TN: Bordeaux wines while on Gironde estuary, Garonne and Dordogne rivers

I've been at my job for 25 years, and a some board members/supporters got t ogether and surprised Betsy and I with a trip a few months ago. Friday afte r T’giving was an overnight flight to CdG, then a quick flight to B ordeaux. We were met by reps from Viking cruises, and took bus to port wher e our ship waited Nice sunny day, we spent the afternoon doing some long wa lks around the city. Dinner was shipcured duck, salmon papillote, osso buco . The salmon was bland, the other dishes quite good. Overall food was quite tasty, with only a couple of misfires (a “roasted vegetable terrin e” that was a flavored cheese ball on top of roasted peppers was st range). Seafood quality was very good (oysters, mussels, seabass, a little lobster, crayfish- but no eel, which is a local specialty), meat was cooked correctly, etc.

Each meal included a white and a red Bordeaux (usually from area we were th at night). Nothing collectible or expensive, but decent 10-20 euro type win es

Whites

2015 Chai des Bordes Bordeaux Blanc Assume mostly SB, quite grassy but fresh, bright acids, light, grapefruit a nd catpee. B/B-

2012 Ch. de Chantegrive Blanc Fuller than most, seemingly more Semillon than others, ripe tropical fruit, nutty. Good, just needs a touch more acid. B

2014 Ch. Moulin de Launay (Entre des Mers) Bright, easy, citrus and grass. Simple but quite tasty. B

2014 Cuvee Clemence Cheval Quancard Floral, some oak, good length. B

2011 De la Grave Grains Fins (Cotes de Bourg) Not sure I’d ever had a Bourg white before. Vanilla, somewhat clums y oak, almond and lemon. I think server said all Semillon. C+

2014 Cheval Quancard Reserve Pit fruits, oak, good acids. B/B-

2015 Ch. Pouyanne (Graves) Bright, fresh, grapefruit and peach with grassy accents. With Cap Ferret oy sters, great match. B+

Reds

2012 Chai des Bordes Bordeaux Red plum, leather, mild tannin, soft acid, short C+

2012 Ch. des Reuilles Some cassis, soft, a little vanilla. B/B-

2010 Ch. Lauzette (Haut Medoc) Some grip, blackcurrant and a little smoke, sturdy. B

2012 Haut Logat (Haut Medoc) This was the blind wine in a tasting challenge. Fun format (though I though t not best questions) for a big group (60-70 people)- two choices each ques tion, straight elimination. It was down to about 5 of us when question was

12 or 15 months oak aging, 4 of us opted for 12 and were eliminated. :( Black plum, a bit of oak, tobacco. B

2010 Ch. Canteloup Big, good tannic/acid balance, long finish. B/B+

Vintage? Cheval Quancard Reserve Plump, ripe, oaky. B-

2012 de Marsan (Castillon) Quite popular, but I thought short and clipped, and even wondered if corked (at a restaurant in Cap Ferret, not on ship) C+ if correct

One night there was a Sauternes as well, the 2012 Lafleur Mallet. Not too i mpressive- fruit cocktail, soft,rather short. C+

Each day had excursions (walking or motorcoach). On the penultimate full da y, group divided into 3 groups on motorcoachs. After a tour of the Medoc fr om St Estephe down (fun to see so many chateaux I’d been drinking f or years) my coach ended up at Ch. Giscours (I was happy, preferred to othe r buses going to Marquis du Terme and Prieure Lichine). Very good tour guid e, nice tour of the winery, and then a short tasting

I neglected the vintage on the Ch. Duthil, a Haut Medoc from same owner as Giscours. Bright, higher acid, plummy, but not very long. B-/C+

2010 La Sirene du Giscours Light touch of vanilla, black plum and cassis, modest finish, some tannin s till. B

2010 Ch. Giscours I had thought the 2009 Giscours overripe and overoaked, but this showed ver y well though young. Rich, deep, fleshy blackcurrant and blackberry, hint o f leather. Needs time but very nice Margaux in a “mid-modern? ? style. A-

