Pauillac, Margaux and Walla Walla—A Great Way to Start off the New Year!
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends, have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time.
We’ll explore the Margaux Appellation. Silky, seductive and polished are the words that characterize the best wines from Margaux, the most inland appellation of the Médoc on the Left Bank of Bordeaux. This appellation was the first Bordeaux area cultivated for wine production and contains 21 cru classé properties from the 1855 Bordeaux Classification.
The Pauillac Appellation is considered one of the most famous regions in Bordeaux due its star power. Three out of the five First Growths are found here. Situated north of Saint-Julien and Margaux, Pauillac is all about powerful, age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines grown on gravel soils.
Walla Walla Valley is home to many of the Pacific Northwest’s oldest and most acclaimed vineyards dating back to the 1850s. Its ideal conditions are perfect for growing and producing an elegant and beautifully aromatic Cabernet Sauvignon, with bright acidity. Wines sourced primarily from Red Mountain, display structure, richness and a focused mouthfeel that have come to characterize Red Mountain Cabernet.
2011 Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac
71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot
The history of Lynch-Bages, situated in the lands of “Batges” at the entrance to Pauillac, is emblematic of the Médoc region. Its vineyard (1855 Grand Cru Classé) overlooks the Gironde estuary and stretches over a beautiful gravelly hilltop. The wine displays deep and complex notes of cassis, black cherries, espresso, gravelly soil tones, a touch of anise and lead pencilly new oak. On the palate, the wine is deep, full-bodied, quite well-balanced, with fresh acidities a very good core of fruit, fine focus and a very long, tannic and chewy finish.
2012 Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac
65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot
In the early 18th Century, Francois Pontet bought and consolidated several plots of land located northwest of Pauillac. Several years later his descendants bought neighboring vineyards in an area named "Canet", thus creating one of the largest estates in the entire Medoc (1855 Fifth Growth Grand Cru Classé). The 2012 vintage is considered one of the top Left Bank wines with aromas of cigar box, underbrush, leafy herbs, black currants, and tobacco wrapper, with a creamy quality to the sweet, red fruits. On the palate, there is a presence of dried meat, blackberries, blueberries, and hints of mushroom, very polished silky tannins and a chewy finish.
2015 Les Forts de Latour Pauillac
63%Cabernet Sauvignon, 35.6% Merlot with minor additions of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc
Les Forts de Latour is produced with the same meticulous care as the Grand Vin, Chateau Latour, both in the vineyard and in the winery. The wine was first labelled with this name in 1966 and constant work on developing its quality has resulted in its achieving the level of a Médoc Grand Cru Classé. In the glass it reveals a bright crimson color with aromas of chocolate coated currants, cigar box, flowers and tobacco leaf. On the palate, fabulous notes of cassis, jammy currant and black fruits come through with a medium/full-bodied, concentrated, firm, fresh, juicy and lively, with a creamy textured, sweet finish.
2016 Chateau Giscours Margaux
81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot
Located in the famous Margaux appellation, this estate was first mentioned in a document dating back to 1330, although it wasn’t until 1847 that the cornerstone of this remarkable château was laid. Giscours' quality was confirmed by its inclusion as a Third Growth in the 1855 classification. It is seductive on the palate thanks to its refined, silky tannins. It is a powerful, enchanting, hugely charming wine. The wine offers beautiful, complex (and classic Margaux) perfume of smoke tobacco, black currants, truffly earth, and spring flowers with a palate of ripe red plum and red berries. It is finesse-driven, medium-bodied, and seamless on the palate, with ultra-fine tannins and no hard edges.
2014 Long Shadows Winery Pirouette
58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Petit Verdot, 17% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc
Long Shadows Winery is a collection of seven ulta-premium Columbia Valley wines. Napa Valley’s Philippe Melka partnered with Long Shadows’ winemaker, Gilles Nicault, to produce this old world style blend. Using small lots from Washington State's finest vineyards they crafted this enticing red blend into a stunning wine. The 2014 Pirouette is multi-layered with aromas of plum, cranberry, cigar box, blackberry, café au lait and smoke. The palate reveals flavors of dark red and black fruits, hints of sweet oak, licorice and cocoa that gain complexity with every sip. The wine is richly textured, with refined tannins and a beautiful mouthfeel that provides a lengthy finish.
