Steak Dinner at The Wine Bar Destin

Steak Dinner at The Wine Bar Destin 

Following the delightful and superbly staged Tour of Bordeaux Wine Dinner at The Wine Bar Destin, the other night, we returned later in the week, our last night Destin before returning home, for grilled beef steak dinner.  

We opened with their delightful Pear Blue Cheese Spinach Salad with fresh berries, sliced pears and vinagrette.

For an entree we had the Wine Bar Filet - 8 oz hand cut filet of beef tenderloin with Roasted Rosemary Fingerling Potato’s and Asparagus Spears. This was delicious, perfectly prepared, presented and served. 

For a wine accompaniment with our dinner we took advantage of the Wine Happy Hour where they serve a 12oz carafe of wine for the price of a large glass, from a broad extensive selection of wines of each varietal from across all the major growing regions in the world.

We selected a Right Bank St Emilion Bordeaux which as expected, turned out to be a perfect pairing to complement the meal, and enhance the enjoyment of the wine. 

Like the carefully selected flight of Bordeaux wines from the curated wine dinner, this was an excellent offering of a high QPR (Quality Price Ratio) wine. 

Chateau Angelus Tempo d'Angelus 2022

Tempo d’Angelus is a ‘second wine’ (actually a ‘third’ entry level label), a more streamlined version of its illustrious older siblings, Château Angelus and Carillon d’Angelus. While being their lesser wine, it still exhibited the characteristic depth and complexity of the Grand Vin, while offering at the same time a more approachable and affordable alternative. Produced from the great Angelus terroirs and made with the expertise of the estate’s teams, Tempo d’Angelus offers even the most demanding wine lover instant or early gratification in an attractive, well-structured, precise and hedonistic wine that doesn’t require 15 or 20 years of cellaring to be enjoyed at its peak, as is often the case for the Grand Cru wines.

This is a new wine from Chateau Angélus, from the area of Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, it is produced from vines located at Saint-Magne-de-Castillon, Castillon-La-Bataille and Sainte-Colombe, a few kilometres from Saint-Émilion, on magnificent clay-limestone slopes. These plots were acquired by Angelus in 2017 with the precise purpose of creating a Bordeaux appellation wine while increasing the Angelus portfolio, and offering an introduction to the brand for more cost conscious consumers. This can be enjoyed at a fraction of the price of the Grand Vin and even the second label. 

From south-facing holdings in the Castillon-Côtes-de-Bordeaux AOC, the fruit is declassified into generic Bordeaux. In the tradition of the Right bank, the blend is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. 

This release was awarded 92 points by pundit James Suckling, and 90 points by Decanter, Jeb Dunnuck and The Wine Advocate. 

Winemaker Notes: This new addition to the range of wines of Château Angélus, made under the Bordeaux appellation, offers a more streamlined version of its illustrious elders -Angélus, Carillon d’Angélus and N°3 d’Angélus, with which it shares the same depth and complexity while being at the same time more approachable young.

Dark garnet colored, medium to full bodied, bright vibrant silky smooth polished, balanced black raspberry and currant fruits with spicy notes of herbs, limestone and pencil lead graphite, with firm but polished nicely integrated tannins on a lingering flavorful finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4945654

https://www.thewinebarfl.com/

Tour of Bordeaux Wine Dinner at The Wine Bar Destin

Tour of Bordeaux Wine Dinner at The Wine Bar Destin

During our getaway week at The Cove, our vacation home getaway in Destin (FL), we attended the Price Fixe Wine dinner at the "Tour of Bordeaux" Wine Dinner at The Wine Bar in Destin. 

This is the same restaurant where we held our Pour Boys Wine Group wine dinner last spring as we gathered in Destin (FL) for the gala SoWal (South Walton Beaches) Wine Festival weekend.

That Saturday evening following the SoWal Wine Festival Activities, we dined at The Chef’s Table Wine Room in The Wine Cellar Room at the Wine Bar Restaurant in Destin. We featured that dinner in this blogpost in these pages - Chef’s Table Dinner at Wine Bar Destin.

This “Tour of Bordeaux” evening was kicked off and hosted by emcee Wade Starwalt, Wine Sales Director of The Wine Bar. 

The dinner showcased a curated flight of carefully selected Bordeaux wines, each paired with a gourmet dinner course, crafted to enhance and complement that courses distinct characteristics. 

As I’ve exclaimed often in these pages, the proper pairing matching food with the ideal wine greatly amplifies the enjoyment of both. 

