Tag: Bordeaux

Ever wanted to buy Bordeaux, but not sure where to start?

The 2017 vintage is about to be sold En Primeur, which is a great way to start your collection. We have put together an introduction to En Primeur which can be found here. This introduction and our knowledge will not only ensure you the best Bordeaux in your cellar, you can purchase with complete confidence from Glengarry.

Glengarry have sold fine wines via the En Primeur system since 1983; our first offering was in fact the super 1982 vintage, an auspicious starting point.  Selling En Primeur certainly went hand-in-hand with the importation of wine into New Zealand, but it was not until the early 1980s that wine could legitimately enter New Zealand from elsewhere. Glengarry was the first to get involved with selecting fine wines from around the world and bringing that world to the palates of New Zealanders.

With our longstanding relationships and our experience honed over 30-odd years, we are old hands at this, and once again we made the commitment to ensure you the best service and advice, I will be in Bordeaux to taste the 2017 vintage next week . Follow me on Twitter (@lizziewine) or our Facebook and this blog.

We have a dedicated En Primeur website – www.enprimeur.co.nz. Register there to get regular updates, offers and information. Once registered you can also prepare a wish list of wines you are interested in.

St Nesbit Vertical Tasting

On Tuesday night we were very privileged to host Dr Tony Molloy QC, and his son Sam for a spectacular vertical tasting of St Nesbit, one of New Zealand’s finest, and most interesting wines. The line-up spanned an impressive 11 vintages, from the inaugural 1984, through to the final 2011 vintage.

The vineyard was established in 1980 by Tony and his wife Petra, on 11 hectares of land on the Hingaia Peninsula. It lay in the shelter of the Drury Hills at Karaka about 30km south of Auckland City. Almost completed surrounded by an estuary of the Manukau Harbour and incredibly free draining, they originally found the site after a gilder pilot friend had said he couldn’t fly over due to the intense thermals.

The intention was to produce a Bordeaux style wine of a quality level well above anything seen in New Zealand at the time. Tony had no formal winemaking training, he was armed only with a 5000 page, multi volume winemaking guide in French, which he found in an old bookshop during a trip to Bordeaux.

Glengarry Wines St Nesbit Tasting

Right from the beginning they employed techniques unknown in New Zealand. Wide and short open topped fermenters that were cooled by bore water. Fermentation was entirely through indigenous yeasts. A wooden lattice grid was designed to keep the cap totally submerged, meaning no need to plunge the skins and reduced oxidation. Therefore he used no sulphur at all during the process, to the great surprise of other winemakers. An unheard of 100% new French Oak was employed, and extended time in barrel of 2-3yrs.  At the time they were the largest importer of new barrels in the country, with around 80 a year. Montana was the second biggest, with two barrels! This was at a time where most wineries were still using barrels that were brought over from Europe 40yrs prior.

They only made one wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend which Tony named after his late Grandfather, NZ cricket Captain Nesbit Sneddon.  As Tony explained, “In the canon law of the Catholic Church three miracles are required of a prospective saint. We got things a little back-to-front, in that we canonised Nesbit and then waited for the miracles to turn up by way of confirmation. They duly did as our first three vintages produced two gold medals plus the trophy for the top high-priced red wine at the Royal Easter Show.” Only around 3000 bottles were produced of each vintage, so it has always been a rare treat to come across one of these wines.

Glengarry Wines St Nesbit Tasting

The iconic label, with its picture of the family home, had its layout and typeface shamelessly stolen from Bordeaux Chateau Pontet-Canet. The classic design has stood the test of time and changed little over the years, something other NZ wineries should take note of. They also kept them back, not releasing a vintage until they felt it was starting to drink well.

We were lucky enough this evening to taste many of the wines from the original vineyard. 1984, 1987, 1989, 1990 and 1991. The 1984 and 1987 were both well past their peak but still enjoyable, and would be lovely with dinner if you like mature wines. 1989 had more fruit remaining, interestingly this vintage was Merlot dominant. The 1990 and 1991 were drinking very well. None of the older vintages fell over and were still looking very nice at the end of the night.

