Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

In looking for some older photos, I ran across photos of the 14 En Premier. Since I wasn’t using Delectable then, I thought I’d take the opportunity to share a story and some key Bordeaux history. One night during the En Premier, we went to dinner with the Director of Chateau Latour, Frédéric Engerer at Lion d’ Or. Frédéric reached into their library cellar and pulled; a 78 & 90 Grand Vin, 99 & 03 Forts De Latour and a Mag of 67 Grand Vin. Overall score is an aggregate of the evenings wine. Certainly one of the best nights of food & wine in my life. However if you go to Lion d’ Or, read the menu carefully as they cook with every part of an animal. Oh...the menu is all in French. So, ask for assistance if you struggle with French. While remembering this night, it got me thinking about another piece of Bordeaux history I thought I’d share for those that might be unaware. Did you know we have the Dutch to thank for making these wines possible? Here are my historical and producer notes... the earliest history of Bordeaux dates back to the Romans in 60 B.C. They were the first to plant, cultivate and make Bordeaux wines. They referred to the area as Burdigala. The Bordeaux appellation was perfect for cultivating grapes for wine. It offered the unique combination of the right soil for growing grapes used in the production of wine coupled with easy access to the Garonne river, which was needed to help ship the wines. The marriage between King Henry and Eleanor made sure Aquitaine, which included Bordeaux, was owned by England for over 300 years, coinciding with the conclusion of the hundred years war; which really lasted 116 years and ended in October 1453. By the time the Hundred Years War had finally concluded, Bordeaux wine had already been discovered by British wine lovers! In fact, Richard the Lionheart, the son of Eleanor and Henry II made Bordeaux wine his everyday beverage. The Bordeaux wine buying public agreed saying, if Bordeaux was good enough for the King, it was good enough for all loyal British wine lovers. From that moment forward, the Bordeaux wine trade began expanding. Bordeaux wine continued taking on more importance in trade with England. Twice a year, just prior to Easter and Christmas, several hundred British merchant ships sailed to Bordeaux to exchange British goods for wine. The next major event for the Bordeaux wine trade took place when the Dutch needed to build roads to make it easier to transport goods/wine throughout the region. The Dutch, along with the British were major purchasers of Bordeaux wine. They needed their Bordeaux wine to be delivered more quickly, before it spoiled. Their short-term answer, the Dutch merchants came up with was to burn sulfur in barrels, which aided the wines ability to last and age. However, more needed to be done. By the 1600’s, numerous Bordeaux vineyards were already planted, cultivated and producing wine. However, much of the region still consisted of unusable, swamp land and marshes. Dutch engineers came up with the idea to dredge and drain the marshes and swamps. This allowed for quicker transportation of their Bordeaux wine. And suddenly, there was a lot more vineyard land that was perfect for growing grapes and making more Bordeaux wine. Yes, we have the Dutch to thank for creating Pauillac. For this post, specifically Chateau Latour. Had the Dutch not dredged and drain it, many great Chateaus might not exist today. The man in charge of the project was Dutch engineer, Jan Adriaasz Leeghwater. He changed the face of Bordeaux forever. At the same time they dredged, new water channels were created. This helped improve the drainage, so the swamp like conditions would not develop again. Many of the original water channels are still in existence all over the Medoc. So, the next time you drink your Medoc (Pauillac) Bordeaux wine, drink a cheers to Dutchman...Jan Adriaasz Leeghwate. Photos of; our dinner bottles, the Latour library cellar, stainless steel tanks, barrel room and the iconic and majestic 17th century tower the property takes it’s name. The Latour cellars are so clean and pristine, you could eat off the floors.

