Vitibox

It’s a very typical Cru Bourgeois that I chose this month. The robe is dark and deep. The nose is complex, with hints of spice, and is very promising. On the palate, I was impressed by its perfect balance and its amazing structure. The aromas of violet and red berries perfectly pair with the aromas of licorice, sign of delicate aging in oak barrels. A very refined Cru Bourgeois, quite classical in its structure but quite original in its aromas. 

 A beautiful garnet dress with purple hues..

Paté
Sirloin steak with shallot sauce
Saint-Nectaire
Fresh raspberries

 If cabernet-sauvignon and merlot are expected as there are some in almost all the wines in Bordeaux, the presence of malbec is a bit more surprising. Malbec used to be quite widespread in Bordeaux until the sixties. It’s used to give more structure to the wine thanks to its usually thin but abundant tannins. 

The Egregore is one of the exceptional wines of the Bernard Magrez, the French wine magnate. I suggest you the vintage 2010 for his generous matter and his very long keeping potential. This cuvée Egregore is considered as a step to perfection… 

 A lovely colour with garnet reflections

Mushrooms mille feuille
Grilled rib steak with thyme and rosemary

Saint Nectaire cheese
Coffee pastry;

The vineyard grows in the lieu-dit of Guerit, close to the village of Tauriac. The grape of the Egregore come from the slopes exposed to the plain sun of the Chateau Guerry. The soil is composed of clay and sand. The Château Guerry is the oldest wine of Bordeaux and it exists since three century.

This Pessac-Léognam does credit to its designation. It was vinified in the purest tradition of Bordeaux by the team of the winery Pape Clément, his famous neighbour (another propriety of Bernard Magrez). Why the Serenity? Because the winemakers have to be patient and temperate to best express these vineyards.… 

 A very nice colour with violet reflections.

T-bone steak
Soft French cheese
Raspberry tart

Pessac-Léognan is the renowned designation of the region of Graves, to the south of Bordeaux. His soil made of clays, limestone and gravels give to the Pessac-Léognam his distinctive taste. The soil stores sunlights during the day and free it during the night and it does a remarkable natural draining. These vineyards are closed to the well-known Château Pape Clément, Grand Cru Classé de Graves.

“Summer holidays are over… To keep in mind the summer exoticism, I suggest you this beautiful bottle of Gigognan that will be paired with a Creole menu concocted by Catherine Naud, a martiniquan chef. The nose of this wine is very expressive and reveals a complex aromatic bouquet with perfumes of fruits and flowers. The bitter aftertaste confers to the wine a nice fresh touch. I definitely don’t advise to aerate the bottle.”

 Beautiful white gold colour with sunny reflections; brilliant and transparent..

Samoussas aux légumes
Coconut prawn fricassee 

 
Coconut and plum flan

The vineyard is located in the south of of the Rhone Valley. It’s the region most exposed to the force of natural elements, but it also benefits of 2800 hours of sunshine per year! The Mistral wind is crucial since it allows the vineyard to recovery. However, the secret of these vineyards are in the soil composed of the so called “caïau frejaü” (rounded pebbles) with the ability to store heat by day and diffuse it during night.. 

“Roc des Mates is strong, tannic and velvety at the same time. The taste is pleasant and silky. It has a long keeping potential thanks to his 18 ageing in barrels. Here you have a fine wine, very representative of the Pic Saint-Loup denomination. This very tannic wine will seduce those who love masculine wines. Open two hours before serving to round tannins”.

 Luminous garnet colour with violet reflections.

Green olives tapenade 
Roasted herb chicken

Mont d'Or Cheese

Sugar Crepes

 Clayey soil, vegetation and Mediterranean climate are the stronger assets of terroir Pic Saint-Loup. Vineyards of this cuvee are situated on a mountain chain at 150 metres above sea level. In particular vines grow on calcareous-clay slopes that are skeletal thin and pebbly soils. 25-years old vineyards give good quality grapes since the age is in inverse proportion to quantity. Indeed smaller quantity allows grapes to grow better.  

“I wanted to let you taste this wine since I really like how the Magnaudeix family works. I herd that they have deservedly won the gold medal at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2013 (a prestigious world wine tasting championship). This wine can be sipped young thanks to its fruity and expressive aromas, but also in 10 years since it has a long keeping potential.”

 Colour is dark garnet with blue-violet reflections. Micro-bubbles in suspension. Tears are coloured and the glass disc is very thin.

Autumn sweet potato soup
Pepper sirloin steak

Maroilles cheese

Paris-Brest dessert

 Vines of Château Vieux Larmande grow on a dense layer of soil of hardpan basement covered by a calcareous-clay layer. The sublayer of hardpan is composed by clay, humus and iron and it’s a rare and very old soil. It gives stability to roots and prevents them from both dryness and high humidity and it contribute to the strength of vines. 

