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onjour!
We are dedicating this newsletter to one of the most renowned regions of France. It owes is fame
to its exceptional "AOC" or Appellation of Controlled Origin wines, the top category of quality wines.
Many of these are "Grands Crus Classés" or Classified Great Growths, with appellations such as Médoc,
Graves, Pomerol, Saint Émilion and Sauternes. They yield several millions of hectoliters a year
(1 hectoliter is about 26 gallons) of a wonderful red or white liquid that can make your head spin... you
guessed it, we are referring to the Bordeaux region. The famous French author Montesquieu who was
born there said of it: "The air, the grapes, the wine from the banks of the river Garonne and the
good temper of the Gascons were all excellent antidotes to melancholy". Bordeaux is located about
373 miles southwest of Paris.
But before continuing, please remember that you can access and read all the newsletters already
published at http://www.francemonthly.com/
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An Extraordinary Land
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There are four essential elements to the secret of a subtle, rich and delicious wine:
a unique soil, a favorable climate, quality grapes and an exceptional know-how.
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A Vineyard in St Emilion
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What makes Bordeaux wines so special is that they benefit from all of these advantages. On the left
bank of the Garonne, the soil is mostly graves, a mix of gravels, clay and sand, that have been
carried for millions of years by the rivers who have their sources in the mountains of the Pyrenees
and the volcanoes of the Massif Central. This particular soil is favorable for the production of very
high-quality grapes. On the right bank, you find a range of soils of variable composition, the direct
result of the erosion of various aged rocks that have the ability to soak up and hold rainwater. This
exceptional soil covers about 296,525 acres of vineyards that enjoy an unusual amount of sunshine and
an ideally tempered climate thanks to their position on the 45th parallel, half-way between the North
Pole and the Equator. Finally, the owners apply their passion for these precious and outstanding grapes
while growing a great variety of them. Mother Nature does things well and assembled in the Bordeaux
vineyards all the requisite elements for them to produce some of the best wines in the world. More
than 5,000 châteaux share in the production of Bordeaux wines.
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A Young Vineyard
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There is no doubt that the Romans planted vineyards in France at the beginning of our era. However,
it is very peculiar that up until the 12th century, the Bordeaux region was mainly known for its
dense forests and its many northwestern marshes, rather than for its vineyards, even though they
were occasionally mentioned. Clearly, the vineyard was not yet perceived as the basis for an
important economic activity in that region. The history of the area did change quite a bit when,
in 1152, Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henri Plantagenet, future King of England. Trade between the
two countries picked up quickly; the English exported textiles and metals to France, while their
merchant ships returned full of this wine that they were so crazy about, and that they called Claret,
due to its light color. These exchanges contributed largely to the development of the Bordeaux
vineyards. At the start of the 12th century, more than 100,000 barrels of 900 liters each (238 gallons)
were exported, creating a record that would not be matched until 1950! From 1610 on, a certain ship
made the trip several times between Bordeaux and London before being "rented" in 1620 by pilgrims
anxious to leave Europe for America... the Mayflower.
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Recipe for October 2005
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Pears in Wine
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"When the Wine Is Drawn, It Must Be Drunk"
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In fact, the English contributed at two different times in history to the fame of the wines from
the Bordeaux region: first in the 12th century, then in the 17th. In the 12th century, the famous
Médoc (north of Bordeaux) wasn’t really in the spotlight yet as the people of Bordeaux took a dim
view of the development of a vineyard upstream from the capital of Aquitaine.
They did not want to build ports on the estuary banks of Médoc as that would have set up a
very dangerously competitive situation, one where they stood to lose a phenomenal source of
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Oak barrels being made at Château Margaux
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revenue. They were determined to prevent such a catastrophe. So for three centuries, it was
from the port of Bordeaux that the ships left, carrying barrels full of this clear beverage
that the Londoners so enjoyed. Unfortunately, Bordeaux wines didn’t keep well in those oak
barrels once opened (glass bottles didn’t exist yet), so if they weren’t then consumed fast
enough, they would turn sour and become undrinkable. A proverb was derived from this unpleasant
experience: "When the wine is drawn, it must be drunk". A little later, in 1453, the battle
of Castillon signaled the end of the Hundred Years War, which chased the English out of
Aquitaine. With them gone, a very prosperous part of the local wine-based economy collapsed.
