Guild of Sommelier Tasting - Typicity of Bordeaux

As a member of the Guild of Sommeliers, you are offered a handful of Educational Foundation Enrichment Tastings throughout the year.  I happen to be fortunate to live in an area of Florida where there are 8 Master Sommeliers in close proximity who donate their valuable time and effort to facilitate these events for those of us aspiring to learn more about wine.

This week found about 35 us in Ft. Lauderdale for a two-hour tasting on the Typicity of Bordeaux.  Opening remarks and introductions were made by Andrew McNamara, MS, followed by a brief overview of Bordeaux.

Bordeaux is located in the Gironde department of western France.
The maritime climate is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Gironde River that runs through the region as it splits into the Dordogne and Garonne.
Merlot is planted more than Cabernet Sauvignon.

Now to the juicy part...the wines!
There were two flights of four wines each that were tasted blind.  I was seated at a table with Eric Hemer, MS, as moderator, and 5 other sommeliers.  We went through the wines in a round-robin style, calling out descriptors as they came to us, then Eric made a tally at the end of each wine for everyone's 'final conclusion' as to what region in Bordeaux the wine came from, was it a 'classified' wine and the vintage based on the character of the wine and key 'markers.'

WINE 1: slight orange color on rim, not as vibrant in color; herbaceous nose, combination of red & black fruit components, old school in style (not so fruit-forward) with grippy tannins.
Chat Lafleur-Gazin, Pomerol 2006
WINE 2: medium ruby dark color with staining on the glass; dark fruits, tobacco leaf, cocoa, sweet spices; ripe fruit tanning and barrel spice, fleshy on palate and bit austere.
Chat Malmaison, Moulis-en-Medoc, Cru Bourgeois 2004
WINE 3: almost opaque, deep color; powerful nose of blackcurrant, new French oak; new school 'Michel Rolland' style with high extraction and ripe, chewy tannins
Chat Fonplegade, St. Emilion Grand Cru Classe 2006
WINE 4: deep purple hue; slight raisiny, concentrated dark dried fruits, black tea; powerful tannin and length
Chat La Louviere, Pessac-Leognan 2005

After a brief break and re-fill of the wine glasses, we were on the second flight - all classified growths, all same vintage, all left bank.
WINE 1: lightest in color, but rich opulence; violet, layered, exotic; dry tannin, sous bois and earthy
Chat Giscours, Margaux, Grand Cru Classe 2004
WINE 2: tea leaves, meaty aroma, dark cherries, dried tobacco; juicy palate, luxurious, weighty, drying oak tannins (my favorite wine of all we tasted)
Chat Ducru-Beaucaillou, St. Julien, Grand Cru Classe 2004
WINE 3: pencil lead, dried tomato leaf, pruny, dried fruit; firm tannin, moderate in length (reminded me some of an Italian wine)
Chat Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Paullac, Grand Cru Classe 2004
WINE 4: opaque, inky color; lots of new oak, blackberry, mocha/cocoa; hi tannin, hi alcohol, oak monster, slight bitterness, lots of texture
Chat Cos d'Estournel, St. Estephe, Grand Cru Classe 2004


Special thanks to the other Master Sommeliers on the panel: Virginia Philip, Juan Gomez and Brian Kozial (not pictured).  Support and funding for the wines was from Sopexa and Southern Wine & Spirits, while the sight location was compliments of Morton's. 

To learn more about Bordeaux wines, check out my Le Bordeaux Buff friends - Rebecca Chapa and Megan Wiig!