« I really liked the personality of the Château l’Escart’s wines, located on the way to Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle. You can notice it thanks to the numerous shells on the domain. The members of the Laurent’s family are biodynamic practitioners since 2005. The vintage 2010 of the cuvee Eden is one of the most “nature”. The mix of the aromas makes this wine unique and surprising. »

 Light garnet colour with violet-blue reflections.

Duck terrine
Iberian pig

Old Cantal cheese

Cherry liqueur

 Located on the Bordeaux’s doors, the Château L’Escart’s vineyard is spread on 37 hectares of clay-limestone soils fine gravel. The presence of limestone gives freshness and length to the wine, while the clay brings out strength and density.  

« Pessac-Léognan is one of my favourites denomina- tion. This little château is every bit as good as big wi- neries for the quality of its wine. Its vintage 2009 stands out for its nice balance, boldness and lightness. And it will improve even more with ageing. Will you reco- gnize the delicate aromas of redcurrant that I have iden- tified? »

 Light purple colour with violet reflections.

Rabbit terrine
Veal flank with carrots

Pont-l’évêque cheese

Chocolate cake

 The Mancèdre winery extends for 11 hectares on the east side of Pessac-Léognan. The vineyard flourishes on a soil made of gravels coming from the Pyrenees. Gravels give strength and lightness to wine. Grapevines also benefit from an excellent hydric regulation and natural poverty of soil, elements necessary to obtain ripened and concentred grapes. 

« I’ve been working with the Château Moulin Caresse for many years since these winemakers are passionate producers of wines with an excellent price/quality ratio. When tasting this cuvée – special lot of wine - you can find out the characteristics of wine made of merlot as unique grape variety. Indeed, Suppleness on the palate and fruity and spicy nose are typical of this varietal. This tipple goes well with everyday meals. »

 The robe - the appearance of the wine - is young and deep garnet, with violet-blue reflections and floating micro-bubbles.

Salami
Duck breast fillet with salad

Mont de Lacaune Cheese

Red fruits compote and vanilla ice cream

 Château Moulin Caresse is located at 20km to the east of Saint-Emilion, on the border with Périgord. With its 42 hectars of grapevines, it dominated the valley of Dordogne. The vineyard is divided between the clay-limestone slopes, composed of a draining soil, and the sunny plane of Boulbènes. 

« The cuvee L’Etoile de Bergey has as much potential as its big brother, the Château Haut-Bergey. This Pessac Léognan wine has a nice purple robe, and combines a nice acidity, silky tannins and harmonious wood flavours. I advice you to drink this wine while eating rabbit stew. You can drink this wine now or wait five more years. »

 The robe has an intense garnet colour with violet-blue reflections and colored tears.

Farmhouse terrine
Rabbit stew

Brie Cheese

Black forest cake

 The terroir of the Château Haut-Bergey is spread on 25 hectares of vineyards cultivated on an argilo-siliceous subsoil, mix of sand and clay. We often say that the clay soils produce wines that are solid, strong and alcoholic while the siliceous soils produce fine wines, with subtle aromatic hints. The union of the clay and the silica sand guarantees a terroir of high quality. 

« For several years, wines coming from the Pays d’Oc have suffered from a bad image, but their image has now been cleaned-up and they deserve it! While tasting this cuvee, you will directly feel its aromas of flowers and white fruits that will surely please you. This cuvee has just been bottled: you will therefore be among the first ones to taste it, so enjoy! »

 The robe is translucent with light green reflections. This indicates that the wine is young.

Anchovies
Trout with almonds

Tomme cheese

Exotic fruits panacotta

 The Domaine de Cabriac is located at the foot of the Mont Alaric, in the Corbières region. Its vineyards are already twenty years old: they start producing fewer grapes, but the wines produced are more concentrated and intense. Over the years, the vineyards developed their roots that now go deeper in the soils to find nutrients. Who said that getting old was bad? 

« You probably have some difficulties to pronounce the name of this cuvee, don’t you? Ampeloméryx is a word that refers to a prehistoric mammal that had the habit to chew grapevine. But don’t worry, this cuvee has no animal taste! This is a nice cuvee with a beautiful crystalline robe containing white gold reflections. Appreciate its fresh mouth and its pink grapefruit hints. »

 A beautiful crystalline robe with white gold reflections.

Toasts with lump roe
Cod fillet with lemon

Goat cheese

Clementine salad

 Located on the slope of the Château de Pellehaut at an altitude of over 180m, the vineyard benefits from a nice sunlight. This climatic factor enables grapes to be more mature, with more sugar and less acidity. This makes the wine smoother. 

« It’s been a couple of months I was looking for a nice wine from the Margaux AOC, one of the most well-known AOC in France. I really enjoyed this cuvee from the Château Haut-Breton Larigaudière. Margaux wines are famous for their delicacy and their feminine side, and you will probably notice this when tasting it. Moreover, it has a good price/quality ratio. »

 The robe has a garnet color with purple reflections.

