Clos Haut-Peyraguey

The history of this estate and Lafaurie-Peyraguey is one and the same in the early years, when the two were part of the original Peyraguey estate. The records of the estate dated to early 17^th century, when the land was owned by Sieur Raymond Peyraguey, a member of the rural bourgeoisie who settled in Bommes.

It was acquired in 1742 by Baron Nicolas-Pierre de Pichard, a local parliamentarian who also owned Lafite-Rothschild and Coutet. Under his direction the estate moved towards ordered viticulture, but he met his end at the guillotine in 1794 during the Revolution.

The estate was of 30 hectares then, known as Chateau Pichard-Peyraguey, and was sold in 1796 to Lafaurie and Mauros, with the former buying out the latter soon. Lafaurie, who also owned a stake in nearby Chateau d’Arche, established the reputation of the wines, and renamed it Lafaurie-Peyraguey.

It was ranked third in the 1855 classification of Sauternes and Barsac, behind d’Yquem and La Tour Blanche. Upon his death the property was left to his widow, who married later to Saint-Rieul-Dupouy, then selling the estate to Comte Duchatel, proprietor of Chateau Lagrange, in 1865.

Comte Duchatel funded an extensive refurbishment, restoring the entranceway and remodeling the chateau and buildings. Upon his death the estate was passed to his granddaughter, Charlotte de Tremoille, who put the estate for sale. The major part was acquired by the negociants Farinel and Gredy in 1879, becoming the today Lafaurie-Peyraguey.

A smaller section was cleaved off and purchased by a pharmacist named Grillon, becoming the independent Clos Haut-Peyraguey. This was a small plot of vines on a promontory overlooking Lafaurie-Peyraguey, which was later acquired by Eugene Garbay and Fernand Ginestet.

With time Garbay and his descendants took full control of the estate, with ownership passing to Eugene’s grandsons Pierre and Bernard Pauly, before in 1969 Bernard’s son Jacques Pauly and his wife Jacqueline. Since 2002 it was their daughter Martine Langlais-Pauly who held the reins, but in 2012 she decided to sell to Bernard Magrez.

The Pauly family today owns 17 hectares of vines, of which 12 of from Clos Haut-Peyraguey, and the remaining 5 hectares Haut-Bommes. Clos Haut-Peyraguey is divided into two principal parts, 8 hectares in a clos around the cellar, and the 4 hectares plot acquired by Garbay which lies close to d’Yquem. There are also two small plots within sight of La Tour Blanche.

The soils are a mix of gravel and sandy clay, with vines of 95% Semillon and 5% Sauvignon Blanc. The move away from Sauvignon Blanc reflected a realization that the wines were sufficiently fresh and bright that did not need the Sauvignon lift. The harvest is manual, usually in 3-5 tries, and yields are low, as in 2008 as low as 5.5 hl/ha.

Both Clos Haut-Peyraguey and Haut-Bommes are managed in the same fashion but kept completely separate, with Haut-Bommes not a second wine. The fruit is pressed using pneumatic equipment before clarification overnight in concrete vats. Fermentation is carried out within oak barriques, between 50% to 80% new each vintage, with the rest one-year old, using only indigenous yeast.

Once the alcohol reached 12% they are run off and blended in larger vats, where fermentation continues to attain another 1-2% alcohol then brought under control by reducing temperature instead of sulphuring. The wines will then go back to barriques and rest in wood for at least 18 months, with racking up to five times to clarify the wines to prevent late fermentations.

Finally it is assembled in vats once more, fined as required and rarely filtered, before going into bottle. The grand vin is Clos Haut-Peyraguey, with the chateau prefix dropped from 2007 onwards, without any second wine.

I have recently tasted the 2007 vintage and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, it has medium gold color, with watery rims and legs.

Nose

Clean, with pronounced intensity aromas of citrus fruit such as lemon peel and orange marmalade, stone fruit of apricot, dried fruit of raisin, maturity notes of honey, oak notes of butterscotch, oxidation notes of caramel, floral notes of honeysuckle. The wine is developing.