Glengarry Wines St Nesbit Tasting

Unfortunately at this time leaf roll virus had spread across the vineyards, and they were forced to remove them entirely. Deciding that Cabernet Sauvignon was not the right variety for the site, they took the opportunity to replant with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. These were low vigour rootstock and planted in very high densities. St Nesbit was in fact the first to import Petit Verdot into New Zealand, an extremely frustrating and time consuming process dealing with government departments.

After a decade long hiatus, the first vintage from the new vines was the fabulous 2002. This was 60% Merlot, 25% Petit Verdot and 15% Cabernet Franc. For me this wine is now drinking fantastically but will continue to hold. It shows all the elements that makes St Nesbit so special, Soft and elegant with warm savoury fruit, beautiful texture, lots of complexity, and even more character.

Glengarry Wines St Nesbit Tasting

We also tried the 2003 which was never released by the family, as they didn’t think the quality was high enough. Yet in one of the mysteries of wine, this came around in the bottle years later and is now looking very good.  The final vintages tasted were the 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011. All were looking excellent, 2011 still needs plenty of time before I’d approach this for drinking at home. There is very little of the 2011 in the market as the family kept around half the production for their own future enjoyment.

They did make a 2010, which Sam described as being the greatest harvest they had ever seen. Having tasted it earlier this week, the wine is magnificent. With over three years in new oak it reminds me of a great Gran Riserva Rioja. It’s still a bit closed and the oak needs more time to integrate, so it will not be released until 2020 when it should really be hitting its stride. A fitting end to the St Nesbit story.

Glengarry Wines St Nesbit Tasting

Unfortunately urban sprawl had finally made its way to Karaka. For twenty five years the Molloy family were the third house from the motorway off ramp, now there are over 2000 in between. With neighbours who didn’t appreciate birdshot landing in their washing, and skyrocketing rates, it was unsustainable to continue. For those lucky enough to have vintages of St Nesbit in their cellars, these wines will thankfully continue to bring enjoyment for decades to come.

Alvaro Palacios | New arrivals at Glengarry Wines

Just before Christmas, Glengarry Wines landed a container of wines from Spain, which included a selection of wines from Alvaro Palacios.

Alvaro Palacios, Decanter’s Man of the Year 2015 and the recipient of the 2016 Winemakers’ Winemaker Award by the Institute of Masters of Wine and The Drinks Business; an award bestowed upon someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of winemaking. The winner is chosen by a panel of winemaking peers, including all winemaking Masters of Wine as well as past winners of the prestigious award. Previous winners include Peter Sisseck of Dominio de Pingus (2011), Peter Gago of Penfolds (2012), Paul Draper of Ridge (2013), the late Anne-Claude Leflaive of Domaine Leflaive (2014) and Egon Müller from Egon Müller Scharzhof (2015).

Palacios, one of nine children (his parents were the owners of Palacios Remondo in Rioja), studied oenology in Bordeaux, while working at Chateau Pétrus under Jean-Pierre Moueix. He could have returned to work for the family business in Rioja, but he chose instead to apply his winemaking knowledge to revive the largely abandoned, ancient vineyards of Priorat. He bought his first vineyard, Finca Dofí, in 1990 and in 1993 he identified a Garnacha vineyard on well-drained schist (planted between 1900 and 1940). Palacios named it L’Ermita and it’s now regarded as the “crown jewel” of the Priorat property. In 1998, Palacios expanded to Bierzo, founding Descendientes de J. Palacios (named after Palacios’ father) with his nephew.

Amongst the selection are two new wines from Alvaro: a new Rioja and Priorat, both made in tiny quantities; we are delighted to have these rare gems here. As Glengarry Wines have all wines on sale this month, these are included, though I must say, I wish they were not, as it seems incredulous to be selling these wines in a sale.

