USA 2014 Tasting Tour Vintage 2011 Great Wines of Bordeaux

In 1993 we first toured the Chateaus of Bordeaux.  Not only did we get to meet the owners, taste the wines, but dined each evening in a different Chateau and experienced wine and food pairing French style.  It forever changed the style of Messina Hof wines.  Tonight we had the opportunity to reconnect with some of those same Chateaus and get to know more.  In preparation of our Bordeaux Cruise in June 2014, we made connections with 44 Chateaus and tasted some amazing wines.

Chateaus featured were:

Graves – Chateau de Chantegrive

Pessac-Leognan – Chateau Bouscaut, Domaine de Chevalier, Chateau Haut-Bailly, Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion, Chateau Latour-Martillac, Chateau Olivier, Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte

Saint-Emilion Grand Cru – Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot, Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere, Chateau Franc Mayne, Chateau Troplong Mondot

Pomerol – Chateau La Conseillante, Chateau Gazin

Listrac-Medoc – Chateau Clarke

Moulis-En-Medoc – Chateau Poujeaux

Haut-Medoc – Chateau Beaumont

Medoc – Chateau La Tour de By

Margaux – Chateau Angludet, Chateau Brane-Cantenac, Chateau Cantenac Brown, Chateau Giscours, Chateau Kirwan, Chateau Marquis de Terme, Chateau Rauzan-Gassies, Chateau du Tertre

Saint Julien – Chateau Beychevelle, Chateau Branaire-Ducru, Chateau Gruaud Larose, Chateau Lagrange, Chateau Langoa Barton, Chateau Leoville Barton, Chateau Leoville Poyferre, Chateau Talbot

Pauillac – Chateau Croizet-Bages, Chateau Lynch-Bages, Chateau Lunch-Moussas, Chateau Pichon-Longueville, Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Saint Estephe – Chateau Ormes De Pez, Chateau de Pez

Barsac & Sauternes – Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey,  Chateau Suduiraut, Chateau La Tour Blanche

Impressed?  I was.  It was a room filled with amazing wines.  As in any tasting everyone has their own favorites, these are the ones that I highly recommend you try as they are tasting really good right now.

Whites:

Chateau De Chantegrive was my favorite white with 50/50 Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon and in the old world style.  This is what I remembered tasting in 1993.

Chateau Olivier was my second favorite.  It is a new world version reminiscent of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.  The 2011 vintage is 75%, 5% Muscatel, 20% Semillon.  Sauvignon Blanc is very pronounced.

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte was one of our original stops in 1993 and the wines today are just as good now as then.  90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sauvignon Gris, 5% Semillon

Reds:

Troplong Mondot was my favorite red as it was showing a rich dark berry wine with soft tannins, good color, clean finish and good oak.

Chateau Angludet hit my palate with an unusual freshness that really stood out and it was very smooth.  55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot.

Chateau Leoville Barton is smooth, fruitful and very nice and well balanced.

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is great and holds a sentimental place in our hearts rom 1993 when ate lunch there on the terrace overlooking the vineyards.

Other notes:

Chateau Clarke had the most Americanized style – very soft.

Bordeaux has found much purple color in this vintage.

Many of the Chateaus stated that 2011 was a ‘wonderful vintage for whites’.

If you have the opportunity to taste these wines, don’t miss it!  If you are going with us on the June 2014 Cruise, you are in for an amazing experience.