Palate

Sweet with high acidity, the wine has medium (+) in alcohol, full body and pronounced intensity flavors of citrus fruit such as lemon, orange peel, stone fruit of apricot, maturity notes of honey, dried fruit of sultana, tropical fruit of mango, oxidation notes of caramel. The wine has medium (+) finish.

Conclusion

Very good quality high-priced Sauternes with typical characters, with a very intense nose demonstrating complex aromas, as well as a balanced sweetness and acidity to make it refreshing despite the high sugar level. The wine has a robust structure and in harmony, with the palate showing equally concentrated flavors, complexity and a fairly long finish. Impressive sweet wine that is ready to drink now though can further develop for another 10-15 years. 

Wineshark Cooking Class - 49. Rack of Lamb with Walnut Pesto

First we prepare the pesto.

Ingredients:

• Fresh basil leaf - 2 oz
• Pine nuts - 2 tbsp
• Garlic finely - 2 tsp
• Extra-virgin olive oil - 4 oz
• Parmesan cheese - 2 tbsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp

Procedures:

1. Bake the pine nuts in oven.
2. Remove the leaves from basil and wipe dry. 
3. Grind all the ingredients together till a good mesh.

Then we prepare the main dish.

Ingredients:

• Rack of lamb 
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Black pepper finely - 1/2 tsp
• Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp
• Pesto - 2.5 oz
• Walnut finely - 1/4 cup
• Olive oil - 2 tbsp
• White wine - 2 oz

Procedures:

1. Marinate the lamb with salt and black pepper. Then pour some vegetable oil on top.
2. Put in oven for 5 minutes at 230 degree Celsius.
3. Mix the grounded walnut with pesto.
4. Apply the pesto mix on the lamb, then put back in oven for another 5 minutes.
5. Remove the lamb and keep warm.
6. Pour the olive oil and white wine on the baking tray to cook for a sauce, then pour on top of the lamb upon serving.

Wineshark Cooking Class - 48. Chicken Chowder

Ingredients:

• Bacon chopped - 4 stripes
• Onion finely - 4 oz
• Celery cubes - 2 sticks
• Diced potatoes - 6 oz
• Whole kernel corn - 4 oz
• Chicken stock - 1 lb
• Diced cooked chicken - 4 oz
• White pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt- 1 tsp
• Ground nutmeg - dashes

Procedures:

1. Saute bacon with some oil, then add onion to cook for about 5 minutes.
2. Add celery, potatoes and chicken stock to cook for another 15 minutes.
3. Add the corn, diced chicken to cook for a short while, then add seasonings.

Chateau Langoa Barton

There are two Bartons in Bordeaux, Leoville and Langoa, with the two being related. Both are owned by the Barton family for nearly two centuries, the longest period for a single-family ownership of any Bordeaux chateaux. The history started when the family under Thomas Barton left Ireland and arrived in Bordeaux, entering the wine trade, acquiring Chateau Le Boscq in St-Estephe.

His grandson Hugh later purchased the two Barton properties proper, starting with Pontet-Langlois, acquired from Pierre-Bernard de Pontet of Pontet-Canet. This is the estate we know today as Langoa-Barton, with the plausible explanation for the name to derive from Langlois.

Hugh set about expanding the vineyards, purchasing small plots of nearby vines to consolidate his position, and so later came to be the owners of the portion of the Leoville estate, which remained separate from Langoa and becomes the present day Leoville-Barton.

At the beginning of the 20^th century, it was Bertram Hugh Barton who was running the business, with the estate ranked as a troisieme cru in the 1855 classification. In 1927 Bertram was killed in an accident and his son Ronald taking on the ownership, and took up residence in the estate before fleeing the country during World War II.

The property remained largely intact fortunately, from the effort of the Guestier family who protected the estate during his absence. Upon his return there was much work to restore the estate, with extensive replanting of vines but not in the cellar, as Ronald was a traditionalist. The wines were quite well received, but it was only in 1969 it moved to estate-bottling, long after many others had done so.

Ronald died in 1986 without an heir, and his nephew Anthony took control, who had a passion for wine and already moved in to Bordeaux since 1951. Anthony now resided in the Langoa estate, which was dated to 1758. The vineyards account for about 25 hectares, south of the Barton and Poyferre sections of the Leoville estate, lying between the villages of Beychevelle and St-Julien.