The pairings this evening were wonderful for each course. This was especially impressive since several of the wines were modestly priced high QPR (Quality-Price-Ratio) wines, which showed exceptionally well with the accompanying food courses. It’s easy to pair foods with expensive wines, but much more challenging to achieve great pairings with moderately priced wines. 

Each wine paired with the courses was then curated and described by guest speaker Cassidy Stiebing, Regional Sales Director and Bordeaux expert from Twins, a French Bordeaux Negociant and US Distributor.

Wine steward, Cassidy Stiebing is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, now residing in New York City. Her time between those two cities included several years in Europe, where she pursued a career in the wine industry — first in La Rioja, Spain, then in France. In 2019, she earned an MBA in Wine Business from INSEEC University in Bordeaux, which led to her role at Château Pape Clément, overseeing the U.S. market.

After six years immersed in the world of Bordeaux, Cassidy transitioned to the negociant side of the industry in 2023, taking on her current role as Regional Sales Director and Bordeaux Ambassador at TWINS Bordeaux. (Twins provided photo).

The evening was delightful with exceptional food and wonderful wines, supurbley prepared, presented and served. All were matched perfectly to ameliorate each course. The venue, setting, food, wine, program presentation and service were all spectacular, meeting the highest expectations in every respect and offering a great value for such an event. 

The wine flight:

The dinner courses, and pairings:

First Course.- Reception - Goat Cheese Croquettes with tomato sauce, Acorn Squash, Gorgonzola and Walnut Crostini, and Cheese and Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms with Garlic Aioli. 

Paired with the first course was Château Puyanche’ Cotes de Bordeaux 2022. This Grand Vin de Bordeaux  is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. 

The First Course was Shaved Sprout Salad with Apples, Walnuts, Cranberries, Feta Cheese, and Braised Pork Belly with Hot Bacon Vinaigrette. 

The Second Course was Grilled Hangar Steak with Chimichurri, New Portato Dauphinoise and Carrots.

The wine paired for the Second course Château Lilian Ladouys St Estephe 2018

The Third Course was Bone-In Venison Chop with Roasted Butternut Sage Veloute’ Sauce over Parsnip Mash. 

The venison was brilliantly paired with Château Poesia Grand Cru St Emilion 2019. 

The Fourth and Final Course was Dark Chocolate Expresso Panna Cotta with Conconut and Raspberry Coulis. 

The Fourth Dessert Course was paired with Château Clos Junet Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2020

We certainly don’t need more wine for our cellar and thereby are selection in what we acquire these days as we work to consume our broad collection. As such while we do strive to support the venues that host such events, we don’t always feel compelled to acquire the wines. Never-the-less, we thought enough of the flight this evening that we purchased each of the selected wines to have for future consumption at our holiday home. 

https://www.thewinebarfl.com/tour-destin

Summer dinner on the patio at Chez Joel

Summer dinner on the patio at Chez Joel Bistro, Chicago, with special vintage birth year BYOB wine

Going back more than a decade it’s been a tradition of summer to have dinner on the patio at Chez Joel Bistro in Little Italy, Chicago. 

We dined with Son Sean and his family, MIchelle and their two daughters, our grand-daughters for whom we babysit for several days each week, including the last couple of weeks.

 

We ordered several starters before dinner - our usual Pate’, the Escargot and tonight’s special Cerviche

Pâté de deux Sortes - Duck Liver Pâté with Traditional Garnish & Toast Points

Escargots A La Bourguignon - French Snails with Garlic Butter, Pernod & Herbed Breadcrumbs

For our dinner entrees, Linda had one of the daily specials, Pan Seared Alaskan Halibut with bok choy, corn/mango salsa and pomme puree’.

Sean and I both ordered from the menu the regular Duck entree -  

Magret et Confit de Canard, Sauce à L’orange - Seared Duck Breast & Leg Confit, Wild Mushrooms, Red Cabbage, Beets, Poached Pear, Sweet Potato Puff 

Michelle ordered the Rack of Lamb chops served with pomme’ purée. 

For a special wine with dinner, I pulled from the cellar an aged vintage wine commemorating Sean’s birth year that we took BYOB.

Cos d’Estournel St. Estephe Bordeaux 1985

For a special wine with dinner, I pulled from the cellar an aged vintage wine commemorating Sean’s birth year that we took BYOB.

Chateau Cos d'Estournel is a Grand Cru vineyard located on the road from Pauillac as you enter the St. Estephe appellation. Its oriental facade is adorned with three pagoda turrets.