DESCENDIENTES DE J PALACIOS PETALOS 2015

The small plots of old Mencia vines clinging to their slopes produce an intense floral nose that casts a lush veil over the savoury characters lying beneath. Earthy notes and vibrant acidity give way to round, luscious fruit. A seductive, early-drinking style.

Now $25.99

ALVARO PALACIOS CAMINS DEL PRIORAT 2016

Now predominatly Garnacha, a direction that Alvaro is looking to take for his Priorat wines. 35% Garnacha, 25% Cariñena, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 10% Merlot, aged in French oak barrels and bottled unfiltered. Dense plum and berry aromas are embellished by notes of spice and pepper. The ripe fruit flavours, oak and tannins are beautifully integrated and enhanced by a silky, savoury texture. Delicious, long flavoured, very approachable. This is the entry level wine for Alvaro’s range in Priorat, a great place to start.

Now $25.99

ALVARO PALACIOS LES AUBAGUETES 2015 DOCa

The newest wine in Alvaro’s Priorat range, Aubaguetes will sit in the range nestled between Dofi and L’Ermita. The grapes for this come off a very old north facing, steep (as they tend to be in Priorat) vineyard with a shady exposition. The vineyard has exceptionally old vines and is located within the municipality of Bellmunt. The predominant grape is Garnacha, with a little Samso in the blend. The total production for this is tiny, hundreds of bottles, not thousands. We are very lucky to have a small quantity of these in New Zealand.

94/100 “Alvaro Palacios Les Aubaguetes 2015 is a deep purple colour. Seductively floral, blackcurrant aromas. The palate opens with a blast of fruit juice, and then the Samso comes through with clear, blueberry intensity . Very approachable now.” – Sarah Jane Evans, MW

Now $329.99

 ALVARO PALACIOS QUINON DE VALMIRA 2015

A total of 2,000 bottles of this wine were produced; this is the newest Rioja wine from Alvaro Palacio. Alvaro is very committed to restoring areas of Rioja Baja to how they were, recovering old plots of Garnarcha and showing the exceptional wines that this area in Rioja can produce. The vineyard Quinón de Valmira, is located on Monte Yerga overlooking the Ebro Valley, in the Alfaro area near the winery. In the 11th century, a group of monks reached this area, sitting 615 metres above sea level and founded a Cistercian settlement. This wine is made from 100% Garnarcha.

“First fruits of Alvaro Palacios’ labours to restore Rioja Baja’s traditional Garnachas to glory. Bush vines, grown at 615m, at the limit of ripening. Shallow red clay soil over calcium carbonate. Alvaro Palacios Quiñon de Valmira 2015 is a pale garnet colour with gloriously floral aromas. Equally seductive palate superbly ripe with a lift of orange peel and grain of dark chocolate. Very refined; Pinot-like.  A great beginning; a vineyard to watch.” – Sarah Jane Evans, MW

Now $425.00

ALVARO PALACIOS L’ERMITA 2015

The pinnicle of Alvaro’s range in Priorat, L’Ermita was first produced in 1993 and is one of the most exceptional Garnacha’s in the world. Aged in new French barriques for around 20 months, the concentration of the fruit ensures you don’t feel the oak in this wine.

“Alvaro Palacios said at the London en primeur tasting: ‘L’Ermita is the caprichosa, the spoiled baby. L’Ermita’s soil is cold, and it’s harvested late: on 5 November in 2013 and 28 October in 2015. We harvest late because of the temperature of the soil, which has 2 diagonal areas of granite running through it. And we have 200 different vineyard plots. Like La Faraona [Bierzo] and Valmira [Rioja], it is grown at the limit – which means it is a spellbinding wine, a fresh wine out of one of the warmest places.’ Alvaro Palacios L’Ermita 2015 has a dense dark purple core with pinkish edge in colour. Generous brambly aromas. The palate arrives silky and smooth with bright acidity and dancing freshness. Strikingly cool and elegant, with a very fine texture. Superb finish, full of promise for a terrific future ahead of it.” – Sarah Jane Evans, MW

Now $950.0

Prices valid for the month of January 2018. While stocks last.

