France is renowned for producing some of the best wines in the world and is home to prestigious winemaking regions—everyone almost easily recognizes Champagne, Burgundy, and Bordeaux and the sense of clout that comes with those names.
Bordeaux particularly is the most famous and highly coveted wine blend in the world. Thanks to its popularity, there is so much Bordeaux on the market that bottles can be found at all levels of quality and price.
Was happy to have been invited for an exclusive Tasting of some of the finest collection of Bordeaux Wines at Taj Falaknuma, Hyderabad – an evening jointly hosted by The Ambassador of France to India, H.E. Mr. Alexandre Ziegler and Mr. Michel Vernejoul, Vice President of International Relations of Bordeaux Metropole.
The evening preceded with the representatives of the winemakers of the various Grand Crus (Members of the Conseil des Grands Crus Classés en 1855) providing insights into the specificities of the selected wines as well as their pairing.
The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 was established when brokers from the wine industry were asked to draw a ranking of the most famous wines for the Paris Universal Exhibition. Visitors from around the world attended the display of wines ranked according to each estate’s reputation and trading price, which at the time reflected its quality. Published on 18 April 1855, the classification recognized the market for and the evolution of wines for more than a century.
The labels for tasting included:
Chateau Desmirail, Margaux 2010 – A Cabernet sauvignon-merlot blend,
Cabernet Sauvignon giving a medium body and merlot contributing with fruity notes. Blackberry, cherry, and pepper on the nose and on the tongue as well.
Balanced tannins & acidity. Medium dry lingers in the back of the mouth with a smooth finish.
Chateau Lascombes, Margaux 2009 – A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a little percentage of petit Verdot. A medium dry wine with soft tannins and a long finish. Mulberry, jam, spices (pepper, cinnamon) on the nose and the spiciness increases on the tongue with a dark chocolate, coffee finish.
Chateau Langua Barton, St. Julien 2012 – A medium body, dry wine with balanced tannins and acidity. Raisins, plums, red berry on the nose and prominent dry red berry’s on the tongue, resulting in a medium and fruity finish.
Chateau Batailley, Paulliac 2011 – A medium dry wine with decent acidity and dryness. Tannins are soft and well balanced
Nose is high on oak, a tinge of spiciness, vanilla and coconut flavors which are considerably felt on the tongue resulting in a medium finish.
Chateau Nairac, Barsac 2013 –Attractive golden color; with medium body, honeyed sweetness and is slightly dry and acidic which compliments the sweetness. Nose and tongue of orange, pineapple and raisins are prominent giving it a tropical note. The wine keeps lingering to your mouth for a while resulting in a long finish.
Chateau Rieussec, Sautérns 2007 – Beautiful Golden color highly concentrated wine with minimum dryness and balanced acidity. The wine had a tropical nose majorly raisins, dry berries, vanilla, and peaches. Balanced sweetness and a long finish
Vishal Fernandes is a seasoned traveller and a widely recognized blogger who has established himself as an authority on all things luxury. He loves wearing a blazer and has a fine collection of brogues. Vishal can mainly be found travelling the world and stopping off at some of the best hotels sampling their food & wines, or at some of the most prolific events. Along with his love for Food, Travel and wines, comes a massive enthusiasm for cars & watches.