The estate is situated in the very south of Saint-Estèphe, just north of Pauillac's Lafite Rothschild where the south-facing vineyard slopes gently down to the Jalle du Breuil stream which separates it from the first growth Chateau Lafite Rothschild. 

We visited the iconic Chateau Cos d'Estournel with oriental facade adorned with three pagoda turrets and the Grand Cru vineyards in St. Estephe during our visit to Bordeaux in 2019. 

Cos d’Estournel St. Estephe Bordeaux 1985

In old Gascon, "cos" means "hill of pebbles", and the vineyard does consist of deep Quaternary gravels and clay on limestone bedrock. 

The Chateau Cos d'Estournel estate covers 170 acres separated from Chateau Lafite Rothschild on the southern edge, by the stream between St. Estephe and Pauillac. The gravelly soil, over a flint, limestone and silicate subsoil low in nitrogen, has eroded over centuries to form steep ridges which perfectly drain the vineyards. 

The vineyards are planted 60 percent in Cabernet Sauvignon vines, 2 percent of Cabernet Franc, and 38 percent in Merlot. Naturally, the percentage of Cabernet or Merlot in the composition of each vintage depends on the climate which favors one grape variety or the other.

In the 1855 Classification, it was classified as a second growth and remains one of the most prominent and sought-after of all Bordeaux wines. Historically, the Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant grand vin has had a high percentage of Merlot compared with other Médoc growths, although this has lessened in recent years. 

Cos d'Estournel is known to be dark, brooding and tannic when young, developing complexity and intensity with time.

1985 Cos d'Estournel, St-Estèphe

This release was awarded a concensus 93 points by Wine Advocate, Vinous and Wine Spectator. 

Still holding its own at forty years shows the age worthiness of this wine in top vintages and the 1985 from cask could have been a lighter version of the 1982 and 1953 vintages. We’ve held this since acquiring it on release back in the eighties. The foil, label and importantly the cork and fill level were all acceptable for their age. The cork was partly saturated and a bit soft but was able to be extracted by the waiter with his traditional cork screw. 

Showing its age, the color was garnet colored and a bit opaque with moderate bricking, medium bodied, ever so slight subdued nose on the concentrated red and black berry and black cherry fruits accented by leather, tobacco and spice with a hints of cedar and pain grille on a moderate finish of fine grained tannins. 

Vinous said “This bottle constitutes the best example of the 1985 that I have encountered.”

RM 89 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?13153

https://www.chezjoelbistro.com/

https://www.estournel.com/en/

 

Sarget de Gruaud 2006

Château Gruaud Larose Sarget de Gruaud Larose

Settling in to watch the Presidential Debates I pulled from the cellar a vintage Bordeaux to sip with a collection of artisan cheeses, charcuterie, fresh berries, nuts and roasted beets.

Château Gruaud Larose is one of the most historic estates in the Médoc and was on our select set of St Julien producers we targeted to visit during our trip to the region.

This is the second label of a producer we know well with the flagship premiere label being one of the key holdings in our cellar collection consisting of more than a dozen vintages spanning three decades dating back to 1980 including the birth year vintages of each of our kids, 1981, 1982, 1985 and 1990. 

We hold many vintages in large format bottles including 3 liter double magnums and a five liter Jeroboam that we served at daughter Erin's and son-in-law Johnny's wedding in this label’s vintage year 2006.

Indeed, our collection of large format bottles was one of the keys to our cellar collection being featured in Wine Spectator Magazine’s Collector section back in June of 2001.

Our visit to Chateau was one of the highlights our visit to the St Julien region of Bordeaux back in 2019. I wrote about that visit and featured this producer in detail in these pages in this blogpost at that time - 

A Visit to Château Gruaud-Larose.

This label is the second wine of Gruaud Larose, named for the Sarget family, historic early ancestral owners of the estate. It  provides value and near-term drinkability for those looking for a classic though ripe St-Julien. Named after Baron Jean Auguste Sarget, one of the men who purchased the Gruaud-Larose property in 1812 and whose family managed the estate for the following fifty years. 

Over the next century, the estate would be divided, with a portion being controlled by the Sarget family. The estate has since been reunited and the château that Sarget built stands as the centerpiece of the property. The estate introduced the second wine in 1979.

Label from vintage tasted
at the Chateau,

This, the second wine of Gruaud Larose, provides value and near-term drinkability for those looking for a classic though ripe St-Julien. Named after Baron Jean Auguste Sarget, one of the men who purchased the Gruaud-Larose property in 1812 and whose family managed the estate for the following fifty years.

