Previous Living Articles By Mouli

January, 2003

Henri Jayer

Living

Bordeaux

The best wines from Bordeaux, the world's most famous wine region, reflect the personality of the Bordelais, the name of the locals, not the sauce. As a group, the Bordelais, as do their wines, tend towards the haughtiness of the Parisians; they are very serious, tautly structured, well-flavored, somewhat tannic, and of good to outstanding quality.

Perhaps this is why Mr. Cohen generally prefers the more sensual, exotic wines of Burgundy, another of France's world-class wine regions. When there is a chill in the air, or snow on the ground, however, his thoughts turn to the red wines of Bordeaux. Perhaps he is dining with friends in Paris; he enjoys quaffing the simpler Bordeaux served at his favorite bistro there. Perhaps it is a wintery evening at home in Belvedere, and Mr. Cohen is looking for a more robust, heartier wine to follow a Burgundy wine as the meal progresses.

"Burgundy satisfies me so well with any type of food that just by having it I can eliminate all other wine," says Mr. Cohen. "But since there are other great grapes out there--Red Burgundy is made from Pinot Noir grapes while Red Bordeaux is made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot--I will try them from time to time."

More than a handful of California producers are turning out wines that rival the finest reds of Bordeaux. The Napa Valley, in particular, a region where Cabernet Sauvignon thrives, is famous for wines such as Colgin, Harlan, and Maya. Because the climate is much warmer than that of Bordeaux, the wines are richer, fuller in body, higher in alcohol, and to please the wine press, lavishly oaked. This brash, bold, and fruit driven type of wine is not nearly as easy as the more subdued Bordeaux wines to enjoy with food, but makes a great cocktail. Consumed young, these wines also tend to leave lingering effects, most often headaches, the next day, as the human body has a difficult time processing the double whammy of aggressive oak barrel tannins and high alcohol.

Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon, Cain Five, and Joseph Phelps Insignia are more reserved in style, and are not generally grouped with the "cult" wines mentioned earlier. As such, these are the Napa Valley wines Mr. Cohen favors. From Bordeaux, he has recently enjoyed the 1996 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte from the Graves, and the 1995 Chateau Beychevelle from St. Julien. He describes these wines as "round, spicy, light, and dry, not over oaked and not overly tannic."

When visiting the vast Bordeaux region, consider using the city of Bordeaux as home base. Driving north from this historic city, you will arrive in the heart of a sub-region known as the Medoc. The Medoc, or Left Bank, is home to many famous wine villages such as Margaux, St. Julien, Pauillac, and St. Estephe. The better vineyards hug the gravelly left bank of the Gironde River. Red wines based on Cabernet Sauvignon and blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc reach unsurpassed levels of quality here. Lafite Rothschild and Latour are neighboring chateaux in the town of Pauillac. These and the other magnificent chateaux dotting the landscape here are mostly facades owned by Asian and Parisian bankers, fronts for conducting business, though most are closed even to the trade without special arrangements for visits made well in advance.

Across the river Gironde to the right bank is the somewhat more inviting village of St. Emilion. This village, with its cobblestone streets is full of history. Just outside of the town are the vineyards, which produce the world-famous Chateau Cheval Blanc and Chateau Ausone wines. The reds of St. Emilion and the adjacent Pomerol (Pomerol doesn't have a village, per se) are relatively softer, smoother, and more voluptuous than the wing-tip wines of the Left Bank. This is due, in part, to their makeup of Merlot and Cabernet Franc blended only occasionally, and then only in small amounts, with the more structured Cabernet Sauvignon. Pomerol wines including the famous Chateau Petrus are very serious, well-made, and very long-lived wines.

The Bordeaux region is also known for world-class dry whites from Graves, made up of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, and for the sweet, botrytized wines of Sauternes. Chateau Haut Brion Blanc is one of the best dry whites from this area, while Chateau d'Yquem, made of Semillon grapes concentrated and dehydrated by Noble Rot, or Botrytis Cinerea, is exquisitely rich and viscous, a role model for dessert wines around the world.