Bordeaux Wines are Back with the 2010 Vintage

by Frank Mangio
Bordeaux – it’s the most elite name in the history of wine.  It’s red wines, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot command worldwide attention.  These Bordeaux grapes, created the backbone for the California wine miracle.

I say that because the shaping of Napa Valley’s  fabled wine success as the greatest of all the wine countries in California was woven by grapes  brought over from Bordeaux.  Eventually the Napa Valley “made in heaven” climate and soil would propel this area past its mother-earth French mentor, signaled by the “Paris Tasting” in 1976 when California’s wine entries defeated the French in each category it entered.

The current 2010 vintage of Bordeaux wines were rated the highest in over 10 years by the world respected Wine Spectator Magazine

  Up to that date, the legendary Chateau Latour, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Petrus, Chateau Haut-Brion and so on were the world’s finest wines. They were known as wines of terroir, meaning all that they were, they derived from single plots of land.  We were led to believe that only those pieces of property could provide us with the exalted grapes that made up those bottles.

The wine landscape has certainly changed and French wines have undergone great change with new faces, who have made French wines much more approachable.

The wine districts of Bordeaux, both on the left and right bank of the  river that divides Bordeaux, must be congratulated with a brilliant 2010 vintage, cheered by Wine Spectator and other world-class publications, with the best year in over 10 years. With Cabernet on the left bank of the Gironde River and the silky elegance of Merlot on the right bank, the result was “gorgeously integrated structure for long term cellaring,” reported Wine Spectator.  But expensive French wines have lately been a hard sell.  The wild and crazy “futures” market, where collectors gather to gamble and pay cash in advance without tasting, on prices set by the wineries on future vintages, have not gone well for buyers.  The news of the excellent 2010 vintage should help in the recovery.

Some lofty prices for the 2010 vintage include:  Chateau Latour, 2010 Pauillac, rated 99 for $1,450. and Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, 2010 Pauillac, rated 98 for $1,200.  It must be remembered that most French wines are not the wildly expensive, complex wines chased by multi-millionaires.  Most Bordeaux wines are modest dinner wines with very reasonable prices. In my search for a low priced 2010 Bordeaux red blend, I found a Croix De Mason Left Bank Bordeaux for just $6.00.  Drink it now and be happy you had the best French vintage in over 10 years.

Balboa Bay’s Nice Guy Chef is Josef Lageder

With a crisp glass of Napa Valley Chateaux Montelena Riesling in one hand, the Balboa Bay Resort’s Executive Chef, Josef Lageder, took me on a words-eye tour of Southern California’s version of Portofino Italy.  With the yachts almost within reach, Chef Josef traced his roots in Italy’s Alto Adige, where healthy salads and fish where the prime presentation on the menu.

Josef Lageder is the Executive Chef of Balboa Bay Resort

For pastas, chef is a huge fan of gnocchi, with each village in Italy accenting here and there with a singularly different taste.  “I also love risottos, the world’s best comfort food,” he revealed.  Add lemon, parmesan cheese and mushroom with truffles as a garnish and you have a marvelous delicacy.”

The resort is now undergoing upscale changes and wants to be more accessible.  Duke’s Place, a tribute to actor John Wayne who was a neighbor, is being totally re-done with an open air, contemporary design and over 600 wines to select from.  The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. See www.balboabayresort.com.

Wine Bytes
Bacchus Wine Market downtown SanDiego offers an Affordable Bordeaux wine event Sat. May 11 from 2 to 8:30pm.  6 red and white wines poured for a $20. charge.  Call 619-236-0005.

An Artisan Festival is planned for Orfila Winery Sun. May 12 in Escondido from 3 to 7:30pm.  20 local artists and vendors with 10 gourmet food trucks and live entertainment.  $20. ea.  Club members discounts available.  Call 760-738-6500 x 22.

Mothers Day is being celebrated with a special 3 course brunch at Fleming’s.  Lots of entrée choices for $36.95 and a $25. dining card rebate for Mom.  Call 858-535-0078 for an RSVP.