Over the next century, the estate would be divided, with a portion being controlled by the Sarget family. The estate has since been reunited and the château that Sarget built stands as the centerpiece of the property. The estate introduced the second wine in 1979.

This is a classic Left Bank Bordeaux Blend of predominant Cabernet Sauvignon, 60%, Merlot, 30%, Cabernet Franc 5.5%, Petit Verdot 3% and Malbec 1.5%.

Tonight, this was a bit disappointing and didn’t meet my expectations. At eighteen years, the label, foil and importantly the cork and fill level were all perfect. This showed no diminution of age whatsoever and I thought it would be at the apex of its drinking profile and window, and perhaps it was. 

Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, somewhat flabby and disjointed black currant fruit were overshadowed by notes of tobacco, cedar, leather, earth and smoke with a modest somewhat muted fruit finish. 

RM 87 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?364398

https://www.gruaud-larose.com/en/wines/sarget-2006/

A Visit to Château Gruaud-Larose

https://x.com/unwindwine

Kansas City Beefsteak at George’s French Bistro Wine Bar Witchita

Kansas City Beefsteak at George’s French Bistro and Wine Bar Witchita 

We traveled to Kansas for an extended full weekend of activities including a wedding, visiting several Frank Lloyd Wright sites, and re-shooting an Arts and Crafts architectural site for a collaboration on an upcoming architecture book. 

We traveled to Witchita to visit the Frank Lloyd Wright Allen House, and other properties. While there we dined at George’s French Bistro and Wine Bar located in the College Hill neighborhood, not far from the historic architectural landmark sites. 

It is owned and operated by Chef George Youssef, formerly of Wichita’s Nouvelle Cafe and Uptown Bistro. Originally from Lebanon, Youssef got schooled in French cuisine in Quebec, Canada.

https://georgesfrenchbistro.com/

George’s looks and feels like a true Parisian bistro with its decorating and design, indoor and outdoor tables, crisp white table clothes, an open kitchen and gleaming brass-accented bar serving classically prepared bistro dishes served by waitstaff in traditional black vests and ties.

We were seated in the dining room and while we were dining, the bar and dining room started to fill up, and only when we departed, did we see they had opened the front doors to spill out to the patio.  

Normally we might opt for authentic French cuisine at such an establishment, but being in Kansas, we ordered the Kansas City filet of beefsteaks. They pronounce that “We proudly serve Creekstone Farms Premium Black Angus Beef. Our steaks are hand cut and cooked to your satisfaction. Creekstone Farms is famous throughout the world for their rich flavor.”

In French style, the steaks were accompanied by Parisian Potatoes (pomme Frits, fried potatoes), and haricot verts, (green beans). 

Each filet of beef was served with choice of sauces which included BURGUNDY DEMI GLACE - Red wine veal reduction, AU POIVRE - Brandy peppercorn, HOLLANDAISE - Butter, egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, cayenne pepper,  or L’ ENTRECÔTE  - Fresh thyme & thyme flowers, full cream, white anchovies, Dijon mustard, hazelnuts, butter, egg yolks, salt & pepper.

I went simple with the Demi Glace. Linda opted for both the Demi glacé and Au Poivre. Both were excellent.

Our steaks were superb, and the preparations were perfect! 

Readers of these pages know I prefer my beefsteak prepared “Pittsburgh” style … but rather than traditionally rare, I specify ‘hot pink center, Pittsburgh style, or charred slightly”. 

Tonight’s steak was perfect - an object lesson in ideal preparation to my liking! 

https://georgesfrenchbistro.com/

For a wine accompaniment pairing with our our dinner we ordered WBTG - Wines By The Glass, from the wine list. 

I ordered this Haut Lagarde, because a French Bordeaux Blend is my favorite pairing with beef. Moreover, I used to work with colleague Gary LaGarde, who had a distance ancestral relationship to the French wine producer of the same name. 

Les Hauts de LaGarde Bordeaux 2022

Winemaker: Maison Raymond

Appellation: A.O.C. Bordeaux

Location: Located in the Saint Laurent du Bois, Entre-Deux-Mers region, not far from the city of Bordeaux. The wines are sourced in the villages of Saint-Laurent-du-Bois, Saint-Martial, and Saint-Felix de Conclude

Dating back to  medieval times, the Raymond family have a long history of producing wine, dating back to 1850. The family property of the domaine du Château de Lagarde has been built up over the years by successive generations.

Varietal(s): 65 % Merlot, 25 % Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc

Ageing: 10% of the wine was aged in oak.

