Located in France, Bordeaux is a wine region that is halfway between the North Pole and the equator. It stretches along the estuary in Gironde and the great Atlantic Ocean. Probably the most respected region on the planet, Bordeaux follows along the Dordogne and Gironde Rivers with nearly 120,000 hectares of grapevines. Bordeaux is the second largest region in the world, second only to Languedoc. Over 700 million bottles of wine are produced in Bordeaux each year. The wines produced range from expensive and prestigious reds and whites to everyday jug and table wines. There are 9,000 wineries in Bordeaux, These are called, “chateaux.” Bordeaux has 57 appellations. The soil in Bordeaux is quite heavy with calcium, and comes from limestone. The soil in Bordeaux is composed of clay, sandy stone, and gravel. The best wines in Bordeaux are produced in and around the Gironde River coming from soils that have been well-drained. The majority of grapes that are grown in Bordeaux are for red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. 50% of the grapes grown in the region are Merlot. Wineries all over the world strive to make wines in the Bordeaux style with blends of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.
Potensac Medoc is made from 44% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.
The estate's Grand Vin's vineyards are located west of the village of Ordonnac where the vines grow on gravelly-clay soiils. They produce a very fine wine with tight texture, richness and wonderful freshness. On the palate, the wine is pure and powerful, with great concentration, dense and spicy tannins, and mineral tension. Fresh and full-flavored with ripe black fruits, and a finish of great depth. Thanks to these qualities, Château Potensac is often considered to represent the "pure Medoc style". It should be noted that Potensac was the only "Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel" of its appellation, and certainly one of the most persistent ever produced at this stage.
Roby Loupiac Semillon is made from 100% Sémillon.
This two-hectare estate is run by Colette Larriaut who inherited from her parents Jean and Denise Boutet. Colette focuses on traditional winegrowing and winemaking methods and keeps the passion and precision required to produce great sweet wines.
Château Roby Loupiac is built over time. More time is allowed to ferment and mature in order to produce a wine of character, a sweet wine marrying candied fruits, white fruits and white flowers with a remarkable freshness. The finish is long and very pleasant.
Loupiac is a very good alternative to Sauternes. It is less sweet and syrupy and has a nice balance and a delicious mouthfeel.
RS is around 60gr/L
Excellent with Foie Gras and Blue Cheese, but also with dessert and particularly with dark chocolate based cake.
Saint Pierre Saint Julien is made from 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot.
Chateau Saint-Pierre Saint-Julien 4th Grand Cru Classé boasts a rich and brilliant purple color, a complex aromatic expression marked by beautiful ripe fruits combined with soft spices, chocolate and licorice nuances. Well-balanced and a good texture, the palate is round and subtle, supported by velvety tannins that enhance the elegant and pure character of this Saint Julien.
Review:
"Very pretty and typical for the appellation with aromas of blackcurrants, violets and sandalwood that follow through to a full body with layers of polished tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Lasts a long time on the palate. Classic structure. Drink after 2027."
- James Suckling (January 2022), 96 pts
Chateau Sainte Catherine Bordeaux Blanc is made from 67% Semillon and 33% Sauvignon (Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris).
A clear and brilliant color. The first nose reveals the minerality of our terroir (limestone subsoil). Fruity and delicate aromas come to sublimate this nose in a second time. On the palate, the wine is round and charming with sustained aromas throughout the tasting. (Small red fruits and white flowers).
Chateau Sainte Catherine Bordeaux Blanc is made from 67% Semillon and 33% Sauvignon (Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris).
A clear and brilliant color. The first nose reveals the minerality of our terroir (limestone subsoil). Fruity and delicate aromas come to sublimate this nose in a second time. On the palate, the wine is round and charming with sustained aromas throughout the tasting. (Small red fruits and white flowers).
Intense ruby color with tiled notes, A kirch, floral, slightly smoky liquorice nose.
A supple palate with sweetness and refined oaky notes. Nice length in the mouth.
Excellent with beef briskets with a southern dry-rub.
