of the lamb but comes close to overwhelming the meat.
(3 corkscrews) $20
2005 Chateau Messile-Aubert
This Merlot-based blend from the Montagne-Saint-Emilion appellation was terrific on its own, scoring close to a perfect 4-corkscrew rating. The wine was lively, spicy, with lots of plummy fruit on the finish to counter the tannins. But with lamb, the score dropped a point. Some tasters thought the pairing dulled both.
(3 corkscrews) $24
2005 La Petite Echoppe
From the Pessac-Leognan appellation, this red blend was light on the nose but the flavor was spicy, with notes of cedar, earth, leather and plum. The wine brought out a gaminess in the lamb.
(3 corkscrews) $18
2005 Chateau Barreyre
This Bordeaux Superieur blend of 77 percent merlot, 11 percent cabernet sauvignon and 12 percent cabernet franc had notes of black pepper, mushrooms and chilies on the nose and a flavor redolent of green peppers and plums. The wine and the meat did no harm to each other.
(3 corkscrews) $12
2005 Clos des Menuts
A Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, this mostly merlot blend sported an aroma of mint and tart apples. The wine is big and tannic, with dark fruit notes. The wine and the lamb play well together.
(2 corkscrews) $27
2005 Chateau Petit Gravet Aine
This Saint-Emilion Grand Cru is made up of 80 percent cabernet franc and 20 percent merlot. The profile is lean, elegant with plenty of tannins, but little sign of fruit. Some tasters thought it stemmy; few thought the wine improved the lamb.
(2 corkscrews) $48
Sources: These wines may or may not be in stock at your local store; inquire first. At least one of these wines was found at these stores: Binny’s Beverage Depot stores, Sam’s Wine & Spirits stores, Dobby’s Worldwide Wine & Liquors in Palatine. Prices may vary from store to store. Prices are rounded off.
(4 corkscrews) Excellent
(3 corkscrews) Very good
(2 corkscrews) Good
(1 corkscrew) Fair
(No corkscrews) Poor
— B.D.
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Bill Daley answers questions on wine and spirits every Sunday in Q. Hear him on WBBM Newsradio 780 at 8:52 a.m., 11:52 a.m., 3:41 p.m., 6:21 p.m. and 10:22 p.m. Tuesdays and 7:52 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
wdaley@tribune.com