Vineyard Terroir: With close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, these vines are grown in a mild climate with lots of sunshine, regular rain, and clay-limestone soil, the vines and grapes are grown in the best conditions for Bordeaux varietals.

The wine was reviewed by Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator and Decanter. 

Published Tasting Notes: “A core of blackberry and black cherry preserves shows good energy as the flavors move through an anise- and sweet tobacco–tinged finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

Attractive structured tannins and red fruits give this wine a good start in life. With the acidity, the dusty structure and the perfumed aftertaste, the wine will develop well. Wine Enthusiast

"Good fruit, raspberry and strawberry summery flavors from winemaker Lionel Raymond. A touch short but full of character, from a blend of 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc. Only indigenous yeasts used at this organic estate – the family has a full 180 hectares certified in the Entre Deux Mers region, with new cellars that are powered by 2,500m2 of solar panels.Decanter Magazine

Translucent ruby red hue with cool aromatics, green herbal notes, cedar, cypress, and red currant. Palate reveals ripe red fruit, red plums, raspberries, ripe blueberries, along with cigar box spice, pencil shavings, and a strong cypress note on the finish.

Beautiful crimson robe with intense purple reflections. This wine reveals great aromas of fresh fruits and spices. The fruitiness, roundness and tannic mouth give it a rare elegance.

The fruitiness, roundness and tannic mouth gives it a rare elegance. Ideal with pork roasts and your favorite cheese. A harmonious wine. This wine reveals great aromas of blackcurrant, blackberries and spices. Beautiful crimson robe with intense purple reflections. Enjoy with red meat, poultry, pasta dishes and your favorite cheese.

Varietal(s): 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc

Winemaker notes - “A core of blackberry and black cherry preserves shows good energy as the flavors move through an anise- and sweet tobacco–tinged finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Made with Organically Grown Grapes”

In 2000, Lionel Raymond purchased the Château Joumes Fillon organic vineyard. Because of Lionel’s strong beliefs in and respect for the environment and terroir, he decided to convert the whole vineyard (130 hectares) to organic agriculture. Most winemakers in the area thought he was crazy as it is twice the work of a conventional vineyard. Today, they are one of the largest organic wineries in Bordeaux, and part of the exclusive 7% of all wineries of the region who have made the organic commitment.

The Vineyards - The different properties of the domaine benefit from specific conditions: special orientation of the vineyards, composition of the soil, humidity, age of the vines…These conditions are refined during the winemaking allowing them to offer a large range of products. Over 20 people work in the vineyard and the cellars, and consistently looking for innovative techniques in terms of production, vintification with respect for the vines, soil and environment.

Vignobles Raymond produces classic varietals and Bordeaux blends: Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Another label, Le Petit du Château de Lagarde is 100% Merlot. 

This provided great QPR and was a wonderful pairing with the dinner. It was carefully selected for the winelist. 

Garnet colored, medium to full bodied, pleasant easy drinking, round flavorful complex black berry and black currant fruits with notes of black tea, tobacco, anise and spice. 

RM 88 points. 

For Linda, and her pairing with the filet of beef, we selected a Southern Rhône River Valley “GSM” (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) Red Blend. 

Cellier Des Dauphines Reserve Côtes du Rhône Grenache Syrah 2021

Another carefully selected, high QPR, pleasant easy drinking wine. 

This is produced by the Cellier des Dauphins, a collective, group of winegrowers called “Union des Vignerons des Côtes du Rhône” which is a collaboration since 1967 of 2000 winegrower families of the southern Rhone Valley. With 12 000 hectares of vines, and around twenty appellations, Cellier des Dauphins has become the leading wine producer in the Rhone Valley in less than 50 years.

Cellier des Dauphins has become one of France’s benchmark Rhône brands. Cellier des Dauphins is now the first producer of Organic wines in the Rhône Valley founded to serve a devotion to the protection the environment. 

This is a blend of Rhône varietals - 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah.

Winemaker Notes - “This wine displays a deep red hue with ruby tints and notes of sun-ripened black fruit on the nose. The palate offers a velvety texture and spicy notes underpinned by ripe black fruit, blackcurrants and black cherries. A more modern take on the traditional Côtes du Rhône style, this wine combines structure, freshness and smooth tannins. It has a seductively elegant, intense and long-lingering finish.”

Dark ruby/garnet colored, light medium bodied, tightly wound, structured complex black fruits with notes of black tea, spice, hints of black pepper and lavender notes on a pronounced lingering tannin laced acidic finish. 