Sociando Mallet Haut-Medoc is made from 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Cabernet Franc.
Château Sociando-Mallet produces full-bodied wines with a deep, dark color. The complex bouquet is dominated by red and black fruit aromas with a touch of minerality, floral and spicy notes. Fresh, harmonious and nicely balanced in the mouth with a solid tannic structure and good acidity that promises a long aging potential. The mid-palate is pleasant with a nice density of fruit. A silky and fruity finish.
Red meat, dishes in sauce, poultry, strong goat or cow cheeses.
Thibeaud-Maillet Pomerol is made from 100 percent Merlot
Deep ruby with black rim. The nose is spicy, with blackberry, cherry, vanilla, chocolate and a delicate oak presence.
The wine is balanced, the tannins are present, but well integrated and round.
The finish is long and pleasant.
Harvest is done manually and the berries are selected with optical sorting before entering the cellar. Fermentations are carried out at controlled temperature with 3 to 4 weeks of skin contact. Once the malolactic fermentation is completed; the wines are put into barrels (50% new) and aged for 12 months. The estate uses three barrels from three different coopers: Vicard (Charentes)supplying most of the barrels with medium toast and a fine grain, Cadius from Burgundy supplies also fine grain/ medium toasts barrels and last but not least Sylvain, a local cooper is used for three barriques a year, those bring a bit more austerity but also a certain backbone to the blend.
Aged in French oak barrels for 15 months (50% new oak).
Delicious with grilled meat and grilled vegetables.
Tours de Laroque Saint Emilion is made from 96% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc.
Les Tours de Laroque Saint-Emilion Grand Cru is the second wine from Chateau Laroque, a selection of over 50 year-old vines that shows finesse, purity and authenticity of this great terroir.
The wine is particularly attractive and approachable when young with its bright, floral and spicy character. It is elegant and velvety, has a fresh salinity and a noble texture, and offers good acidity with firm tannins.
Review:
"Lots of dark chocolate on the nose with blueberries, ripe blackberries, plums, dried lavender, toast and mahogany. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins. Needs time to soften. Try in 2025."
- James Suckling (January 2022), 91 pts
Vermont La Grande Cuvee Rouge is made from 90% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot.
Produced from the best parcels of the estate, with low yields and optimal maturity, the wine reveals the expression of the Entre-deux-Mers terroir.
The Grande Cuvee boasts a deep ruby color and displays a pleasant bouquet of red berries and plum highlighting the expression of the dominant Merlot. Rich, refined, fruity and deep in structure, the palate shows good concentration and a harmonious balance. Long flavors of ripe fruits and vanilla nuances give way to an elegant cuvee.
The nose here is brilliantly red fruited, with layer upon layer of subtle spice, bright floral notes, herbs, and stone. Its not all poetry and pageantry, though, and the first impression of the wine was simply, “oh that’s goooood.” A fair assessment, and sometimes that it all one requires. Further tastes show fine tannin throughout, a juicy, vibrant mouthfeel that is very likeable, and deft, long-developing layers of fruit that reveal themselves severally.
Patton Valley's flagship wine, The Estate is the most comprehensive expression of their vineyard site, and the wine that truly defines their place in a given vintage.
Review:
"Glistening red. Vibrant red fruit, floral and spice scents show very good clarity that picks up subtle hints of succulent herbs and smoky minerals with air. Juicy and energetic in the mouth, the 2017 offers gently sweet cherry raspberry and rose pastille flavors and a touch of spicecake. Smooth, well-integrated tannins make a late appearance on a long, floral-tinged finish that shows no rough edges.
- Josh Raynolds" - Antonio Galloni's Vinous (August 2020), 92 pts
J. Lohr Hilltop Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Franc.
Displays blackberry and blueberry compote aromas garnished with crushed violet, cracked pepper, and black tea. Plump fruit on the palate with fine-grained tannins. Juicy layers of black and red currants lead to a bright finish accented by pastry notes from the 16 months aging in French cooperage.
-Tasting Panel 94 Points
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points