— 8 years ago

with Shay

Andy Mc Nees

9.0

Beautiful feminine floral stunner. A+ price paid. Wow. Damn. Man-o-man. Still framed and tannic grip. Underrating this — 9 years ago

Hampus Bejnö

8.9

Det här var gott och även det roligaste jag hittade på bolis i Eksjö. Druvig, blommig doft - galiamelon. Frisk syra, gråpäron, limezest, petroleum och lite mineral i munnen. Inga konstigheter. Perfekt sommarvin när man står vid grillen o fixar. Ynka 11.5% alkohol. Dvs slankt och aptitretande. Fan va gott d e med riesling. — 9 years ago

Brandon

9.0

This one is lighter on the acid than many sub $10 wines but for only $3.... Including tax. Decent flavor. Not complex at all and good to drink right from the bottle. More complexity and flavor than boxed wines and richer too. If you like $2/$3 buck chuck then give this one a try. Not at all sorry I bought it. *update* just ate a pack of oloves olives (basil garlic) with this wind and man o man did it jump the flavor up a ton. Seems like the pairing this wine is capable of is geared towards more vinegar-ish food. Basil and and garlic complement it well too. — 9 years ago

Florent Blanchet

9.1

Even better when u drink it with the man! — 10 years ago

with Humberto

Nick Gutfreund

9.0

Man o man, I'm loving these southern French grapes. This CA take is great. Melon, some minerality, food friendly acidity...great in the mouth.
— 10 years ago

Samuel Chaffins

8.9

Sweet yet complex. Good for the money — 10 years ago

S. Irene Virbila

Restaurant Critic Los Angeles Times

9.7

Remembering Aldo Conterno's love of Piemonte, his stories and laugh--and 1950s American English. He served in the Korean War. A great wine from a great man. — 10 years ago

Robert Aquilino

9.6

Merlot. Cab franc. Malbec. Cab sauv. From waiheke Island, NZ. This is yummy! — 12 years ago

Doctor No

9.2

Only skin-fermented Riesling in the Western Hemisphere? Riesling white peach notes meld with classic "orange" notes of apricot jam, bitter orange and perfume. A bit of kaffir lime? Incisive texture, great balance overall. Very clean for an orange wine. @Bobby Gilbane where are you man? — 8 years ago

Matt Berkovitch

Sommelier Babbo

9.7

Man o man — 9 years ago

Michael McGuire

10

Man o man! This is what mid range cab can and should be. Wayyyy better than Caymus and Silver Oak. If you can find it, this will rock your world. Definitely in my top 10 cabs I've ever tried. A-mazing. Soft gentle tannins, subtle fruit, and a long distinct finish. A well made wine in every aspect. If you are going to spend around a hundred on a Cabernet this is your huckleberry. — 9 years ago

Vanessa Pritchard

9.0

Light, fresh, bright, and gently spritzy. Delicately fruity nose with a bit of chalk and flint, and hella acid. Really delicious. — 9 years ago

Rob Sonogan

8.9

Really enjoyed this. For an NZ Bordeaux blend it was full of fruit and finished without any signs of being a young wine. Getting this again. — 9 years ago

with Andrew

Anthony Libutti

9.1

And another thing, Mr. Age of Enlightenment—don’t lecture me about the war, you didn’t fight in it. You think I’m frightened of you man? We almost died in the trench while you were off gettin’ high with the French! — 9 years ago

ESF

9.5

Monster Merlot - exquisite w/tons of pure plum & blackberry jam, dusting of cocoa & spice - man o man - hella sexy ass silky tannins, monumental finish — 9 years ago

Erik Dedering

9.2

Gött o va hemma så man får finvin. Riktigt gott — 9 years ago

Corrie Lyle

9.0

Drinking wines from wAiheke island #wheninrome — 10 years ago

with Sue

Ross Tefteller

9.2

This beauty is starting to strut its stuff. Still some gritty tannin but man o man the aromatics this one is popping are off the chain — 10 years ago

Christy Canterbury MW

Master of Wine

9.1

Classy #NewZealand #SauvignonBlanc #Semillon blend w/ creamy & waxy texture, hint of toasted nuts & lots of nettles. — 10 years ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.1