Then on to Ch. Kirwan for a dinner. With onion soup, the 2015 Signatures (B dx Blanc). Citrus, grass, a little quincey note, soft. B-/C+

2012 Les Charmes de Kirwan Redder fruit, some spice, tasty and easy. B

1995 Ch. Kirwan Some didn’t like, but after a week of young Bordeaux I was happy to have something with tertiary notes. Black plum, cedar, tobacco, moderate l ength, resolved and ready. B+

Overall, a fun week. If I had planned better I’d have hit a wine st ore in city of Bordeaux first day (free corkage). The overall Viking river cruise experience was very good. I have no desire to go on an ocean cruise, but this - a new town every day with lots of time to walk and explore- was fun. We did one “supplemental” excursion, a trip to Arcach on/Cap Ferret where we did a boat ride around Ile aux Oiseaux, visited an o yster farmer (fascinating), etc

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a p arty where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivi ty, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.

Reply to
DaleW
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to have something with tertiary notes. Black plum, cedar, tobacco, moderate length, resolved and ready. B+

This one I had a couple of (diff. vintage) and I thought it was very good. The usual winestore stopped having it though. it's also stopping with most of my go-to bordeaux (ch. tivoli, latour carnet, ch. guerry, ch. gramond), because bertrand is selling out a lot of vineyards and changing his distrib ution scheme. I found Ch. Cantemerle there but its only random whether they get them or n ot. So now I have to find replacements...

Reply to
Michael Nielsen

together and surprised Betsy and I with a trip a few months ago. Friday af ter T’giving was an overnight flight to CdG, then a quick flight to Bordeaux. We were met by reps from Viking cruises, and took bus to port wh ere our ship waited Nice sunny day, we spent the afternoon doing some long walks around the city. Dinner was shipcured duck, salmon papillote, osso bu co. The salmon was bland, the other dishes quite good. Overall food was qui te tasty, with only a couple of misfires (a “roasted vegetable terr ine” that was a flavored cheese ball on top of roasted peppers was strange). Seafood quality was very good (oysters, mussels, seabass, a littl e lobster, crayfish- but no eel, which is a local specialty), meat was cook ed correctly, etc.

that night). Nothing collectible or expensive, but decent 10-20 euro type w ines

and catpee. B/B-

t, nutty. Good, just needs a touch more acid. B

msy oak, almond and lemon. I think server said all Semillon. C+

oysters, great match. B+

ght not best questions) for a big group (60-70 people)- two choices each qu estion, straight elimination. It was down to about 5 of us when question wa s 12 or 15 months oak aging, 4 of us opted for 12 and were eliminated. :(

ed (at a restaurant in Cap Ferret, not on ship) C+ if correct

impressive- fruit cocktail, soft,rather short. C+

day, group divided into 3 groups on motorcoachs. After a tour of the Medoc from St Estephe down (fun to see so many chateaux I’d been drinking for years) my coach ended up at Ch. Giscours (I was happy, preferred to ot her buses going to Marquis du Terme and Prieure Lichine). Very good tour gu ide, nice tour of the winery, and then a short tasting

s Giscours. Bright, higher acid, plummy, but not very long. B-/C+

ery well though young. Rich, deep, fleshy blackcurrant and blackberry, hint of leather. Needs time but very nice Margaux in a “mid-modern? ?? style. A-

(Bdx Blanc). Citrus, grass, a little quincey note, soft. B-/C+

to have something with tertiary notes. Black plum, cedar, tobacco, moderate length, resolved and ready. B+

store in city of Bordeaux first day (free corkage). The overall Viking rive r cruise experience was very good. I have no desire to go on an ocean cruis e, but this - a new town every day with lots of time to walk and explore- w as fun. We did one “supplemental” excursion, a trip to Arca chon/Cap Ferret where we did a boat ride around Ile aux Oiseaux, visited an oyster farmer (fascinating), etc

e, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice.Furthermore, I offer no promises of objecti vity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.

Nice trip! Thanks for the notes. FWIW, I didn't care for the Lamprey but I had a plate of tiny fried eels at the Lion d'Or in Arcins that were fanta stic.

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Bi!!

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