#Grand Cru Classe en 1855

[localfoodandwine]

Bordeaux, June 18, 2017 

by Paige Donner  (all photos copyright 2017)

On a hot summer evening in the Médoc’s Pauillac, Bordeaux guests arriving for the 1855 Grands Crus Classés dinner held this year at Château Latour were greeted with a marching Scottish-sounding band and flutes of Roederer champagne (who happens to own the closest neighboring château, Pichon Comtesse).

The Belle of the Ball, namely Madame Salma Hayak Pinault kept herself demurely sheltered inside the reception hall from the intense heat of the evening that persisted until after the sun went down. Thankfully, her and her Kering husband, François-Henri Pinault, offered the option of mingling in the cellar’s anteroom (as opposed to outdoors on the inner patio lawn) which was cleared out, save for an elegant display of the Grands Crus Classés en 1855 wines that were to be served at dinner. As a response to the sweltering heat of those few days in June, this ideally accommodated the several hundred privileged guests.

These dinners, the official opening of Vinexpo Bordeaux held every two years, are always lavish events. It’s where international and French journalists/ wine writers meet and mingle with these prestige wine estate owners and venerable Bordelais families, many of whose roots in the soil of the region run deeper even than U.S. modern history.

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The choice of the chef is always a pivotal statement, too, of how the year’s chosen chateau will express their taste and style during the event. This year it was Chef Michel Guérard who ranks among the living legends of French chefs. When I dared compared his finesse and delicate skill with Paul Bocuse, my Margaux chateau-owning table mate explained to me that Chef Guérard is all that (meaning skill and finesse) minus the showmanship.  Indeed, the man’s humility is as lofty as his talent.

Suffice it to say that his cuisine of expertly prepared caviar presented in a buttery in-the-skin oven-baked potato, followed by a medley of mushrooms and forest tubers in a velvety consommé and then sewn together by a crispy filet adorned with a pan-seared layer of foie gras wrapped in a flaky, delicate pastry shell were truly the only things I could imagine pairing so appropriately with a Château Haut-Brion 2009 served en Magnum, a Château Kirwan 2000 and….. drum roll…. a Château Latour 1975.

These are indeed all rare jewels and that any one person would have enough of any of them to so generously serve to a cellar room – transformed of course for the occasion into a cool and elegant dining room – of several hundred guests is, well, beyond imagination.

After the dinner, when moving about tables is allowed and offers more of a chance to socialize with familiar faces, Salma Hayek, seated next to Philippe Castéja, the President of the 1855 Grands Crus Classés, was delightfully friendly and approachable. I believe two things chimed a chord with her – the sound of a native- English speaker among the crowd and also a few familiar Global Green and Los Angeles city-county political names – always nice to have friends in common with a gracious and beautiful celebrity.

Kering, the company that her husband heads up, is of course a luxury conglomeration that includes Gucci and Puma. Their sustainability agenda has been front and center since before it was fashionable or politically de jour to be so. And of course Madame Pinault has been a dedicated supported of environmental causes for decades.

Since first catching a glimpse of this fabled Château Latour property back in 2011 on my inaugural visit to Pauillac, it was a long held dream to actually be invited inside the hallowed doors. But I must admit, the dinner, the graciousness, the warmth of the hosts and guests, and the magnanimity of serving Roederer champagne, Haut-Brion blanc 2009 en Magnum, Chateau Yquem for dessert and Château Latour 1975 for several hundred guests is, well, nothing short of stratospherically mindblowing. In a very – very -good way.

Just one note: At these bi-annaul dinners, the great Bordelais families who own these Grands Crus Classés en 1855 estates (the crème de la crème of Médoc, Graves, Barsac and Sauternes) always serve their own wines at their tables. This is a wonderful chance for the rest of us seated at table with them to taste their wines and hear more about their chosen vintages. But I wonder if it might not be more interesting for them if they had the chance, perhaps between the cheese and dessert courses, to swap bottles with other tables? Sort of like they do at a Bourgogne Paulee or an Okanagan Banee. It’s just a thought. But then again, who am I to question centuries’ old Bordelais traditions? Especially when, indeed, one is altogether too grateful to simply be included among the privileged few.   And to catch a short snippet of the festive fireworks finale that greeted guests as we left the property, you’ll have to click over to my Instagram/paigefoodwine. As soon as I saw the lights exploding in the sky over the Latour vineyards and th Gironde river just beyond, I instantly knew what Madame Pinault meant when she had whispered in my ear, “We have a real treat in store for you still after dessert is served!” #BordeauxFoodAndWine