Why you should buy so-called lesser vintages.

We are so well conditioned to seek out the best vintages, the super stars, those that the media rave about and generally that’s not a bad thing. When it comes to buying Bordeaux though, the ‘rule’ book needs rewriting as buying only the best vintages may just leave you dry between great bottles.
There’s much to consider. Firstly, wines from the great vintages of Bordeaux are meant to be aged, this is a region that can (and does) produce some of the most long lived fine wines in the world. Wines that have an abundance of tannins, brilliant bright acidity and a superb concentration of fruit. All things that are essential for long term ageing. When we talk long term ageing for Bordeaux, think 40 – 50 years or so. Now, depending on your current age (no disrespect meant), this may prove a challenge, unless of course you are purchasing to build a cellar to hand down the generations. Wines from lesser vintages do mature earlier, though keeping in the context of Bordeaux require 10 – 15 years to develop gorgeous aged characters.

The next relevant point to note is the expertise of this region and the selection that goes into the Grand Vins. The quantity made of these top wines is not what it used to be, there’s significantly less, all with the aim of ensuring that the top wines are of the very best quality. So, in years where the media does not go mad about the vintage and write such bold statements as ‘the greatest ever’, ‘the best in the decade’, the top châteaux are still going to produce excellent wines, there’s just likely to be less of them.

Last week, we hosted a tasting of First Growths from the 2014 vintage, tasting four of the classified first growths from the left bank: Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild, Margaux and Haut-Brion, together with the right bank pair, Pétrus and Lafleur. A very well attended tasting that we were very much looking forward to hosting. At the beginning of the night there was much discussion around the room about the 2014 vintage, many comments that it would be interesting, though not as great as 2009 or 2010. This is of course true, the 2014 vintage is not as good as either of these and, in fact, I’d rate it slightly behind the 2016 vintage that we’ve recently been selling En Primeur.

2014 was a relatively small vintage with inconsistent flowering. It was then extremely wet through July and August. Heading off on holiday at the end of August, many châteaux were nervous. September and October were then warm and dry. This provided a long ripening period which Cabernet loves. 2014 is a year best summed up as classic; generally, the wines are lower in alcohol, most around 12.5% and they are balanced, with beautiful freshness.
The wines looked brilliant and showed very distinctive appellation and châteaux personalities. It’s one of the things I really like about the 2014 vintage (2015 has it too), you can taste the character of the area and châteaux, more than the vintage.

The wines were in fact so good that by the next morning we had sold out of every last bottle of Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild, Margaux, Haut-Brion, Pétrus and Lafleur we had from the 2014 vintage. The stock we had should have easily seen us through to next year.

Bordeaux Blanc tasting review

Bordeaux Blanc at Glengarry Victoria Park review by Regan.
I recently hosted a tasting of the recently landed 2014 vintage from Bordeaux. The unusual aspect to this event, was that they were all white wines. Bordeaux is one of the finest red wine regions in the world, but it is often overlooked for the quality of its superb dry whites, which easily stand shoulder to shoulder with the greatest white wines of the world. Around 10% of the total production in Bordeaux is white wine, including the great sweet wines of Barsac and Sauternes.

Until the mid 20th century though, most people would be surprised to learn that around 50% of all wine produced in Bordeaux was white. Most of the vineyards were replanted with red varieties that were better suited to the terroir, after the great frost of 1956 that devastated the region. At this tasting we were just looking at the upper echelon of the region, primarily from the clay limestone soils of Pessac-Leognan, an appellation in the northern part of Graves.

