Wine Wisdom at VB #1

Class #1
Bordeaux
Taught by Tim Wildman MW

One left-bank, one right-bank Bordeaux. Then two New World imposters. Then one New World Bordeaux blend including four of the five main varieties. And finally a white, oak-aged Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa.

The New World wines showed better here. Genuine Bordeaux is so overpriced that it is always a hard comparison. At similar price points the Bordeaux will show badly every time.

The Wines
1. L'Ermitage de Chasse-Spleen 2003
Moulis, Medoc, Bordeaux
Deep ruby. High, but fine, tannins. Medium-high acid. Lots of black fruit. Good length. Good but not amazing.

2.Chateau Croix de Grezard 2000
Lussac Saint Emilion, Bordeaux
Medium-deep. Brownish rim. Showing quite a lot of bottle development on the nose. Cedar, tobacco, smoke, some earthy notes. Medium bodied. Not enough fruit character on the palate. Good length, but bitter on the finish. Would be better with food. Past its best.

3.Coleraine 2006, Te Mata
Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Roughly equal Merlot and CS.
Deep ruby. Lots of ripe black fruit on the nose. Some smoke. Round, soft mouthfeel for a Cabernet. High tannin. Medium-high acid. Feels more rough with time in the glass and tastes more woody than it smells. Very good though.

4. Work of Time 2002, Springfield Estate
Robertson, South Africa. Merlot-dominated.
Deep colour. Medium-high intensity jammy black fruit on the nose. Smoke and oak also. Ripe fruit on the palate. Very high tannin and acid. Smoky character. Long, but with a smoky finish. Good stuff. Needs food... and probably more time.

5. Phil Sexton "Harry's Monster"
Vintage not recorded. Yarra Valley. Again, mostly equal Merlot and CS, but with CF and Petit Verdot too.
Smells of Christmas. Cloves, cinnamon overlaying black fruit. Masculine. Very ripe fruit on the palate, but not jammy. Good length. Oaky and vanilla. Very good but needs food.

6. Vergelegen Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc
80% Semillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc
Pale, oaky, very good. Stands up after all these big reds.