RM 87 points.  

Château Sérilhan Saint-Estèphe Cru Bourgeois Bordeaux w/ artisan cheese, roasted nuts and fruit

Château Sérilhan Saint-Estèphe Cru Bourgeois Bordeaux with artisan cheese, roasted gourmet nuts and fruit plate

On a quiet evening binging on latest streaming phenom, we enjoyed sipping this easy drinking Medoc Bordeaux Grand Vin Cru Bourgeois with plate of artisan blue cheeses, fresh pear fruit and delicious gourmet roasted Marcona Almonds with Sea Salt.

Château Sérilhan Saint-Estèphe 2010

The Saint-Estèphe appellation at the top of the Left Bank of Bordeaux is known for deeply colored, concentrated wines, often distinctive as ‘go-to’ for great, age-worthy and reliable Bordeaux reds. 

Separated from Pauillac merely by a stream (shown below), St. Estephe is the farthest northwest of the highest classed villages of the Haut Medoc, and is therefore subject to the most intense maritime influence of the Atlantic. We drove through the area during our Bordeaux region visit in 2019.

Vineyards on Pauillac St Estephe boundary

Saint-Estèphe soils are rich in gravel like all of the best sites of the Haut Medoc where the formation of gravel over clay creates a cooler atmosphere for the vines compared to those in the villages farther downstream (south and west). This results in delayed ripening and wines with higher acidity compared to the other villages.

While they can seem a bit austere when young, St. Estephe reds prove to be long lived for aging in the cellar. Traditionally dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, many producers add a significant proportion of Merlot to the blend, which will soften any sharp edges of the more tannic, Cabernet.

Château Sérilhan was transformed in January 2003, when technology businessman Didier Marcelis took over the 20 acre family estate started back in 1982 by his grandfather Merlet, and managed by his parents, Jean and Maryvonne. After his arrival, he began heavily investing to improve the quality of the wines, increasing the vineyard size, replanting, and new material buying including new barrels.

Didier Marcelis expanded the domaine to 35 acres. He hired emblematic wine consultant Hubert de Boüard (owner of Château Angélus) who went on to receive numerous awards for the high quality of recent vintages.

The Saint-Estèphe cuvée is classified “AOC (Appellation Original Controlee) Crus Bourgeois du Médoc. The classification Cru Bourgeois dates back to the Middle Ages, when the citizens (bourgeois), residents of the “burgh” (bourg) of Bordeaux, acquire the region’s best lands and were subsequently granted this designation. 

In 1932, the Crus Bourgeois producers were grouped in a list established by the Bordeaux wine merchants, under the aegis of the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce of and the Gironde Chamber of Agriculture. The criteria for inclusion was based on the quality and value of red wines produced in one of the eight Médoc appellations: Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Listrac, Moulis, Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, and Saint-Estèphe.

This is an evolving classification as from 2010, the official selection has been published annually in September.

Of course, the greatest Medoc Bordeaux are considered to be the Grand Cru Classés, which are themselves divided into 5 growths. For example, the most famous Medocs (Latour, Lafite, Mouton Rothschild, and Margaux) are all “First Growths.” Chateau Palmer, stellar and expensive but not generally considered on their level, is a “Second Growth.”

While there are hundreds of Chateaux in Bordeaux, about 130 are classified as Grand Cru Classés. See my posts of the UGC Bordeaux (Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB)), and their annual release of the UGCB in these pages. The “Cru Bourgeois” are the best producers that are not Grand Crus Classés.

In a tasting of the Crus Bourgeois 2010, this vintage release was rated 92 by the Wine Enthusiast; Stephen Spurrier of Decanter and Ronan Sayburn both gave it 86 points, while Stephen Brook gave it 81 points.

The Saint-Estèphe cuvée generally presents a bouquet of ripe red fruit with spicy notes. This vintage release was rated 92 by the Wine Enthusiast who wrote “Good depth of ripe red fruits, fine and lively expression on the palate, still green on the finish, but this is a youthful greenness and will blend in, good wine for the mid term.”

Stephen Spurrier of Decanter gave this 86 points and said, “This firmly tannic wine, characteristic of Saint-Estèphe, is very dry. Underneath the dryness, there is a delicious, opulent juiciness that brings out black currant and plum flavors.”

Good value. Nice every day sipping… best with food … drank with blue cheese, pears and marcona roasted almonds .. medium bodied, dark black cherry fruits with notes of graphite, black tea, tobacco leaf and hint of cedar with moderate tannins on the smooth finish.