The 2014 vintage had an Indian summer of record highs and sunshine in September/October, producing dry whites with generous fruit like the exotically tropical Château Carbonnieux Blanc. The top estates harvested late, and managed to keep their precise acidity, with beautiful crisp freshness and minerality we found in Larrivet Haut-Brion Blanc. This was a really outstanding flight of wines, right from the piercing Château Oliver Blanc ($50), through to the extremely rare Vin Blanc de Palmer ($400). I’ve already grabbed a number for my own cellar as these are wines with a very long life ahead. You can drink them now if you wish but they’ll continue to improve over the next two decades. We coincidentally drank the 1983 R de Rieussec at the Old Bottle Dinner the week earlier, and it was fantastic at 34 years of age.

Despite the presence of two dry whites from outstanding Sauternes estates Suduiraut and d’Yquem, the Palmer was a real showstopper. A miniscule 1200 bottles were made of this special wine, the first vintage it’s been available to anyone but the owners or guests of the Château. It’s produced from the same varieties that were found in two bottles of 1925 Blanc presented to Château Palmer by a French collector in the late 1990s. After analysis, they replanted and the wine is now made from approximately 50% Muscadelle, 35% Loset, and 15% Sauvignon Gris. With 17 months on lees in 20% new oak, this is a most unusual wine that would be extremely difficult to identify the region from. This is an outstanding and unique white, that only qualifies as Vin de France ( the absolute lowest level of French wine classification). This is due to the Loset being outside the appellation rules. A special wine to hunt out.

Bordeaux 2014 – now in bottle and in NZ

The Bordeaux 2014 vintage is the latest to arrive on the world market. Each vintage in Bordeaux is picked over with a fine-tooth comb and seems to garner more attention than any other wine region. It is, after all, very large, with a history and reputation to match. While the rest of the world are certainly no slouches in the winemaking department, Bordeaux continues to occupy an almost unassailable position of grand mystique and self-perpetuating prestige, thanks in no small part to the locals’ own canny ability to promote themselves via their natural Gallic confidence in their product.

So what was the 2014 vintage like? After the dynamic duo of 2009 and 2010, widely acclaimed as the greatest pair of vintages ever in Bordeaux (a position possibly initially instigated by the locals themselves), every vintage since would have had to climb something the size of Everest just to be noticed. The elegant 2011 was always doomed, then, as that level of hype just wasn’t sustainable. The following 2012 was a very solid vintage, one for early enjoyment, while 2013 was the kind of vintage that no one wants to talk about. Particularly the locals. So what, then, of the 2014?
Early weather conditions in Bordeaux were not great, flowering was inconsistent and the resulting volumes down. Fortunately, a long, hot September and October provided just what was required and the vintage was rescued. This lengthy warm spell was particularly good for the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, with Cabernet a variety that needs a decent amount of time on the vine to ensure ripeness. Merlot did not fare quite as well, its predominantly clay-heavy soils retaining much of the moisture bestowed earlier in the vintage. The moisture did provide ideal conditions for botrytis, thus 2014 is an excellent vintage for the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac.

Acidity and freshness are key characteristics of the 2014 vintage. The red wines have good balance, tension and character. Tasting through a range of the 2014s, the various characters of the differing appellations voice their presence with confidence and strength. The Bordeaux white wines benefit from the fresh acidity and have a wonderful vibrancy.
Is there a comparable reference point for the 2014 vintage? Not as great as the 2009 or 2010, of course, but neither are the wines as expensive as those vintages. The 2014s are most definitely better than the 2011, 2012 or 2013 vintages. Stylistically, there are comparisons that can be drawn with the 2004 and 2008 vintages. They represent great value, given their relatively high quality is unaccompanied by Everest pricing.