The Rotary Club of Bonsall presents the annual benefit Wine, Brews and Blues Festival Sat. May 18 from 5:30 to 10pm at the Ca. Center for the Arts in Escondido.  Wine and handcrafted beer tastings, tasty bites from local restaurants, silent auction, cigar lounge, and dancing to live blues bands.  Tickets are $65. pp.  For more information 760-695-4042.  Purchase tickets at www.BonsallRotary.com.

Winemaker of the Year named at San Francisco International

by Frank Mangio
Amanda Cramer of Niner Wine Estates on the west side of Paso Robles, and some of her wine creations, have taken top honors at the recent San Francisco International Wine Competition. Her Niner 2007 Premium Bordeaux Blend ($58.) took Double Gold and Best Bordeaux Blend, and her 2007 Cabernet Bootjack Ranch ($28.) also took Double Gold.

Cramer has been with Niner since 2004 and came there from assignments in the Napa Valley, Australia and Chile. “Given the opportunity to help build a winery from the ground up in the attractive Paso Robles area was something I simply could not pass up,” she said. “I’ve always loved the combination of agriculture, chemistry and artistry that winemaking represents. The agricultural is the most important,” she said, pointing out that 2010 will be Niner’s first all-estate produced vintage. “As winemaker, the most important decision I make is the harvest date.”

Amanda’s background as a Washington DC teacher of math and chemistry provided solid preparation for the road out west and enrollment in the UC Davis School of Enology and Viticulture, considered the foremost in the country, while interning at Far Niente Winery in the Napa Valley.

After a series of high profile positions in winemaking at such names as Chimney Rock, Robert Mondavi, D’Arenberg and Casa Lapostolle, she took a job as Assistant under the great Heidi Barrett at Paradigm in the Napa Valley, who developed Cramer’s expertise in Bordeaux varietals. Then came the chief winemaker opportunity at Niner Wine Estates, and this year the Winemaker of the Year Award at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. See more about Niner by visiting www.ninerwine.com.

Wine Spectator Annual Restaurant Awards
Wine Spectator is the most circulated wine publication in the world and the most prestigious. Every year, they research restaurants worldwide for best wine list, pricing, sommeliers and food and wine presentation.

Three levels of awards are given: Award of Excellence, Best of Award of Excellence and the highest, the Grand Award. The following are the San Diego area winners that I have reviewed in my column: Grand Award – Addison, Grand Del Mar Resort; The WineSellar & Brassiere, San Diego. Best of Award of Excellence – Amaya Bistro, Grand Del Mar Resort;

Delicias, Rancho Santa Fe; Donovan’s Steak & Chop House, University City. Award of Excellence – Bistro West, Carlsbad; Firefly, Encinitas; Firenze Trattoria, Encinitas; Island Prime, San Diego; Mille Fleurs, Rancho Santa Fe; Paradise Grille, Del Mar; Truluck’s University City; West Steak & Seafood, Carlsbad.

I have observed and commented that many more restaurants are upgrading their wine presentations and deserve consideration. Innovative offerings like direct sales by the bottle, lowering or even waving corkage fees, lowering prices by the glass and adding wine “flights” are just a few of the serendipitous findings on the wine list. Wine is helping to bring the customer back into the restaurants.

Wine Bytes
Relm Wine, Beer and Bistro, a new wine bar, has opened in Carlsbad at 2917 State Street, operated by Rene Fleming. A wide variety of small plates will be offered starting August 24 including soups, salads and unique sandwiches. Call 760-434-9463.

San Diego Wine Company has a Fritz Portfolio Tasting with owner Clay Fritz, Sat. Aug. 28 from 11 to 4:30pm. Fee is just $10. Details at 858-586-9463.