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  Dinner At Château Latour Bordeaux Grand Cru Classé en 1855 Bordeaux, June 18, 2017  by Paige Donner  (all photos copyright 2017) On a hot summer evening in the Médoc's Pauillac, Bordeaux…

[pedrogil73]

Château D’Issan Margaux 2011. Mis en Bouteilles Au Château.Recoltant À Cantenac~Gironde~ Margaux ( AMC ) M. Emmanuel Cruse Administrateur. 13%. France 🇫🇷 • Cabernet Sauvignon 69% Merlot 31% • Grand Cru Classe En 1855* • Rojo rubí oscuro, brillante. Recuerdos a frutos de bosque, blueberries, blackberries. Notas florales. Regalíz. En boca potente, intenso. Taninos sedosos, acidez equilibrada. • Mi Puntuación : 95/100 • #elcatador #brindoconelcatador #chateaudissan #grandcruclasse #margaux #wine #margauxwine #lapeñadelquijote #lapenadelquijote #instawine #wineup #winegeek #winetime #winelover #chateaubaccarat #chateaulaguiole (en República Dominicana) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsRvRHDBGnb/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1w6uvum8uez5i

[xlvins]

Nouvel article dans le dernier numéro de Sommeliers International sur Laure Canu ! Version longue également sur mon Blog. . Découvrez le nouveau visage de Château Cantemerle (Haut-Medoc) et Château Grand Corbin (Saint-Emilion), les vignobles du groupe SMA. Avec une passionnante reconversion professionnelle en bonus ! . New article available on the last Sommeliers International review ! But also on my blog with a longer version. About Laure Canu, new head of the SMA group’s vineyards with Chateau Cantemerle (Haut-Medoc Cru Classe 1855) and Château Grand Corbin ( Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe). Discover her great professional reconversion, inspiring story ! . #vin #wine #xlvinsfr #winelover #winetime #bordeauxwine (à Bordeaux, France) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZPkhLGr884/?utm_medium=tumblr

[jaimeariansencespedes]

096 – DICCIONARIO DE ENOLOGÍA -

CHÂTEAU MONBRISON. Cru Bourgeois Superior Margaux 1995. Las 21 hectáreas están plantadas con: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc y 5% Petit Verdot. Aroma típico a moras, frambuesas y grosellas negras le dan su carácter. Firmes taninos. Complejo, con gran cuerpo. 

CHÂTEAU MOUTON-ROTHSCHILD. Bodega Francesa, ubicada en Burdeos, Médoc. En la clasificación de 1855, estaba considerado second cru, pero gracias a al carácter y tenacidad del barón Philippe de Rothschild, fue ascendido a premier cru classé en el año 1973. Posee 75 ha de viñedo, el cabernet sauvignon es predominante (85%).

CHÂTEAU PANET. Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 1995. Las cepas predominantes son Merlot y Cabernet Franc. En general, los vinos de Saint-Émilion tienen cuerpo, son suaves, afrutados, menos astringentes y más fáciles de tomar cuando jóvenes que los del Medoc en donde domina la Cabernet-Sauvignon. Por este motivo mucha gente considera como primer paso para comprender los vinos de Burdeos, tomar Saint Émilion. El año 1,955 fue sobresaliente en Burdeos. El Château Panet es ideal como acompañante de carnes a la parrilla y diversos tipos de quesos. Recomendamos oxigenarlo media hora antes de servir.

CHÂTEAU PÉTRUS. Bodega Francesa, ubicada en Burdeos, Pomerol. Está considerada como la mejor propiedad de Pomerol, sus viñas están compuestas principalmente por merlot y un poco de cabernet franc, que crecen sobre un suelo de arcilla pura. Los vinos evolucionan en botella para luego convertirse en la quintaesencia de un gran vino Pomerol, y en el vino más raro y más caro del mundo. Ficha 1.

CHÂTEAU PÉTRUS. Vino tinto francés considerado como el de más categoría de los que componen la denominación de origen Pomerol. Ficha 2.

CHÂTEAU PRIEURE-LICHINE. Grand Cru Classe Margaux 1995. Exótico, con perfumes a flores y notas minerales. Aterciopelado, con un extremadamente brillante carácter dado por las frambuesas y grosellas negras. Un delicioso y texturado final. Un vino magnífico. Puede estar perfecto dentro de cinco años o más.

CHÂTEAU SIMONE. Agradable vino provenzal.

