Sauternes is not just for Christmas - or to drink with foie gras. That’s the message that the sweet Bordelais want to tell the world with a marketing budget under 500,000 euros each year.
The old foie gras/blue cheese and Sauternes are so deeply entrenched that it’s going to have to take one enormous effort to alter perceptions.
Thomas Dejean of Chateau Rabaud Promis, admits: “Sauternes, foie gras, Sauternes, foie gras. It’s a reflex. We have to create more moments. As an aperitif, it’s fantastic - like a Sauvignon Blanc it’s incredibly aromatic.” Yes, but it’s not dry Thomas - and that’s the issue.
There certainly are plenty of other occasions that you can drink Sauternes but it’s a bit of a push to serve it at every course. Similarly, the Champenois try and force fizz down your throat at every course too, and that gives you really bad guts and makes you yearn for a still wine.
Nevertheless, I have to admit that there were some fantastic combos thanks to ex-sommelier and consultant chef, Georges Gotrand. He works his dishes around the wines - not something every chef would do for a sweet wine but then he’s getting paid to do it.
Nevertheless Chinese-style chicken marinated in sesame oil and soya sauce with coriander was sticky and viscous and a lighter-style Cadillac worked famously with it.
Likewise curried monkfish with dried coconut and an ‘04 Sauternes both married well. The sweetness complementing the delicate spices and the viscosity of the wine working with the creaminess of the sauce.
There were plenty of surprising matches and I have to say it did change my mind but will I get a bottle of sweet Bordeaux out next time I have a coconut-based curry? I’d like to say yes but then I’d probably be lying.
The thought of running a marathon makes my knees sore. The lunacy of running that far doesn’t stop plenty of unfit people from giving the 26 miles/42 km a crack. If I ever were to take on the distance, it would probably be in the Medoc, running past the chateaux along the Left Bank with a swarm of runners in fancy dress. However, the thought of getting passed by a runner in a rhino suit or Superman outfit would be too humiliating to bear.
The Medoc marathon already has two rival events in the region - in Blaye and Gujan-Mestras. But three marathons isn’t enough for the Bordelais, so next year the sweet wine appellations of Sauternes and Barsac are launching their own marathon. Put the 4 June 2011 in your diary and get training. The appellation’s wine body, the ODG, have been the driving force behind the marathon and producers will open up their cellar doors for tastings while the marathon winds through the area’s vineyards. There’s even talk of putting on swish dinners at the chateaux for the runners. I’m not sure if foie gras and running are much of a match, however.
It’s hoped there will be 800 participants. Will you be one of them?
I’ve never been a dog person. I was once attacked on Skinningrove beach on a school trip by an Alsatian and have not been a fan of the canine family since.
So, I can’t say I was too happy in the sweet wine appellations of Bordeaux this week when every resident appeared to have an aggressive dog on their property. The first dog I met at Chateau Biac, Charlie, was no worries although it took a liking to my left shin and insisted on licking it at any opportunity. I tried to tell it I had recently showered but it didn’t seem to care.
My next run in with a chien was just 12 hours later with my nemesis - an Alsatian - at Ch. Rabaud Promis in Sauternes. Thank God, it was elderly and didn’t seem that interested in any of my body parts. However, it turned out the dog liked Sauternes and every time we went to spit on the gravel drive (no spittoons here) its party trick was catching whatever we spat out.
Cycling around Sauternes is a great way to see the area although if you’re on the road between Chateau d’Yquem and Ch. Raymond Lafon, watch out for a ferocious Jack Russell. Once again, the French dog was going for my legs, trying to bite my ankles. I don’t think I’ve cycled so fast in a long while trying to get away from it. Unfortunately the tourist office’s bikes are not exactly racing bikes so while my legs were going like billy-o, the Jack Russell was managing to keep up. I finally shook it off after a couple of hundred metres.
Bear in mind, this was all within a 24-hour period. I was yapped at by many dogs throughout the cycle ride but luckily they were fenced in.