The History of En Primeur

The process of selling En Primeur is not as long-established as you might think. A little history: The role of the négociant in Bordeaux is intertwined with the region in many ways; initially establishing themselves in the region, they were first and foremost businessmen, though not from Bordeaux itself. The early négociants were of German, English and Dutch origin. Regarded by the châteaux as outsiders, it became necessary to employ a middle-man, giving rise to the role of the courtier, i.e. one who acted as intermediary between the buyer and the seller. At this time négociants bought wine in cask, immediately after the grapes had been vinified; the négociant would then blend and bottle the wine. It was not until the 1920s that Philippe de Rothschild led the charge to change this system, with his the first château to bottle the wine within the estate. He quickly convinced all the first growths to follow suit. The négociants continued to purchase the wine immediately upon vinification, but instead left it with the château to look after and bottle. Initially only involving the five first growths, in 1967 all of the classified growths were required to estate bottle, with all French wines following shortly after. The négociants carried all the costs of these stocks and aged them until they were ready for sale. It was not until the financially hard times of 1974 that, to relieve some financial pressure, they began to sell the wines to retailers globally while still in barrel at the châteaux, marking the birth of the En Primeur system we know today.

We have recently published our complete guide to En Primeur 2016, you can download a copy here

A surprise in Listrac

Chateau Fourcas Hosten has certainly gone through a fair amount of change over the last 11 years. Located in the centre of Listrac, its history dates to 1810 when Mr Hosten inherited the vineyards and created Chateau Fourcas Hosten.

 

Ownership changed in 2006 when Renaud and Laurent Mommeja purchased the estate. Their background with Hermes, brings not only experience, the financial means but a huge amount of passion for excellence, which they have instilled in Fourcas Hosten.

Three major projects were undertaken since 2008, old plots in the vineyard have been restored; the winery, barrel cellar and storage facilities have all been full renovated; the House has been renovated and is spectacular. So, what’s the wine like?

Fourcas Hosten is something that we used to import and that I’d not tasted for years, it always represented great value. With the technology and expertise this Chateau now have and the already renowned terroir in the Listrac area, the wines have stepped up to new levels and impressed me a lot. This is not a Chateau in the super star appellations of the Medoc, it is through a winery that punches well above its weight and over delivers.

The 2016 is as you’d expect for the vintage superb. We also tasted back to the 2011. What impressed me with the tasting put on for us, was that we were not greeted with 2009 and 2010 wines, rather with 11 and 13 – the later a particularly challenging vintage. This chateau should be applauded for the confidence in showing these lesser vintages and for the wines they produced. Sure, the 2011 and 2013 were not as good as the 14 or 16 that we tasted, but they were very well made.

The 2012 showed how good this vintage is for early drinking. These are Merlot dominant wines, around 55%, the balance Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. There’s also a very smart white, 75% Sauvignon Blanc, with Sauvignon Gris and Semillon. The Blanc is made in tiny quantities, 4,000 bottles of the 2016 was produced, battonage and time in old oak give this impressive complexity.

A super enjoyable visit to FourcasHosten, the wines brilliant and lunch in the restored Chateau a treat.

 

Bordeaux En Primeur 2016

This year’s En Primeur campaign is just around the corner, Vintage 2016. This year fortunately looks to be following in the path of the 2015 vintage; whilst it is still early days, indications are that sensibility may just prevail. Now, if you’ve been an En Primeur customer for a while, you might be reading this and thinking ‘Yeah, right, we’ve heard that before.’ What is apparent and being confirmed day by day as the International media and trade taste in Bordeaux, the vintage is very good indeed. In fact, it appears that this vintage is one to make a song and dance about and to ensure you have in your cellar.

So what’s the talk of sensibility and comparison to the 2015 vintage? Similar to last year, whilst the vintage is looking to be exceptional, we are not seeing these statements in lights with grand claims that this is a vintage of a lifetime or such things. There is far more sensibility around how the vintage is being presented, as the reality is that the market is just not the same as when the 2009 and 2010 vintages were sold in vast quantities globally. The rise of the new markets and interest in Bordeaux through this period drove prices to new levels. Since then it has been a case of the market finding its balance once again.

