Last night my wife and I finished off an enjoyable bottle of the Clarendelle 2005 Red Bordeaux from Clarence Dillon.  Must confess that I had a “sneak preview” glass on Wednesday night, but the final polish came last night as we celebrated the early end to the work week.  This Bordeaux accompanied shell steaks, grilled to taste, and a delicious salad of field greens, baby potatoes, blue cheese–and bacon!
Most times, a dinner glass of wine is about the taste, or a combination of tastes.  Yesterday, though, it was about celebrations instead.  With that spirit in mind, I sampled this rich red from a great birthday gift mug during the dinner hour and afterwards as I packed up all my black and orange for Opening Day at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.  Helped kick off a fun weekend!

The 2006 Chateau Grand-Maison Grand Vin Bordeaux is a show-stopping red blend, a powerhouse combination of Merlot (84%), Malbec (12%), and Cabernet Franc (4%) from the Cotes de Bourg region of France.  It was also an amazing drink with which to celebrate Winter Storm Nemo as it bracketed the region with nearly a foot of snow, wind, and wintery madness.  A gift from my oenophile brother, I pulled the cork and was blown away by the mix of blackberries, plums, and spice contained in this pale green bottle (special thanks to my lovely and talented photographer for the photo here).

2006 Chateau Grand-Maison Grand Vin Bordeaux, Cotes de Bourg, France

This Bordeaux (a chateau’s top wine) we opened not only to celebrate warmth and comfort in the middle of the storm, but also a visit from a dear friend who was in town with us for the evening.  You don’t need a special occasion like this to open the Chateau Grand-Maison (at least the 2006); you make a special occasion when you open this gem.  We had it first with fun appetizers (e.g., shrimp shumai and spicy California roll) and then with fist-sized top sirloins, served with a mushroom and pan-seared butter sauce along with spring greens and a citrus vinaigrette.  Rosemary roasted potatoes completed this fantastic feast and made for the perfect blend of herbs and rare-cooked cow–and red wine.

This 40-year-old vineyard apparently has its roots in the 19th century, when it was first linked together from disparate vineyards renowned for their chalky-clay soils and gravelly clay.  Chateau Grand-Maison is located on the north short of the Gironde estuary and situated on the southern slope of a high plateau.   Here are the tasting notes from master sommelier Janine Lettieri: “Notes of black fruits, currant, berries and plum are layered with notes of sweet vanilla spice, a result of aging in 50% new French oak barrels.  A few years in bottle have benefited this wine, allowing the tannins to soften and oak flavors to integrate.  A great candidate for cellaring, this wine can age for a decade.  A lovely pairing for heartier fare, this wine gave great pleasure when I served it alongside rare beef tenderloin with roast fingerling potatoes finished with a red-wine reduction.”

Ironically, that was very close to the meal we were enjoying too.  The clear highlight of the night, though–other than the great company–was the 2006 Chateau Grand-Maison Grand Vin.

Friday night I pulled the cork holding back the treat that is the Chateau Peyredon Lagravette Bordeaux.  Nice!  This full, rich red accompanied only a local pizza (half pepperoni and half pepperoni and mushroom) but really represented itself well.  My wife, who hasn’t sniffed a red that she’s enjoyed in some time, was encouraged upon her first noseful and sampled with an approving nod.

Chateau Peyredon Lagravette 2009, Haut Medoc, Grand Vin de Bordeaux, France.

My simple palate detected spicy undertones in this fruity red, possibly the “grippy” vibe recognized by the experts as outlined below.  Earthy, too.  The Chateau Peyredon Lagravette is a 63% cabernet sauvignon and 37% merlot blend (made of grapes harvested on the 8th and 13th of October), and I think I enjoyed this more than other bordeaux blends that bring more syrah or the like to the table.  I polished off the second half of this Cru tonight while watching the NFL Championship games between the Falcons/Nincrs and the Patriots/Ravens–a worthy beverage.

