Bordeaux tasting: what to expect after 5 years ? Part 1

Bordeaux wines are meant to age.
One could even say that great Bordeaux wines should only be opened after 20 years.
They can sometimes last for a century without losing their texture and aromas.

But people are like children. 
We can't wait. Having a magnificent bottle of Leoville Poyferré in your cellar is like waiting until the morning for Santa to give you your new Nintendo game : it is distressing.
And most of the time, you end up sneaking up in the living room to get of peak of what your presents will be before dawn.
Well it's the same for wine. Most of the time, you want just a little taste. Just that one time.
The problem is: there is no putting the wrapping paper back on. When you're bottle is open: you just have to finish it up.

So that is why people hardly get to try out really old Bordeaux wines.
In restaurants they are unaffordable, and in your cellar, well, in your cellar they just don't make it to that point in time.
Shame.

The trouble is that when they are young, Bordeaux wines can seem a tat too tannic, even austere from time to time. And it is not always easy to make out what their aromas deliver...which is a pity when you paid 50 euros for your bottle.

So here is an introduction to what you can find in a 5 year old Bordeaux wine. You know the one you should keep for 20 more years. 


I will start my tasting with a Saint Julien (Part 1 of this series) and we will go on through the whole Medoc region with tastings of the 6 appellations  (Saint Estephe, Pauillac, Margaux, Moulis, Listrac and Saint Julien).

Château Léoville Poyferré, 2004

Eye: Deep red, with hues of brown and orange. Very bright. 

Nose: Prune, black current (typical of Cabernet Sauvignon) and cherry (Merlot). The secondary aromas revolve around spices (hard to tell which at this point, but I think I can tell their is cinnamon). Then subtle notes of cedar and unsweetened chocolate make their way, translating the aging in oak barrels. 

Mouth: the mouth is fine and subtle. The tannins are soft, round, pleasantly balanced.This is typical of Saint Julien where soft tannins are a signature. 

How to recognize Saint Julien ? 


Go ahead and read my post on how to recognize aromas if you are a beginner at wine tasting: http://alamodeaujus.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-to-drink-wine-recognize-aromas-and.html

1. First try to know what variety you are drinking.
If you taste black current, cherry or prune their is a big chance that their is some Cabernet Sauvignon is your wine.

2. If this is the case and you know you are drinking a French wine, it is very likely that you are drinking Bordeaux. A Californian Cabernet Sauvignon would be very ripe and fruity.

3.  Now you know you are in Bordeaux. But from which appellation comes your wine? Try to focus on the mouth. As is described in my tasting notes, Saint Julien has signature soft tannins yet intense structure. You may also find mineral aromas (because of the gravelly soil). Saint Julien is an area of Medoc on the left bank of river and is formed of gravelly soil. Wines from Saint Julien can be recognized because of their smooth and harmonious nose. They combine a rich and solid mouth yet display subtle aromas.

If this is all in your glass of wine, then you can bet it will be a Saint Julien.
I know, it's easier to say it than to actually get it right during a blind tasting.

Do you like cat pee ?

Ok I know this title sounds a little blunt. 

Yet as you may see later on in my post, cat's urine is one of the most typical aromas of Sauvignon blanc or Cabernet Sauvignon.
That's right.
The wine you like to drink every Friday evening.

But no worries my friends, for it is not TRULY cat pee that you are smelling (just making sure for everyone).
No wine maker accidentally forgot to cover his wine barrels and let his cat take a little swim in them.

It's simply physics. Here is an interesting extract of an article taken from the "aromadictionnary" :

 Cats urine does exist in wine! Well its smell anyway. Caused by the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde compound p-mentha-8-thiol-3-one, this sulfur containing compound smells exactly like cat's urine when in a particular concentration range. When weaker, it exudes the herbal scent of lantana bush, whilst when strong, it has an aroma that can be likened to blackcurrants. And where do you find it? That's right, in the variety where wine tasters see it the most, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon (and of course in cat's urine).

There is actually an Ontario (USA) based estated whose labels revolve around the theme of cat pee and it's a huge success. I've never tried them yet though, but I certainly will in a near future.

To tell you the truth, although I knew the existence of Cat's urine in wine, I had never actually encountered it during my tastings. I didn't even know if I would recognize it when stumbling upon it...
(I know I said training your nose by sniffing everything you come across is pivotal to become a pro wine taster, but I've never actually stopped to smell cat pee. I apologize. I know what you are thinking right now : "AMATEUR !").

Yet when I put my nose over my glass of
Champs-Chenin, 2007, by Olga Raffault, there was no doubt possible.

Cat pee. Yep. The real deal. 
And the truth is : it wasn't THAT bewildering. It was even kind of nice in a way. A little herby to put it nicely.

So here are my tasting notes on this wine. We had it with a lovely seabass.

Eye : almost greenish, it conjures up freshness and herbs. 

Nose : cat pee (obviously), little notes of citrus and orange, maybe a bit of cut grass (which is a little stronger than the cats urine) and apple towards the end. 

Mouth : very acidic (too much for my taste anyway) which is typical of the chenin variety. The mouth is not extremely long however. 

What you should know about this wine however is that the Domaine Olga Raffault is one of the most famous estates of the Loire Valley. The range of prices for this wine is between 9 and 11 euros. What may be noticed is that this wine is a white Chinon, which is extremely rare (only 2% of Chinon wines are white as I mentioned in this article). It is made of Chenin, the white variety in the Loire Valley. It can be kept for years and will benefit from aging by becoming smoother and less acidic.