My dog problems were not over, however. My last visit in Loupiac involved a rottweiler. it burst through some bushes and went for us. I froze, thinking Lady Luck had deserted me. Baring its teeth and barking, my blood pressure was on the up. Suddenly it jerks backwards and the metal chain around its neck has extended as far as it can. Suddenly, it’s funny. Nevertheless, I might invoke a no-dogs policy on my next trip to a wine region.
It’s good to see Bordeaux taking the bull by the horns and admitting things have gone slightly awry for the majority of the region’s wine industry.
It has recognised that beyond the prized ‘classed growths’, the financial state and the structure of the region’s grape growers and winemakers is pretty dire. The economic crisis has precipitated their demise but it was always coming, particularly with the decline in consumption in the domestic market.
While it is widely recognised that Bordeaux is the most prestigious region in the world, the generic brand has been damaged by low quality players who provide poor value for money. Bordeaux under £10? I wouldn’t bother.
The region is too serious and elitist compared to Australia, for example. The labels are confusing and the wines can be somewhat austere when tasted next to friendly, fruit-filled New World Cabernets.
Bordeaux Tomorrow is a 27-page plan to address the region’s strengths and weaknesses on a global stage.The main points are:
-make the offer easier to read by the consumer
-enhance the level of perceived quality
-help non-competitive players to become more successful
-encourage consolidation of cooperatives
-become stronger in generic appellations
-fight counterfeit wines
The scheme will be rolled out over the next three years.
Part of the plan is to categorise the wines in a similar vein to Wine Australia. It does not have Brand Champions or Regional Heroes but Art, Exploration, Fun and Basique. This seems rather airy-fairy to me but we’ll see what they do with it. It looks like they’re going to try and select a small selection of wines in each category for particular export markets to fight the good fight.
They don’t say how much money is going to be behind this new push but they will need more than simply good intentions to make this a success.
I’ve been asking myself whether Hawke’s Bay should be concentrating on Syrah or Bordeaux blends for a few months now – and it seems the same question is floating around on Waiheke Island.
Bordeaux blends initially put the island on the map but Syrah is now creeping up behind it and making a big splash.
Syrah is my favourite grape variety so I’ll admit I could be a bit biased but in my opinion, the Syrahs from Waiheke better reflect their sense of place than Cabernet blends. Feel free to disagree but that’s the way I see it.
The Bordeaux blends are very good, often elegant (although some aren’t so good: I don’t think Cabernet and American oak go together) with black ripe fruits, firm tannic structure and medium to high alcohol.
There are green capsicum (even brussel sprout) notes found in many Cabernets here alongside a ripeness of fruit and tannin that you don’t find in Bordeaux. The green aromas are not unpleasant at all (hey, it’s Cabernet’s varietal character) but in a cooler year, ripening can be an issue. Neil Culley, founder of Cable Bay says, “The Cabernet sites need to be warm right to the end of the season so they need to be in the middle of the island or sheltered sites.” Cool sea breezes scupper Cabernet’s chances of ripening and some sites are certainly not suited to it.
But the Syrah screams class in a glass. It’s unique and performs consistently year to year. Yes, it’s a vigorous little bugger but on a low vigour site and with careful management, boy is it characterful.
Daniel Schuster (no relation of Michael), a flying wine consultant with Stag’s Leap and Chateau Palmer on his CV, says, “There are Bordeaux varieties here and it is obvious they are working. But the Syrah is the closest I have seen to classic Rhone. They have Syrah that doesn’t taste like marmalade, full of American oak.” Which Syrah producing region are you referring to, I wonder Danny?!!
The Syrahs here are full of blackberry, violets, floral notes and, although many try to deny their wines are peppery, they are. Get over it – some of us kinda like it.
If I were a producer on Waiheke, I’d be planting Syrah and I think this should be the Island’s flagship. Duncan McTavish, winemaker at Man O’War, the island’s largest producer, says, “I don’t think we necessarily need a flagship. The two can co-exist. We built our reputation on Bordeaux blends. Syrah is the new kid on the block and it has made a big statement early on. But we can’t focus on one to the detriment of the other.”