Favorite Bordeauxwines

This week’s tasting consisted of 3 very affordable Bordeaux : from 1981 a left and right bank and another left bank but this a decade older, from 1970. So very interesting to find out if the ageing potential is adequate for these “minor gods”.

We started with the bottle from 1970 : chateau d’Issan, a 3rd growth Margaux . No first growth quality to be expected perhaps, but definitely no plonk either and coming from one of the few succeeded vintages in the 70ies it does have its pedigree and a good vintage in its favor. The color had turned a light auburn, a tell-tale that this was the eldest of the three. The Aroma’s coming up from the glass were even more proof of that : there was no fruit left here. Mostly secondary and tertiary scents had developed, which is nice if you’re into that “walk though a crowded bazaar on a hot day”- kind of wine : some sweet spices were intermingled with tea and tar, followed by
Moroccan leather and gamey odors. First taste was mostly acidity but this softened out rapidly given a bit of air and time in the glass. What was left then was a somewhat austere, dry but warm evolved wine. Although this was far from unpleasant it lacked a bit in complexity and length, so perhaps not my favorite but with 2 out of the 5 on our panel preferring this one, I was clearly in the minority, ah well, « les gouts et les couleurs… »

Wines two and three were both from 1981, which could have been the first of the many great years in the 80ies for Bordeaux, were in not for the 2 or 3 weeks of heavy rain in October which made harvest very difficult and resulted in lots of diluted wines rather early ready for drinking. Would our 2 bottles reflect that?

Bottle two was the right bank Bordeaux : 1981 chateau La Serre, a St Emilion grand cru classé. Again perhaps not the greatest estate, but being run by the same d’Arfeuille family since the mid 50ies, big investments and renovations in the 70ies plus being a grand cru classé (even now, after the latest revision in 2012), this was no bag-in-box wine either. Here too the color clearly indicated we were drinking an evolved wine : garnet with just a little red left. First off not very vibrant or fruity, but luckily still some jammy red berries noticeable, adding to the soft sweetness. Also some spices (cloves)
and becoming a little herbal and vegetal later on with autumn forest and underbrush after longer aeration. Not bad at all and drinking it also a pleasant surprise : this was a simple, straightforward and delicious wine. Very supple tannins and gentle acidity, very nice warmth and length as well. Ok, so maybe not a thrill-seeker Bugatti Veyron then but more the well cared for classic that will get you home safely every day, which my 2 other colleagues chose as their favorite.

And last (but certainly not least as far as I’m concerned), another Margaux : 1981 Du Tertre. This is a fifth growth and perhaps a bit underachieving in those days but more recently bought by a Dutchman and since undergone the necessary changes to return it to the status it deserves. The color here very similar to the La Serre, garnet with some ruby red still left at the edge. Nicely concentrated aroma’s of sweet spices and cedar followed by smokiness, tobacco, dry leaves and undergrowth very reminiscent of the smells coming
from my neighbors’ garden when he’s burning fallen leaves and cut branches. The taste is completely in sync with these smells : here again the soft fruitiness intermingled with warmth and completely integrated tannins. This is an incredible suave and feminine wine,
a soft, gentle all-rounder that will please anyone looking for a classic Bordeaux with excellent PQR, and of course, my favorite pick of today’s tasty trio.

DC