Wonderful Gifts for Mother's Day, College Graduates---and for Summer Entertaining
Midtown Loft, 267 Fifth Avenue-NYC
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| On the outdoor terrace...perfect sunny spring day-welcoming indeed. |
Well, there certainly were many reasons to smile yesterday-at the first (and we hope, annual) Crus Bourgeois du Médoc wine tastings for invited guests…including the glorious weather, a midtown event location with a wrap around terrace from which to take advantage of the aforementioned…
AND the stars of the affair-the many
truly wonderful, complex-and accessibly priced red wines being sampled (spat out)…and the French persons doing the pouring-often the Château owners themselves.
We learned a lot about the wines from this acclaimed Bordeaux region of France-which are already well known for its top tier first and second growth red wines that command staggering sums and are prized collectible bottles.
WHAT: All of the wines presented were harvested and produced in one of the eight prestigious Bordeaux appellations-Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Listrac-Médoc, Moulin en Médoc, Margaux, Saint Julien, Pauilllac and Saint Estèphe. The distinction of earning the distinctive Crus Bourgeois authentication label (see below)-is that all of these wines are certified by external wine professionals and evaluated for embodying traditional for qualities of tastes from this region.
FYI-this goes one step beyond commercial value designations- for the select wines qualifying from the 2010 vintage- by 260 member, wine producers/Château owners belonging to the self-regulating Alliance des Crus Bourgeois de Médoc (256 for 2011…). pretty much guarantees that the reasonably priced red wines (ranging from $22-$50) that cost almost as much to (lovingly) harvest-often by hand-and make--- as the name dropping Bordeaux wines- are charmingly drink ready, can be aged -well, well with great maturity potential-and ...at least what we sampled...are all aromatically complex (nose), multi faceted worthy of collecting in their own right,
IMO: All will pass the test of wine snobs, "Googling" a bottle brought as a hostess gift---or a smartphone toting Millennial referencing online reviews and information about the producer (QR code on the authentication sticker on all bottles produced from 2010 on)- before making a purchase…because he/she wants a reasonably priced beverage something to go with dinner… no matter what's on the menu.
As with all wines-the weather and
terroir (soil) of the Crus Bourgeois reds sipped yesterday-roughly grouped together by region…brought to life the distinctive qualities of the selected vintages sampled-mostly the delectably delicious 2010s (seems to have been a late harvest year brought on by a cold winter, rainy grape flowering and drought spring/summer season-(lower yields) and then a flawless weather- harvesting Fall season)-and a few 2011 (
hot off the press, so-to-speak)…mixed in with some 2008s+2009s.
All wines poured are available in the USA---though actual quantities certainly vary--- as even the market volume numbers differ between vintages.
Our tasting notes-varied from bold-intense, structured fruity finishes, multi-textured polished tannins, earthy fresh, and/or spicy for each wine-that were all elegant personalized blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and/or Petit Verdot grapes.
Color ranges are from clear brilliant ruby reds to deep robust dark colors …setting the stage for a wonderful drinking experience.
Notable-the age of the vines from 25-40 years old…and that many of the wine producers are still many centuries' old- family owned entities.
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Château D'Arsac, Margaux www.chateau-arsac.com
This wine producer-which is available for tours in the warmer months (many are)-has a distinguished outdoor sculpture garden on its property- and also produces the limited -30,000 bottles -WineMakers' Collection- where an invited wine maker crafts his/her personal touch-on a vintage. An annual offering-this Château D/Arsac production is based on idea of owner Phillippe Raoux- to celebrate winemakers- from all over the world. Very cool-the bottle labels are portraits of the individual winemaker. |
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| Belgium born owner-pursued his passion for Bordeaux wine-AND runs-including the NYC Marathon-finished respectable time of 4:20 (we asked…)-and smokes. Very Euro. |
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| The official moniker. Most of the tasters -we noticed-were NYC restaurant owners/sommeliers---here's hoping selections will be offered by the glass-which is the way most patrons order wine. |
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Very very smart-authentification label-that ensures quality standards, authenticity of the bottle- against counterfeiting (yikes)---and provides information about the winemaker/vintage and the wine itself. ALSO…one can type in the verification code on the website… www.crus-bourgeois.com
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