Margaux in the Heat

This time of year, I often find myself growing a touch tired of the light, “fun” wines of the season. And while I’ll be the first to admit that less-demanding bottles are more appropriate for the days when all we really want is refreshment, there comes a time when a more serious, complex wine is called for.

The Wall Street Journal recently ran a piece on the wines of Margaux (both the appellation and the famous Chateau), and it seems as if this is a perfect time to give them renewed consideration. After all, these wines are often overlooked this time of year, when in reality they’d be supremely well-appreciated right about now: The change they offer from the past several months’ routine is desperately needed these dog days.

As for why the wines of the Margaux appellation are so well-suited to this time of year, the article’s author, Jay McInerney, writes that “‘Margaux wines are recognized to be the most feminine wines of the Bordeaux region,’ according to Thomas Duroux, the winemaker at...Château Palmer. ‘They show less power than the wines of Pauillac or St. Éstephe but more delicacy, more precision.’”

In other words, they’re exactly the sort of Bordeaux that we all should be drinking and loving in the heat. And despite all the drama over the 2009s and their prices, there are still plenty of great wines from other vintages that are both available, affordable, and drinking beautifully right now.

This is not to say that fruit-forward, bright and juicy wines aren’t charming in the middle of August; they most certainly are. But sometimes, you just need a bit of Bordeaux in your life. And right now, Margaux seems to fit that bill perfectly.

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News from Bordeaux

Harvest season is here. Two weeks ago, while I was in Champagne, vineyard workers were busy picking grapes, and winemakers had their hands full crushing the fruit. Now, Decanter.com reports, it’s Château Latour’s turn down in Bordeaux. One of the grandest of the First Growths, Latour began harvesting Merlot a couple of weeks ago, with an eye toward picking its Cabernet Sauvignon sometime around October 5th.

Below is a video that was posted on Decanter’s web site; that’s Penelope Godefroy speaking, Latour’s Quality and Research & Development Manager. Scenes like this are unfolding all over Bordeaux right now. Let’s just hope the weather holds.

On another Bordeaux note, Château Brane-Cantenac, which readers here know I’m very fond of, has a new label. Fans of the great Second Growth will notice that, starting with the 2007 vintage, the label is just a bit cleaner, with some of the information that had previously been on the front label now relegated to the back one. But it’s still the same general idea, with crisp black lettering set against the famous brushed-gold background. And the capsule, once red, is now black.

Below is a photo of the new label. For my tasting notes on other vintages of Château Brane-Cantenac, click here.

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Two Great Wines from Chateau Brane-Cantenac

Chateau Brane-Cantenac, the great Second Growth in Margaux, has always been one of my favorite wines of the region for both its gorgeous typical flavor profile and its affordability when you consider both where it’s from and how much pure pleasure it delivers.

I had the chance to visit the chateau this past May during the Wine School’s annual trip, which this year was to Bordeaux. We tasted a number of wines, including several vintages of both the Brane-Cantenac and the chateau’s second wine, Baron de Brane. I was, as expected, very impressed with the wines and fascinated to see the differences between the vintages.

I’ll be posting video of the chateau and vineyards next week, but today I want to focus on two wines from generally less-lauded vintages, the 2004 and 2006, which, as is so often the case, prove that bottlings produced immediately prior to or following a classic year, though often overlooked, can really demand a lot of respect on their own, if only they’re given the chance.

The 2004 Brane-Cantenac leads off with an elegant, gently smoky nose of great finesse and a delicate sense of perfume. A French-toast note anchors it, with a hint of boysenberry singing up top. The palate, perhaps surprisingly for the vintage, is a touch exotic, though the fresh acid, grilled pepper, and licorice keep it anchored and lead to a mouthwatering finish spiked with a lovely herbal note, cherry, spicy cedar, and more licorice.

The 2006, on the other hand, is more dramatic at first, with aromas of flowers, leather, smoke, and wild strawberries. If they ever bottle this wine as a perfume, I’m buying a case of it for my wife—the nose is just amazing. The structure of the palate is really impressive and lasts through the finish, promising 10-20 years of evolution in the cellar. Cedar, sandalwood, grilled graphite, and cassis sing on through, as well as notes of caramel and hoisin sauce. It’s difficult to resist, but I’d hold off on popping it open for another five years, when it should be drinking even better than it is right now. What a truly great wine.

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