The terroir is typical Medoc with predominantly gravel soils over a deeper clay. Planted with 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, the vines are mechanically destemmed and has a two week maceration, before up to 20 months in oak of which 50% are new each year. The wine is fined and filtered prior to bottling, with total production about 8000 cases of the grand vin Chateau Langoa-Barton and a second wine Lady Langoa.

I have recently tasted the 2004 vintage and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, it has deep ruby color, with thin garnet rims and legs.

Nose

Clean, with medium intensity aromas of black fruit such as blackcurrant, blackberry, plum, mineral notes of lead, maturity notes of savory, kernel notes of chocolate, oak notes of cedar. The wine is developing.

Palate

Dry with medium acidity, the wine has medium (+) tannin of ripe and satin texture. Medium in alcohol, medium (+) body and medium (+) intensity flavors of black fruit such as blackcurrant, blackberry, plum and dark cherries, kernel notes of chocolate, oak notes of cedar, sweet spice of cloves. The wine has a medium (+) finish.

Conclusion

Very good quality high-priced St-Julien with a reasonably intense nose of good complexity, the wine has demonstrated the typical communal characters, with a juicy palate, structured yet elegant. Good concentration and having a fairly long length, the wine is ready to drink now, yet still has a lot of potential for ageing, for another 4-6 years. 

Chateau Cantenac Brown

In 1754 Jacques Boyd acquired the estate, and later John Lewis Brown, who also owned Chateau Brown in Pessac-Leognan, acquired the Boyd property in 1806 when he married into the Boyd family. His career was not entirely successful, having to declare bankruptcy in 1843, losing the ownership of the estate to a banker named Grommard.

During the 1855 classification, the estate was ranked as a troisieme cru, but was named Boyd to honor the family who established the estate. But there was a clear distinction between Cantenac-Brown and its parent estate, with what was classified as Boyd in 1855 largely became Boyd-Cantenac of today, whereas Cantenac-Brown seems to originate from a few vineyards cleaved off from the original property.

The third growth status was awarded after a successful legal battle arguing its origins as part of the Boyd-Cantenac estate was accepted. In 1860 it was acquired by Armand Lalande, who also owned Leoville-Poyferre, who had chosen Cantenac-Brown as the name of the estate to honor Brown’s tenure. The chateau was also built under his time, very distinct in the Medoc as it was built using a brown brick instead of the local stone which are pale and creamy color.

From Armand the estate was passed to the next generation, his daughter and then again to her son. In the difficult period of phylloxera, oidium, war and depression, the estate floundered just like the others, and by 1968 when it was acquired by the du Vivier family it had contracted considerably. With new ownership, a program of improvement and replanting commenced, but the revitalization was mainly after the acquisition by AXA Millesimes in 1989.

The AXA team was then led by the semi-retired Jean-Michel Cazes, and with help from Daniel Llose and Christian Seely, turned around the business. To the surprise of many, the estate was sold in 2006 to a British businessman Simon Halabi. The vineyards now cover 54 hectares in all, mostly around Cantenac. The soils are typically gravelly and planted with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc at a density of 8500 vines/ha.

There is reduced use of chemical fertilizers, installation of new drainage under Jose Sanfins, the technical director. Manually harvest, the grapes are fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, with maceration about two weeks. The wine is then transferred to oak barrels for up to 18 months, with 60% barrels being new. The wine is fined and filtered prior to bottling, with the grand vin Chateau Cantenac-Brown of annual production around 15000 cases. A second wine called Brio du Chateau Cantenac-Brown is also produced.

I have recently tasted the 2005 vintage and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, it has deep ruby color, with paler rims and legs.

Nose

Clean, with medium intensity aromas of black fruit such as blackberry, plum and dark cherries, floral notes of violet, oak notes of cedar, sweet spice of cinnamon and cloves, pungent spice of licorice, maturity notes of savory, mineral notes of lead. The wine is developing.

