Wine Life - Houston

Moving to the right bank of the Gironde Estuary and moving down to where the vineyards lie along the Dordogne River, the emphasis shifts to Merlot-based wines in the area known as the Libournais. This shift occurs because the predominantly clay and limestone based soil is too cool to ripen Cabernet Sauvignon consistently. Blending grapes for Merlot are more likely to be Cabernet Franc (aka Bouchet) or Malbec (aka Pressac) although there are some Cabernet Sauvignon plantings in small areas where there is some gravel in the soil such as on the plateau to the north and northwest of Saint-Emilion. Starting with Fronsac AC commune which lies on the limestone based soils on the rolling hills above the Dordogne. This and Canon-Fronsac AC can be a good source for less expensive but good quality Merlot-based wine. Chateau Arnauton Fronsac 2009   ($15) Clear, deep ruby color. Clean, medium intense youthful aromas of ripe red fruit with a bit of earthiness. Dry, medium body and alcohol with m

Entre-Deaux-Mers, the land between the seas or between the Dordogne and Garonne Rivers, is known for producing inexpensive wines meant for early consumption. There are nine ACs within the sub-region producing a variety of wine styles. Most red wines from the region fall under the Bordeaux or Bordeaux Superieur AC designation except for the red wines of Saint-Foy-Bordeaux. Entre-Deaux-Mers AC is for dry white wines that are typically Sauvignon Blanc based but may also use Semillion or Muscadelle. Chateau Bonnet Entre-Deaux-Mers 2010   $14 Clear, pale lemon color with a watery rim. Clean, medium intense youthful aromas of bell pepper, grape fruit and a bit of a floral note. Dry, medium+ acidity, medium- body, alcohol and length. Diluted flavors mirrored the aromas. Across the Garonne River from the sweet wine regions of Graves lie the sweet wine making communes of the Entre-Deaux-Mers. The two areas share a similar macro climate. Related posts: Bordeaux Notes-Regional Appella

Bordeaux's famed Left Bank includes the land west of the Gironde Estuary and the Garonne River. It stretches from the Medoc Peninsula to Graves. The soils are gravel based making it the perfect home for warm gravel loving Cabernet Sauvignon. This combination of soil and grapes leads to firmly structured wines with good amounts of tannin and a flavor profile that may include dark fruit, cassis, graphite, tobacco, cedar, pepper, coffee or cocoa.  Bordeaux is usually a blended wine but that is not mandated by law. The blend for each Chateau is usually determined by the type of soils they possess. In the north, the soils get heavier with more clay making Merlot increasingly important. Starting in the north, the Medoc is a sub-region of Bordeaux. Chateau Greysac Medoc 2004  ($20)-  50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.  Clear, deep garnet going brickish at the rim. Clean, medium+ intensity, developing aromas of mixed red and black fruit with

Bordeaux is located in southwest France. It has a moderate maritime climate enjoying the warming influence of the Gulf stream. High rainfall and humidity can be a problem which leads to concerns over vintage variation. Typically, great vintages have sunny, hot and dry summers with harvest dates no earlier than late September. The largest appellation is the basic Bordeaux AC. The majority of wines produced in this category are low to mid-priced. They can be red or white. Mission St Vincent Sauvignon Blanc Bordeaux 2009  $13.99 Clear, pale lemon color. Clean, medium- intense,  youthful aromas of grapefruit and gooseberry. Dry, light body, medium acidity, alcohol and length with grapefruit/citrus flavors.  Good quality/drink now. Chateau Bellevue Rougier Bordeaux 2007 $14 Clear, medium- ruby color. Clean, medium syrupy aromas of black cherries and plum. Dry, medium body, alcohol, tannins and acidity with a diluted, almost flavorless, short finish.   Not recommended . Bordeaux

      Alsace is located in northeast France near the German border, the food and wine of the region are heavily influenced by both cultures. The Vosges Mountains protect the region from rain and winds resulting in a cool, yet dry and sunny, continental climate. The soils are quite varied which influence the diversity of grape varieties planted and, therefore, the range of wine styles produced.      Only four grape varieties, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat and Gerwurztraminer, can be used in Alsatian Grand Cru and dessert wines but many other varieties are planted and used in the Alsace AOC and the Cremant d'Alsace AOC designations.       As I review my notes from some recent tastings, I think that one of the most important things for consumers to know about the wines of Alsace is that most  are meant to be consumed 6 months to 5 years from their release. Tasting Alsace: 2007 Trimbach Pinot Blanc (approx $15) Clear, pale lemon color. Clean, low intensity lemon aroma. Dry, medi

      After reading George M. Taber's book, The Judment of Paris , a while back, I always enjoy drinking a glass of wine from one of the depicted wineries and thinking about the people who brought recognition to that particular winery, to Napa Valley and to California as a place for quality wine in general. The story of Warren Winiarski and his creation of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and their win at the 1976 Paris tasting is, of course, one of the best parts.        So, while I am not drinking the winning wine, I am thinking about that story while enjoying one of their more recent offerings, the 2009 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Karia Napa Valley Chardonnay. I purchased this bottle for about $30 at my local HEB grocery store. In the glass, the wine is a clear, medium lemon-yellow color. It has clean, medium intense aromas of lemon zest, pineapple and some oak. Dry on the palate with medium everything (body, alcohol, acidity) with juicy citrus and tropical flavors to match the n

       The holidays, the parties, the visiting guests, a missing notebook and a broken laptop have all gotten me behind on both my writing and my studying. However, much wine was consumed and thought about during that time. For example, New Year's Eve 2012 was celebrated with friends, caviar, cold seafood and vintage Champagne.      Vintage Champagne is special because it tells the story of a single growing season in the Champagne region; that better than ordinary year will be printed on both the bottle's label and cork. Like non-vintage Champagne, most vintage Champagne is still a blend of wines from many different vineyard sources, the major difference being that 100% of all the wines being used in the vintage blend must come from the stated year instead of the multi-vintage wine blend of non-vintage Champagne.       Vintage Champagne also has a longer maturation period. French law requires a minimum of 36 months as opposed to the fifteen months required for NV, although th