RM 88 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?1150709

UGCB 2021 Vintage Release Tour 2024 Comes to Chicago

UGCB 2021 Vintage Release Tour 2024 Comes to Chicago

Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) North American 2021 Vintage Release Tour Chicago Preview Tasting 2024 

Once again, the UGC Bordeaux (Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB)), annual release tour visited Chicago this week unveiling/showcasing their 2021 vintage release wines. 

The Union is the association of 131 members of the top premier wine producer estates from the most prestigious Bordeaux appellations. In cooperation with distributors, brokers and merchants they host over 80 events in fifteen countries visiting 65 cities to present their wines to some 50,000 or so professionals and wine lovers each year around the world.

Their events go beyond France, taking them throughout Europe (Germany, UK, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Netherlands, Russia), to this tour of North America (US and Canada) , and to Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore). 

This year's North American tour to Canada and the US visited Miami, then Toronto, Montréal, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and culminating in San Francisco.

'Pour Boys' Tom C, me, Ernie and Lyle with
UGCB Ambassadors Chloe Morvan and
Marie Damouseau, from 2020.

As in previous years, members of our 'Pour Boys' wine group (left) helped conduct the event in Chicago, one of the highlight of my wine exploits throughout the year.

As in years past, except the Covid disrupted alternate site last year at Chicago Union Station Grand Hall, which actually was delayed to June, the gala event was held in the Drake Hotel in the magnificent grand Gold Coast Ballroom (shown below). 

The Pour Boys serve as volunteers, working with the host organizers Mike Wangbickler, Kat Stark and the Balzac Communications team, and the UGCB Bordeaux events team member Marie Damouseau.

According to the routine, we help prepare the room and the wines, checking in trade registrants, and standing in for producers who faced travel or other disruptions, presenting and pouring their wines. 

We start early in the day unpacking and distributing the wines, carefully setting up each wine station for the arrival of the producers' and their representatives for presenting and pouring the wine during the afternoon session.

 Often over the years, several producers or their representatives were delayed in travel or had other disruptions and we were called in to service to pour their wines, hence we earned our moniker, the 'Pour Boys'.  This was our fifteenth year working this gala annual event.

As usual, close to a hundred producers were represented at the event that was attended by over five hundred members of the trade, merchants, hospitality and media.

As is their custom in the third week of January, this annual roadshow is a marathon trek across North America by the producers and their representatives offering wine professionals and oenophiles the chance to meet the Bordeaux principles, winemakers and commercial directors. 

As always, we appreciate the investment in time and effort expended by the producers and their brand ambassadors to visit Chicago. It provides a wonderful opportunity to meet them firsthand and discuss their perspectives on their brand, approach to crafting their style, their history, businesses, and their vintages including, of course, the current release.

As collectors and holders of a not-insignificant collections of Bordeaux wines dating back four decades, we Pour Boys hold as many as several dozen or more vintages of some of these labels. Meeting the owners, family members, producer / winemaker / representatives of these great Chateaux is a great privilege and offers a collector the chance to learn more about their investment and wines. 

As such, I tend to focus on and taste those wines that I know well and hold verticals (multiple vintages of the same label), of which my wine buddies and I have holdings.  

This year, due to the challenging vintage with its reduced yields and less than stellar wines in some cases, thereby potentially suppressing prices following three outstanding vintages, some of the producer's took a pass opting out of this year's tour. Conspicuously absent were two of our perennial favorites and cellar collection wines, Chateaux Pichon Longueville Baron and Pichon Comtesse de Lalande. 

Also, several of the Sauterne Appellation producers chose to showcase wines from recent past vintages rather than present the current 2021 release. 

Despite the inclement weather, this years event was well attended to a full house (shown below).

After working to set up the event, register attendees and fill in for late arriving producers' due to travel delays, we were able to partake of the release tasting. 

As usual, we focused on the producers that we own and collect, with particular interest in those that we visited during our last trip to Bordeaux, as well as those we are targeting for our next or futures visits to the region.

As mentioned above, the 2021 vintage was a challenging year for Bordeaux producers and the resulting wines need scrutiny in selecting winners and standouts.

The Bordeaux region experienced an atypical year, marked by a lack of sunshine throughout the spring, impacting the wine-growing season despite a favorable start in June and the return of sunshine at the end of the harvest. The 2021 season faced frost in April then mildew in late July and early August. Over the course of the year, the inclement weather cut Bordeaux’s crop by a third.