So this one was probably a bit young.

Then again, it allowed me to have my first taste of cats pee. Yey !

What to drink with cheese ?

Do you like camembert, comté, stilton, cheddar ?
And what about goat cheese, roquefort or vacherin ? Of course you do.

Like most French people, I'm a huge fan of cheese.

Look at this :

It looks good doesn't it ?

Well here is something that might startle you :


Cheese and Red wine just don't go together.
I know, this may shatter one of France's most traditional preconceptions, but the sad truth still remains.
Red wine + Cheese = not good. 

The red wine's tannins, its acidity and overwhelming power have a negative effect on the taste of the cheese.
I know this is a polemic issue. I might have the French Trade Union of Cheese makers who will try to pour tones of Camembert on my front porch to punish me for saying this.
This is my mere opinion and I don't expect to convince everyone out there.
However for me it is crystal clear : red wine and cheese are an insanity. 

So what will you drink with cheese will you ask me?
Very simple, my dear readers, there is a world of white wines out there, just yearning to be drunked with a nice little Stilton.

• For example, take a Goat cheese. 

Saint Maure de Touraine for instance. Well most of you, will have it with a soft red wine, fruity or herbal.
Big mistake.
Next time, try having the exact same cheese with a Chenin blanc from Touraine. Its acidity, freshness, even fruitiness will allow the Goat cheese to express its best aromas.
Sauvignon would also be a good choice.  Herbal aromas, grass, straw : a perfect match for this light cheese which often comes with a straw in its center.

Here have a bit of this Champ Chenin, 2007 by Olga Raffault. The tasting note will come soon.

• Next example: Comté. 

Comté is a rather salty cheese, a little nutty too. Drinking it with red wine will simply kill the subtle underwood flavours it exhales.
So go ahead and have it with a white Savagnin from the Jura region. I already wrote a note on these magnificent yet unfamiliar wines (Check it here).
The nuttiness and woodiness will be perfectly suited for the comté's salty texture. Honestly it is simply one of the best food and wine pairing I've ever tasted.

• Last but not least : Roquefort, Stilton Blue Cheese. 

You would think that with a cheese that strong you would need a REALLY tannic wine, something that can tame their power. Well there again, my friends, you would be wrong.
The sweetness of a dessert wine fits incomparably  well with blue cheese.
Try Sauternes, Barsac, Icewine, or Dessert wines from the Loire Valley like Coteaux-du-Layon, Bonnezeaux or Quart de Chaume (see my note on these wines which unfortunately remain a well kept secret). It will give a spectacular end to your meal and you may even move on to your dessert, it will ravish your guests trust me.

Have it with this lovely Coteaux-du-Layon, 2000, from Saint Lambert du Lattray. See my tasting note for the 2005 vintage.

So you see, I'm not saying you should not have red wine and cheese. It's a habit, and I must admit I love doing it. The most important thing to learn how to pair food and wine, is just to do what you like. There is no right and wrong. You're free to enjoy Château Yquem with French fries if that's what makes you happy. 

Yet I truly believe that to experience the greatness of cheese (it is the French person in me speaking here !), the subtly of their various aromas, you should really try having them with whites.
Trust me you won't regret it !

And if you have doubts on what you may try with your cheese, go ahead and ask me I'll gladly answer if I can!

5 steps to outperform your own nose

You want to know how to smell wine. You think it will change your life to be able to make a difference between blackberry and cherry in a Cabernet Sauvignon. And you are right my friend, for it will.

Luckily for you, the does and don't of wine tasting are not very complicated.
It will only take you 5 steps to learn how to use your nose perfectly.

1. Be daring. 
Don't hesitate to put your nose way down in your glass in order to get a full grasp of the wine's aromas.

2. Don't wear perfume. 
I know it sounds ridiculous, but it's one of the pivotal elements of a successful wine tasting. Try making a difference between strawberry and raspberry with Chanel 5 on you. It might be a little challenging.

3. Try not to have to much food around you. 
You may enjoy wine with your dinner of course, but having a Blanquette de Veau may give you the false impression that there is mushroom aromas in your wine. This pesto smell is not coming from your wine, it's your neighbors' pasta!

4. Smell everything you can. 
This is a critical point. If you don't build up your own database of fragrances you won't be able to remember what apricot smells like when you come across it. Don't hesitate to sniff everything you can: in your kitchen, in a garden, at a restaurant, at work even. Oh and also, don't forget to explain to people why you are putting your nose in their personal belongings, they could get the wrong idea...
You may check out my post on how to taste wine and recognize aromas. I've got a few tricks that may help you impress your friends! Click here. 

5. Try different methods. 
Only imbeciles never change their minds. If you realize taking a long and profound whiff of air doesn't work well for your, try something else. Go ahead and take small and quick breaths for instance. Also you may try to keep your mouth open when inhaling, it might help you to get more aromas.


So you see, tasting wine is really not that difficult.
The secret is perseverance and time.
You just need to train, taste, sniff, whiff, inhale, chew, spit, over and over, until you finally can call yourself a real wine aficionado.
If it were only about tricks we would all be contenders of Robert Parker or Michel Rolland.

So go ahead and have a glass! Cheers!