Which of course leads to the next fascinating piece in this puzzle and where we need to see further sensible approaches. The prices for these wines are yet to be determined and time will tell as the Chateaux owners release their wines on the market. What we do know now is that these will need to be realistic and in line with the current market. Early conversation indicates this is where the vintage is heading.

 Putting all that aside, the 2016 by all reports is looking excellent. Of course, we are not going to take the reports for granted and will be presenting to you our views from tasting the wines. This year I will be tasting a little later in Bordeaux, tasting the week after Easter. I’m heading to Bordeaux with a full schedule of tastings over the week. I’ll be keeping you up to date with how the wines look on Twitter (#lizziewine). You’ll also be able to follow things via the Glengarry Facebook page and on our blog site – www.aboutwine.co.nz

 Our 2016 Vintage Report and recommendations will be online post my tastings and we’ll be back in touch as the wines start to be released.

If this is all new to you, do check out our En Primeur FAQ page or feel free to contact the team, who are all very happy to assist you with general En Primeur enquiries, preparing your wish list or anything else fine wine-related.

Bordeaux Grand Vin and their little brothers

Bordeaux is the epicentre of fine wine in the world. Located in France’s southwest, just north of the border with Spain and home to the greatest Cabernet and Merlot blends. Divided neatly into two parts by the Garonne River, the left side of the river, the Medoc, is Cabernet central. The Medoc wines from Margaux, St Julien, Pauillac and St Estèphe are usually Cabernet dominant and blended with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. On the right side of the river, the vineyards on the clay plateau of Pomerol and St Émilion are located around the town of Libourne. On the right side, soils are more suited to Merlot, which dominates the wines often blended with Cabernet Franc.

Blessed with a number of excellent vintages in the last 10 years, two that stand out are the 2009 and 2010 vintages. Together they are without doubt the greatest pair of vintages in Bordeaux ever. Both exceptional, they have different characters: the 2009 opulent and quite voluptuous; the 2010 vintage is brighter, lively and with a classic note. For two reasons, there’s a lot of merit in looking at the second wines of the great Châteaux and the Petit Châteaux . The investments and innovation in the production of Bordeaux are downright extensive; think glass lifts for the gentle wine movement, amphorae made from clay from the vineyard, optical grape sorters and the list does not stop there.  So with all these tools and an extensive historic knowledge, what happens in great vintages like 2009 and 2010? Simple really, Bordeaux at all levels of the market is quite exquisite. So it’s with that in mind that, when in Bordeaux recently, I tasted my way through a bucket load of wine to select for Glengarry an excellent range of second wines and Petit Châteaux  – hard work I know. We’ve then popped them together in a temperature controlled container and carefully shipped them all the way to NZ. So yes, you care buying directly from the importer, there’s no secret or additional margins here, just pure gold quality classic wines at exceptional prices.

Once you’ve tasted a few of these great wines, you’ll concur that referring to these as second wines seems somewhat unjust. Second inferring that they are not first, which reminds me of the Baron Philippe de Rothschild classic quote  – “Second I was, first I am, Mouton does not change”. Now he said that in 1973 in reference to being elevated from a second classified growth to a first growth. This change, one of only three ever done to the 1855 classification of the left bank of Bordeaux.  It is wines from this classification that are the big brothers, the greatest estates in the world. The little brothers, the second wines of these exquisite properties. The concept of second wines was initially created to improve the quality of the top wines, made usually with younger vines from the estate. Nowadays, these second wines are more an early drinking expression of the top wine than a second wine of the Château. All the second wines we have just landed in store are from the exceptional 2009 and 2010 vintages. Many of these are exceptional drinking right now and will also benefit from short to medium term cellaring – certainly less cellaring than the Grand Cru Classé from this vintage will require.