A technical year for the winemakers, it enabled them to produce a wine with lower degrees, perhaps more digestible, reminiscent of a more classic style marked by the Bordeaux continental climate such as the modern era 2008 or 2014 vintages.

Compared to the three previous top rated years of 2018, 2019 and 2020, it is lighter and fresher than those three vintages and will probably mature more quickly.

 An official card from the UGCB described the 2012 vintage this way - 

"A challenging vintage
where time appeared
to slow down.
Mild, cloudy,
then sunny conditions
resulted in
incredibly resilient vines.
A late harvest
with low yields
and subtle aromas
set the tone for
wonderful surprises. 

A well focused vintage.
A wine growers vintage."

Hence, it is not a vintage to avoid despite the typical panning by some of the press. It will require adjusting expectations accordingly. If the vintage results are reflected in prices, it will provide the opportunity to pick up more affordable wines, perhaps obtaining the Grand Vin as opposed to the second label, in some cases.

Wine Enthusiast wrote, "While it may be a smaller vintage, there are still extremely enjoyable red and white wines at the top end. At its red heart, it is a Cabernet vintage. That means look for wines with Cabernet Sauvignon on the Left Bank in the Médoc and in Pessac-Léognan and of wines with a good percentage of Cabernet Franc in Saint-Emilion." 

"The 2021 is lower in alcohol than recent vintages (13-13.5% compared with 14.5% or even 15% in 2018), higher in the fresh fruits and lighter on the tannins. Whites and sweet wines in Pessac-Léognan and Sauternes are magnificent despite seriously lower volumes."

“We have produced wines that are classic, with fruit to the fore,” says Nicolas Labenne, technical director at Château Lynch-Bages in Pauillac. 

As is the custom, the afternoon session is for the benefit of the press and trade and wine professionals, and in Chicago, the evening session in Chicago was hosted by merchant partner Binny's Beverage Depot, the Chicago-land wine superstore, offering tickets to the evening session to their valued customers and the public.

My perspective was that many of the wines showed a slight bit of astringency with slightly diminished thin fruits with some green notes and hints of menthol and some green pepper. 

There were some pleasant surprises, some in places one might not expect. Shown below, Château Coufran from St Estephe who go against the conventions of the Médoc region and prodominate Merlot over Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, more akin to a Pomerol. 

With Frédéric Vicaire of
Château Coufran

Some of the standouts were the Margaux appellation seemed to show well with a highlight being Château Lascombes.

With Karine Barbier of Château Lascombes

The wines of Chateaux Leoville and Langoa Barton from St Julien showed well and revealed some new branding as well. 

From a branding perspective, Château Langoa Barton celebrates the 200th anniversary ownership of the property acquired in 1821 with a special label highlights milestone of the property and pays homage to the patriarch Anthony Barton who passed away during the vintage in January 2022. 

This is the first vintage vinified in the Barton family's new winery.

As is customary, the Barton wines were represented by Managing Director Lilian Barton Sartorius who represents the 9th generation of the Barton family. These days the property is managed by Lilian assisted by her husband, Michel Sartorius, and their grown children, Damien and Melanie, of the 10th generation, who are taking on increasing responsibility in the business.

The ever dapper Stephan von Neipperg,
(Château Canon-La-Gaffelière)
with Lillian Barton Sartorius (Chateaux Leoville &
Langoa Barton) and Claire Ridley representing
Leoville Poyferre.

Continuing the branding approach introduced in the post Covid era, Château Siran released an artist label series featuring artwork that was updated with new vintage release. Of course, this promotional branding was made epic by ultra-premium first growth producer Chateau Mouton Rothschild with their artist series. I chronicle that series in my compendium label library page on my winesite. (Notably, Mouton Rothschild with their grand vin are not members of the UGCB.)

Producers Sevrine and Edouard Miailhe wanted to memorialize the pandemic that paralysed the world in 2020. They chose a theme of an anti-Covid allegory recognizing the olfactory qualities together with the beneficial properties of red wines with the new label's bright colors, celebrating "the joy of living and the happiness of sharing".  

The 2020 vintage marked the return of the family tradition of Château Siran’s illustrated labels with a collaboration with Federica Matta, a Franco-Chilean artist 'sensitive to the natural elements and the culture of wine'. 

Earlier UGCB and related events are featured in earlier unwindwine blogposts. 

Most recently .. 

UGCB 2020 Vintage Release Tour Chicago 2023

Grand Cru Bordeaux 2019 Vintage Release Tour Chicago

 UGCB 2017 Release Tour Chicago

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