Skewered offal
Lamb shoulder

Brie

Paris-Brest

 Trianon de Larigaudière is the second wine of the prestigious Château Haut-Breton Larigaudière, located on one of the most beautiful terroir of the Margaux AOC. The soil is sand-rich: sand has some drainage aptitudes that help producing light and aerial wines. 

«This wine was produced with the three main grape varieties of the Bordeaux region: merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. Enjoy the soft tannins of this cuvee coming from the cabernet franc; discover its woody aromas and its garnet robe with purple reflections. I advice you to pair this wine with a nice rare or medium rare rib steak. Enjoy!»

 A deep garnet color with purple reflections.

Sausage
Rib steak

Camenbert

Peaches

 The soil of this terroir is composed of sand and clay, with pebbles, stones and gravels. As the soil is poor, the vineyards need to go deep in the soils to find nutriments. Thanks to the pebbles, stones and gravels, the sun is reflected on the wine grapes that enables a better maturation of the grapes. 

« The Château d’Estoublon is very well-known in Provence, and is often rewarded by renowed oenologists. This wine was produced seven years ago, and we start feeling the aging bouquets (the ones that appear only when wine is getting old). Will you be able to identify aromas of strawberry, rose and blueberry? »

 Nice light garnet robe with violet-blue reflections.

Tabbouleh
Leg of lamb with herbs

Camembert

Strawberry milkshake

 The vineyard of Château d’Estoublon is located at the bottom of the rocky spur of the Baux de Provence village. This village is considered as one of the most beautiful villages in France! Wines produced with this AOP are round, without being fat. Enjoy the fruits aromas and the delicacy of this powerful cuvee. 

We already offered a wine from the Pellehaut estate a few months ago. We got many enthusiastic feedbacks, so I decided to select another wine from the same winemaker. Once again, it is a white wine, but a sweet wine this time. Balanced, and surprisingly light, which is rarely the case with sweet wine, this wine is one of my favourites of the moment and this is a very good value for money!  

 The robe reminds of a Golden Supreme apple with sunny sparkle..

Grilled foie gras
Dublin bay prawns
Blue cheese
Cinnamon baked apples

 Located on the same hill as the Chateau Pellehaut, turned toward the south, the vineyard benefits from a very good exposure to the sunshine. This terroir gives very mature grapes, with a lot of sugar, and a low acidity. This is how the winemaker can make wines so soft. 

2007 is clearly not the best vintage in Bordeaux. However, several winemakers, by working hard, still managed to produce nice wines. This is the case of this wine from Côtes de Castillon. A young wine is often characterized by its very fruity aromas, and a more evolved one like this one shows aromas of fresh grass and humus. Ideal with Camembert cheese and sliced truffles! 

 Robe is purple with light mahogany highlights..

Omelette with mushrooms
Veal chops with roasted vegetables
Brie cheese
Roasted figs

 The 8-acre estate Chateau Moulin de Clotte is located in the Côtes de Castillon vineyard, just next to Saint- Emilion. The soil is clay and limestone which is a very nurturing environment for the roots of the vine.This part of the Bordeaux region is maybe the best place on Earth to grow Merlot, the main grape variety there. 

Do you know Savennières? Well, I am pleased to introduce you to this appellation with one of its best ambassadors, Château La Franchaie. This very pleasant wine, with mineral and saltyflavours, also has very small oxidative aromasthat give a subtle taste of nuts and dried fruits. This wine is very well balanced between unctuosity and alcohol, and personally I love it ! 

 Intense light yellow with hints of white gold..

Mussels
Fried fish
Fresh goat cheese
Roast apples

 Savennières is a small appellation that lies south of Angers on the right bank of the Loire. The Château itself is located near Possonnière in the hills of the appellation. The ground is made of schist. This laminated and fractured soil gives vine roots the opportunity to penetrate seven or eight feet deep, where rainwater naturally flows and where it can find the best nutriments. Moreover, this kind of soil keeps a lot of warmth from the sun, which protects the vines during winter. 

This month, I am happy to present a wine from Bergerac. It is rich and well structured, with very intense flavours. It is very smooth on the palate and shows smoky aromas of oak. I would definitely recommend serving this wine with a beautiful piece of beef, why not some tasty beef from Bergerac where cow breeding is prevalent. If you wish, you can also let it age in you cellar. 

 Light garnet red.

Duck breast a la plancha
Beef with red wine sauce
Cabécou of Périgord
Paris-Brest

 Château Lamothe Belair is located 12km from Saint-Emilion, on the extension of the hills of Saint-Emilion. The soil is clay and limestone as most of the land in the Bordeaux/Southwest area. This kind of soil retains a lot of water and keeps it fresh, balancing the effects of the sun in order to keep the hint of freshness the wine needs.