Palate

Dry with medium acidity, the wine has medium (+) tannin of ripe and silky texture. Medium in alcohol, medium (+) body and medium intensity flavors of black fruit such as cassis, blackberry, plum and dark cherries, sweet spice of cloves, floral notes of violet, animal notes of meaty. The wine has a medium (+) finish.

Conclusion

Very good quality high-priced Margaux with typical characters, the nose is reasonably intense with good complexity, with the palate demonstrating the famous elegance of the wines of the commune, though the flavors are simpler comparatively. Good balance and in harmony, the wine has structured and fair concentration, plus a fairly long finish. It is ready to drink now though can further develop for another 3-5 years. 

Chateau Leoville Las-Cases

The Leoville estate was one of the oldest in Medoc, centred around a mound of gravel, beginning in 1638. It was the Moytie family that first planted vines here, and through marriage the estate then passed into the hands of Blaise Antoine Alexandre de Gascq, who was influential and wealthy. When he died without heir, the estate was inherited by four family members, the Marquis de Las-Cases-Beauvoir, his brother and sisters.

During the French Revolution the Marquis fled France, and the property was sequestered, resulting in the division of the estate. Initially only one quarter was sold off, becoming the origin of Leoville-Barton, while the remaining was still under the family.In 1815 the Marquis was succeeded by his son Pierre-Jean, inheriting the majority, with only a smaller stake going to his sister, which was formalized in 1840 to become Leoville-Poyferre.

Pierre-Jean’s holdings which cover half of the original estate, became the current Leoville-Las-Cases. During the 1855 classification all three of the Leoville estates were classed deuxiemes crus. Leoville-Las-Cases remained in the Las-Cases family thereafter, passing first to Pierre-Jean’s son Adolphe, then to the next generation, who decided to form a holding company because of different interests and risk of splitting.

Clothilde became the biggest shareholder, having eight of the twenty shares, with the rest bought up by wealthy members of local wine trade, including Theophile Skawinski, who was the general manager then. Theophile poured his heart and soul to the property, before passing to his son-in-law Andre Delon.

With time the Delon family acquired more shares of Las-Cases, until they became the majority shareholders, taking control of the estate. Andre is succeeded by his grandson Michel, and then to the current incumbent Jean-Hubert.

The vineyards lie in the northernmost tip of St-Julien appellation, abutting the Gironde, separated from Chateau Latour only by the Juillac, the stream draining into the Gironde. Unlike the other Leoville, Las-Cases is largely concentrated in a single block, the Grand Clos, a walled vineyard, with a stone archway surmounted by the lion of Las-Cases.

The estate covers 100 hectares, of which half is in the Grand Clos, with another significant portion on the other side of D2, mingling with the Barton and Poyferre vineyards. There is a 5 hectare vineyard named Petit Clos to the south, and another 7 hectares cleared of woodland and planted by Michel Delon, purchased from Ronald Barton.

The vineyards are planted with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, with average vine age of 30 years. The fruit is harvested by hand, before transported to the chai where the berries are destemmed before a gentle pressing, and then fermented under temperature control conditions in a mix of wooden, cement and stainless steel vats.

The vessels vary in size, allowing for small-plot fermentation, and pumping over is done to submerge the cap, with a maceration between 2-3 weeks. The wine is then pumped to the chai to oak barrels of which 50-100% are new depending on vintage, to vinify the grand vin Chateau Leoville-Las-Cases, with about 25% would go to the second wine Clos du Marquis.

The wine will be aged up to 20 months and are fined using egg white before filtered and bottled. The glass at the base of the bottle is laser-etched with data specific to the wine to fight against fraud. The second Clos du Marquis is in fact not just sourced from young vines or rejected fruit, but from a dedicated section of vineyard quite separate from the Grand Clos to the west.

Many regarded Las-Cases as the most impressive of the three estates, the pre-eminent estate in all St-Julien, and the first and most tangible challenger to the first growths.

I have recently tasted the 2004 vintage and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, it has deep ruby color, with paler rims and legs.

Nose

Clean, with medium (+) intensity aromas of black fruit such as cassis, plum and blackberry, kernel notes of chocolate, maturity notes of savory and tobacco, pungent spice of licorice, sweet spice of cloves, oak notes of cedar. The wine is developing.