3rd Corner in Encinitas hosts the favorite Paso Robles Justin Winery for a 4 course dinner on Tues. Aug. 31 from 6 to 9pm. Includes the great latest-release blends: Isosceles, Justification and Obtuse. $70. pp. RSVP at 760-942-2104.

WineSellar & Brasserie presents a special yacht party “Sunset Wine & Cheese Harbor Cruise” Sun. Aug. 29 from 4 to 7pm. Limited guests. Total price $99. Call Amos at 858-688-1063.

The next “Drink Yourself Blind” wine tasting competition at Bacchus Wine Market in the Gaslamp District downtown San Diego is Fri. Sept. 3 from 4 to 8:30pm. They brown bag 8 wines. Prizes for those that are correct on 4 or more. Cost is $15. Call 619-236-0005.

Bordeaux ’05 Vintage Over the Top

by Frank Mangio

The world’s largest fine wine growing area, the mighty Bordeaux appellation on France’s west coast, has proven once again, it is the yardstick to measure all great wines. Its’ “Bordeaux Style” was the blueprint for a once neophyte Napa that took this blend and made it their own. Now, the Bordeaux 2005 vintage is showing up in wine departments and shops everywhere and the raves are unanimous. The prices are sure to please.

Of course you can pursue at Chateau Lafite Rothschild, one of a handful of premium, so called “first-growth” wines at hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars, but the good news here is that most ’05 Bordeaux wines are beautifully crafted and priced within reason. For the price of the Rothschild, you can pick up some 30 bottles of most others. The Bordeaux terroir claims some 12,000 vineyards in two distinct districts: the West Bank consisting of Haut-Medoc (oh meh doc) and Pessac-Leognan (pay sac lay oh nyahn); and the Right Bank with St-Emilion (san tem eel yon) and Pomerol ( pohm eh roll). Both areas grow Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, as well as Cabernet Franc. The really great Cab blends are found on the Left Bank, with luscious aroma and taste of the earth with significant black currents, plums and spice. These wines can be very dry for the first few years with heavy tannin influences. Eventually they will show complex bouquet and soften to a velvety texture. The Right Bank wines of Pomerol and St-Emilion are different in that they mature faster, with more of a Merlot influence which makes them less tannic.

Recently, Meritage Wine Market in Encinitas hosted Aquitaine Wine Company of Bordeaux, a “negociant” ( representative) for a number of small, well-known wineries on both sides of the “banks.” Three of their vineyard clients ( shown in accompanying photo) presented their ’04 and ’05 offerings: Kirwin from the Margaux district, Canon La Gaffeliere, D’Aiguihe, Peyreau, Lussac, Vieux Maillet, Franc Mayne, Dassault and La Fleur, all from the St. Emilion district.

Jean-Christophe Calvet, President of Aquataine was excited about the excellence of the ’05 harvest and the artisan style, handcrafted wines he represents. “Our wines are especially food-friendly with this harvest. With the right bank, you have the kingdom of Merlot, growing beautifully in our clay and limestone. In all of the Bordeaux terroir, you have, like spices in food, five different varietals blended together, the others being Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec.” I asked him about the great number of small production vineyards and how they all fit in. “There are over 50 appellations in Bordeaux”, he answered. “Over 800 million gallons of wine are produced. Over 12,000 chateaus grow grapes and they average about 50 acres each. Our winemakers here are from the St Emilion area of Bordeaux, truly the most exciting of the Merlot growing areas in the world.”

Count Stephan von Neipperg, a German owner and winemaker from Chateau Peyreau and a “Grand Cru” grower whose family of winemakers dates back to the 13th century, was pouring the ’05 Peyreau and Canon La Gaffelier, two high quality “luxury” wines. “Only 5% of all these vineyards in Bordeaux are really making great wines and paying particular attention to four fundamentals of these excellent wines: the soil or terroir, the knowledge of making quality wines, the patience to understand how to make great wine and the money to invest in the number of years it takes to make great wine. You cannot make great wine and make a lot of wine. In our business, small production means a better chance for great wines.”