Outstanding toasty nuts and lemon curd and saline. — 12 years ago

Guy Fiore

9.5

Man o man. Silky goodness. Could age forever. — 8 years ago

Martin G Rivard

9.9

@David L @Joe Lucca @Mike R @Carl Fischer @Howard Greenfield @Jim Trobaugh @Bill Bender @Terri Walker@@Monica O @Jim Trobaugh @Paul T @Ted Mandes @Steve Colanero @Kirk Alexander A little background before I talk about the wine. Ted Mandes is the Chairman of the Board for the Palm Beach Wine Auction. He has a passion for wine and palate which will rival that of an MS. Truly incredible! Via his contacts with various wineries he's decided to create a Proprietary private Blend called "M" Mandes -Brothers blend. A 1 barrel project. This year's wine was blended by Ted and none other than Ed Snider!!!! This is a Right Bank style wine which is similar to Cheval Blanc: Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cab Franc. Ted & Ed crafted an absolute Masterpiece. Ed's exact words when he tasted the finished product was "You've gotta to be the luckiest S O B that I know. This is one of the best wines that I've ever made". Let me tell you., Ed was Right!!!!! This was truly a Beauty. It's a lush opulent wine which is velvety smooth when it hits the Front, Mid and back palate.
"Holy shit this is good" was stated by everyone at the table!!!! Ted is working on other projects as well. I can't wait to see what else he has up his sleeve!!!!!
If it resembles this masterpiece in any way I'm "All in" with purchasing my allocation on a yearly basis!!! I bought a 6L 3L and a six pack and would do so for as long as he continues on the journey. He & Ed truly knocked out of the park with this one!!! It truly was "Awesomeness in a Glass". A term I've used to describe a wine which I consider to be the best of the best. P.s- Steve Colanero should bottle that sauce!!! It was just as good as Ted's wine!!
Man., what a night!!! This was by far the WOTN!! Some of you will get to try this at my house when I host Ted in March for a small tasting. Extremely limited quantities are available. Contact me if you are interested. Cheers!! — 8 years ago

with Ted, Steve and 2 others

Nils Johnson

9.2

(My portfolio) Man o man, every time I try an Oregon Chardonnay I get excited to try another one!
— 9 years ago

Nils Johnson

9.5

Man o man, this nose is smokin'! — 9 years ago

Brent Mayeaux

Production Burn Cottage Vineyard

9.2

Really cool stuff. Barrel fermented and aged. Remind me of some oxidative natural Loire Sav Blanc but with riper fruit here. I know current release has semillon and I kind of got some of that character here, but label just says Sav Blanc. Kept coming back to it over the night. — 9 years ago

Gae Saccoccio - NdC

9.8

Vintage 1949 in Burgundy according to Broadbent: “..most perfect end of a decade - elegant, well-balanced wines”; Clive Coates in his book Cote D'Or: "best vintage of 40's all-perfect beauty and purity”; Robert M. Parker Jr.: “it was the best of post world war II vintages before 1959”
Henri Leroy at that time was négociant based in Auxey-Duresses, his mythical daughter Lalou Bize-Leroy in 1949 was only seventeen.
Les Cazetiers is amongst the most elevated of Premier Cru site in Gevrey-Chambertin - and indeed the whole of Burgundy.
I drank this precious bottle on Mount Etna with #FrankCornelissen and other dear friends. Uncork this bottle lead to a surgical operation. Just begun to pull it out, a light breath of wine molecule with air bubbles magically have emerged on the surface of the cork. It's been like witness the passing away of a dying old man (or Pinot Noir must be a woman?) That humanized wine had held "élan vital", hope and breath inside him for the last 66 years! A miracle of a wine still so tasty, robust, citrusy, vibrant, earthy, incredibly alive and well-preserved despite color and neck level did not bode so well.. that's what I thought and I'll remember until I die: "the wine was waiting for us to drink it up, he gave off his mortal blow to offer us life, joy and smile!" — 9 years ago

with Alberto

Jörgen Lindström Carlvik

Owner, Brix Wine Consultants

9.3

Tipping the scales across the board, with high %, high acidity, high tannins and massive fruit, framed by loads of toasty oak. Elegant? No. Will I buy again? No. Impressive? Yes. — 10 years ago

Karen Bergquist

10

This man has the touch! Nimrod, this is made from 13 varietals mostly from Hungary. Spain and Portugal. It is superb. Smooth, very fruity but dry finish. Best we have tasted. Equal to yours. Learn about the Turks and Hungarian war at a famous castle. Truly a wonderful exquisite find. — 10 years ago

Mark Freund

10

Man can not live on wine alone. Good floral hop notes, full bodied but well balanced DIPA — 11 years ago