I think one of Parker’s guys is Neil Martin, and here’s what he had to offer: “Has a very fragrant bouquet with a lot of oak but sufficient fruit underneath to support it.  The palate is medium-bodied with a fine, grippy entry and a nice fleshy mouthfeel towards the cohesive, grippy finish.  A complete Cru Bourgeois that should drink well over 5-8 years.  Good stuff!”

This was a pickup from our local Bottle King and I should grab several others just like this while the success is fresh in my mind!

Again it’s been my pleasure to sample, over the past several evenings, a new bottle of the Clarendelle 2005 Red Bordeaux from Clarence Dillon.  On the first night I definitely erred in not letting the Clarendelle sit long enough…was a tad on the bitter side and had not had an opportunity to sufficiently breathe.  Thank you tannins!

I recorked it and sampled several more glasses over this brisk January week and was increasingly pleased with the additional time.  Photos I’ve captured several times previously in this blog, and more detailed tasting notes too.  Still a good value but my excitement isn’t as great as when I’m exploring something new for the first time.

This fun red hails from the Appellation of Haut-Médoc in the Bordeaux region of southwestern France, on the Left Bank of the Gironde estuary.  Consumed over the course of several evenings this week, this 2010 Chateau La Rose Saint-Sauveur was pleasant on the nose and the tongue…gaining some fullness, in my uneducated opinion, over the week.  My best friend has spoiled me on bordeaux, however, and this one didn’t quite measure up to others chronicled in this Notes blog.  They can’t all be spectacular, and this one thus comes in as a “working class” bordeaux in my humble opinion.

2010 Chateau La Rose Saint-Sauveur Grand Vin de Bordeaux, France

The last glass I had with a seasoned pork loin, cooked to perfection, and a green salad of red onion, apple slices, mixed romaine, and bleu cheese–definitely with a Greek flavor.  And this bordeaux was serviceable in that capacity, and I was glad to give it a go, but it’s now off my To-Do List and enables me to enjoy others during this holiday season.

Over the past several evenings I’ve slowly worked my way through a new bottle of the Clarendelle 2005 Red Bordeaux from Clarence Dillon.  In most instances this bordeaux served as a delicious before-dinner beverage that put the dust of the day behind me and settled me in for a relaxing evening at home with the family.

Photos I’ve captured elsewhere in this blog, and more detailed tasting notes too.  Suffice it to say this has been a great investment to date…

Started this bottle on Friday night but it needed just a bit of time to breathe before drinking.  While it was more acidic and less fruity immediately upon uncorking, its true colors (and tastes!) were evident a day later when I repoured it for the neighborhood poker game.  Still a big fan!

On the eve of Hurricane Sandy’s landfall in New Jersey, we opened up a bottle of the Clarendelle 2005 Red Bordeaux, a Clarence Dillon blend inspired by Haut-Brignon. It had a deep, earthy (but not musty) smell and enabled us to get a whiff of nice, dark berries and such while indulging our recent yet growing interest in Bordeaux.

Clarendelle 2005, a Bordeaux from Clarence Dillon wines, that is inspired by Haut-Brion.

As the superstorm raged outside, gale-force winds bending branch and limb in supplication, we were content with ample adult beverages as well as delicious bread, kalamata olives, mushrooms, pepperoni, and several types of cheese. Armed with a case of the Clarendelle, courtesy of WineExpress, this was but the first occasion of many in which we’ll be tasting and sharing feedback on this red blend. Here’s a little bit on this wine from the seller:

Inspired by Haut-Brion, this elegant red Bordeaux is produced by the owners of that historic Chateau. Clarence Dillon purchased the estate in 1935 and his family has run it since then. Meanwhile they have branched out to other winegrowing regions including California, but with their roots firmly planted in Bordeaux, Clarendelle was an easy next step; an affordable, fine quality Bordeaux. This red is from the monumental 2005 vintage and shows its pedigree and its panache with a perfumed nose and lush, mouthfilling flavors over soft, silky tannins. This is one that’s ready to enjoy right now while your Haut-Brion is maturing.

I’ve never had the Haut-Brion itself but if this copycat is any indication, then it’d be a worthwhile pursuit for sure.