CHÂTEAU TEYSSIER. Grand Cru Saint-Émilion 1995. Este Grand Cru de Saint-Émilion, cuyos viñedos contienen 82% de Merlot, ha sido madurado en barricas nuevas de roble. Es compacto, con bouquet de esencias, color púrpura oscuro. Está delicioso y bellamente balanceado en el paladar, con sedosa textura y fineza. Muy afrutado. Puede madurar todavía en botella.

CHÂTEAU. Este término se emplea en los viñedos que rodean una casa o castillo, y elaboran allí mismo el vino. Ficha 1.

CHÂTEAU. Se denomina así al vino que proviene de una propiedad particular. Normalmente no hay un castillo en cada propiedad y se cuentan muchos más châteaux en las etiquetas de los vinos que en el catastro. Ficha 2.

CHÂTEAU. Utilizado en un contexto enológico que significa ya la casa de campo o la mansión del propietario de una finca vitivinícola, ya la finca como tal. En los marbetes franceses significa que el vino procede únicamente de esa finca. Sinónimos: Clos, Domaine, Cru. Ficha 3.

CHÂTEAU-CLIMENS. Vino francés con denominación Sauternes que se elabora en el municipio de Barsac.

CHÂTEAU-CLOS D’ ESTOURNEL. Vino tinto francés procedente de Saint Estephe, Burdeos.

CHÂTEAU-CHALON. Vino francés de color amarillo y sabor particular, elaborado en el departamento del Jura. Se representa en una botella especial llamada “Clavelín”.

CHÂTEAU-CHEVAL BLANC. Vino tinto francés procedente de Saint Emilión (Bordeaux).

CHÂTEAU-DU-PAPE CHÂTEAU DE BEAUCASTEL. A.O.C. Vino tinto francés, producido con cepas Garnacha, Clairette, Syrah, Mouvèdre, Picpoul y otras uvas locales, en la región de Côtes du Rhône en el viñedo de Château de Beaucastel. Tiene como características un color: rojo intenso, con brillantes reflejos violeta, aroma: complejo, aromático recuerda al tomillo y al anís, sabor: largo, generoso, de gran elegancia, contenido alcohólico: 13 grados, maridaje: combina con platos a base de carnes, caza menor y mayor, y quesos con clase. jaimeariansen@outlook.com

[xlvins]

Dégustation de Château Haut Bages libéral, appellation Pauillac et Château Ferriere, appellation Margaux. Présentés par Claire Lurton dont l’engagement pour la biodynamie est plutôt remarquable. Avec son mari Gonzague ils s’occupent de près de 140 hectares de vignes partagés entre ces domaines et d’autres comme Dufort Vivens, Château La Gurgue, tous deux en appellation Margaux. Un joli visage de Bordeaux ! . Tasting about Chateau Haut Bages Libéral, Pauillac appellation and Château Ferriere, Margaux appellation. Both 1855 Grands Crus Classes. Presented by the owner, Claire Lurton, which is focused on the biodynamie process. With her husband, Gonzague, they manage about 140 hectares of vines in biodynamie on prestigious terroirs, especially on Margaux with Chateau Dufort Vivens, Château La Gurgue. A fascinating face of Bordeaux wines ! . #vin #wine #vino #vines #winelover #winetime #instawine #biodynamie #lurton #xlvinsfr #bordeaux #bordeauxwine #pauillac #margaux #1855 #grandcru #instamoment (à Bordeaux, France) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMgnxJXDe2y/?igshid=1roftwi3llz57

[xlvins]

Vertical tasting about Château La Tour Blanche from Sauternes, 1st 1855 GCC. A crazy moment from 2018 to 2001, plus 1976 and 1962! Tasting notes available on my blog xl-vins.fr Cheers! 🥂🥂🥂🥂 Degustation verticale de Château La Tour Blanche, 1er Grand Cru Classe 1855 sur l’appellation Sauternes. Un moment assez incroyable reprenant les millesimes de 2018 à 2001 avec en extra 1976 et 1962. L’article est en ligne sur mon blog xl-vins.fr avec commentaires de dégustation. Santé ! . #vin #wine #vino #vines #sauternes #grandcru #grandcruclasse #1855 #xlvinsfr #winelover #somm #sommlife #bommes #tasting #verticaltasting #chateaulatourblanche #winetime #sommelier #winecritic #wineblogger (à Château La Tour Blanche) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0yaMdkp9Hg/?igshid=1nnc6euf3upjd