Palate

Dry with medium acidity, the wine has medium (+) tannin which is ripe and velvety. Medium in alcohol, it has medium (+) body and medium intensity flavors of black fruit such as cassis, blackberry and plum, pungent spice of licorice, kernel notes of chocolate, oak notes of vanilla and cedar. The wine has a medium (+) finish.

Conclusion

Very good quality Bordeaux left bank, showing good intensity on the nose with complex characters, the palate is elegant and structured, with good balance of fruit and tannin, demonstrating how well the terroir and the style of the St-Julien commune to the full extent. With good concentration and a fairly long length, it is ready to drink now though can further develop for another 3-5 years. 

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars is started by political-science lecturer Warren Winiarski, who decided to move to Napa Valley to pursue his dream of winemaking. He started as a cellar rat at Sonoma’s Souverain Cellars, and subsequently went to Robert Mondavi Winery.

He gained a lot of experience and decided to own his own vineyard, so in 1970 he bought 18 hectares in what became Stags Leap District and planted Cabernet Sauvignon, calling it Stag’s Leap Vineyard (SLV), with first vintage at 1972. The next year he made 1800 cases and aged them in new but lightly toasted French oak for 21 months, based on the advice of Andre Tchelistcheff, a great winemaker.

This 1973 vintage was later chosen by Steven Spurrier in the later Judgment of Paris tasting in 1976, and received the highest number of points, outsourcing Mouton Rothschild and Haut-Brion. The report was printed in Time magazine and started the world’s attention of California wines.

Winiarski admired the wines from his adjoining neighbor, Nathan Fay of the Fay vineyard, and was able to buy it in 1986, producing the first vintage in 1990. Whereas SLV has some Merlot in the field, Fay is almost all Cabernet Sauvignon, except for a few rows of Petit Verdot.

The winery however did produce other wines including some Chardonnay, but the heart is the two Cabernet vineyards. These vineyards are both of volcanic soil towards the slopes of the Palisades, and alluvial soils on the flatter land where the winery is located.

The wines from the flatter sector have more softness and flesh, while those higher up have greater concentration. The Fay is usually more perfumed and delicate, while the SLV more robust and structured. The grapes from the two vineyards are picked and vinified separately.

There is a third Cabernet called Artemis, which is a blend of about one-third estate fruit with two-thirds purchased fruit. In the great 1974 vintage Warren found one batch of wine he liked so much that he bottled is separately, calling it Cask 23, thereafter becoming a policy that in outstanding years, to produce a blend that reflected the best vintage.

This wine, Cask 23, is typically only of 1000 to 2000 cases, produced in best years. The best wines could age very well, as proven when the 1973 Cabernet was re-tasted in 2006. In 2007 Warren decided to sell the company, to a partnership between the Tuscan Antinori and Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington State.

Warren still lives on the property and takes an active part in promoting the wines. Now the chief winemaker is Nikki Pruss, who was preceded by Michael Silacci, who is now at Opus One.

I have recently tasted the 2000 vintage of Cask 23 and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, it has medium ruby color, with garnet rims and legs.

Nose

Clean, with medium (+) intensity of black fruit such as blackcurrant and blackberry, oak notes of smoke and cedar, mineral notes of earth and lead, maturity notes of savory, sweet spice of cloves, pungent spice of licorice, kernel notes of toasted almond. The wine is developing.

Palate

Dry with medium acidity, the wine has medium (+) tannin of ripe and silky texture. Medium (+) in alcohol, it has medium (+) body and medium (+) intensity flavors of black fruit such as cassis and blackberry, oak notes of smoke and cedar, sweet spice of cloves, maturity notes of sweet tobacco and game, pungent spice of licorice. The wine has a medium (+) finish.

Conclusion

Very good quality high-priced Napa Cabernet Sauvignon with intense nose of high complexity, the wine demonstrating the top-notch California Cabernet and illustrated how it can compete with the best in the Old World. Elegant yet in firm structure, the wine has perfect balance, with concentrated palate and a long finish. Ready to drink now, it is at its peak now but can still be kept for another 3-5 years.