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The English, Quality Wine Connoisseurs
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It wasn’t until the end of the 17th century that the production of wines from Bordeaux really
took off, once more thanks to the English. Indeed, Bordeaux wines were not very well known in France
outside of the immediate region. In Paris, wines from Bourgogne or Champagne were preferred, for
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Château Pichon
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a very simple reason:
Bordeaux wines were excessively expensive. The road to transport them to the capital was a long
one, sometimes perilous but always peppered with cities that taxed any merchandise that passed
through them. That was enough to deter any potential buyer of modest means. On the other hand,
English merchants were looking for fine wines for London’s high-society. The delicacy and subtlety
of Bordeaux wines were not lost on them and they did not hesitate to pay the premium asking price.
And so it is really thanks to them that over time, the vineyards of Bordeaux were able to develop
as much in terms of area as of quality.
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The Dutch’s Turn: a Transitional Period
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At the end of the 17th century and at the beginning of the 18th, the Dutch were also appreciating
these Bordeaux wines that they destined for trade with their distant colonies or for distillation.
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A new barrel every 3 months
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The ability to preserve this precious beverage during long ocean crossings was at stake and became
of utmost importance. A number of techniques were perfected, among them the use of sulfur that was
burned in oak casks before they were filled. It wasn’t until Louis Pasteur, in the mid-19th century,
that the qualities of sulfur as an anti-bacterial agent that could protect the wine were clearly
understood. Without having been able to scientifically explain this at the time, the Dutch nonetheless
transformed this wine from one that had to be drunk "quickly" to one that would not even reach its
peak for years after it was bottled, a "vin de garde" (literally, a "wine to keep"). They also
discovered all the beneficial effects of wine-aging that give it a greater bouquet. The successful
exportation of Bordeaux wines grew nonstop, so much so that it became necessary to extend the vineyards
to answer the ever increasing demand. The Dutch once more offered their competence, this time in
draining marshes, and among them were those in the Haut Médoc area that was still mostly under water
at that time.
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Brokers, the Unavoidable Mediators |
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Still today, all the "Grands Crus" (Great Growths) are sold to wholesalers via brokers. As far back as
the early Middle-Ages, the broker was the unavoidable mediator between the producer to whom he offered
an outlet, and the wholesaler to whom he offered a supply. More than a just a job, it was a real vocation
and an all-consuming passion for the broker, a truly epic character in the history of Bordeaux wines.
He knew it all and also how to keep a secret. A fierce rivalry set up between brokers, as competition
was ruthless. A good knowledge of wine was not good enough, you had to be the fastest, the first to buy
the very best Grand Cru while you were at it, and the first to offer it to the wholesaler, in order to
make the deal. This gave way to wild rides in the countryside and across the vineyards of Bordeaux. It
was on a galloping horse that the broker delivered the good news, often with a second horseman hot on
his trail who arrived all out of breath at the wholesaler’s... just a little too late!
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The Barrel from Bordeaux: the Essential Reference
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The inventions of the glass bottle to securely store wine, and that of the cork stopper to seal
the bottles didn’t occur until the 18th century and their widespread use not until the 19th.
However, the wood barrel, used for grape juice fermentation and to transport the wine, had actually
been invented by the Gauls 2,000 years ago,
to replace the Roman amphora which was unpractical to store and therefore to ship. Indeed the barrel
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Château Lynch Bages Cellar
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holds an important place in the science of wine-making and the trading of wine. Historically, the
sizes of the barrels varied with the regions or with the times. Nowadays, a Bordeaux oak barrel contains
225 liters (about 60 gallons) of wine or the equivalent volume of 25 cases of 12 bottles each. It
has two important advantages over other barrels: it is easily handled by a single man when empty,
and its durability has been proven. In the 12th century, a barrel from Bordeaux contained 900 liters
and under Anglo-Saxon influence, it became
the ultimate reference against which the load capacity of any merchant ship anywhere in the world
was measured. Even today, a merchant ship is still evaluated by the number of thousands of 900 liter
barrels from Bordeaux it can hold.
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An Invitation to Taste Bordeaux Wines... |
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The Bordeaux region has no doubt become a worldwide reference for its legendary wines, thanks in
part to the know-how involved in, among other matters, the art of blending different grape varieties
of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc into the same bottle of wine. This is why you don’t
buy a bottle of Bordeaux based solely on its grape variety but rather on its place of production and
on the owner of the château. Each château makes a different wine from its neighbor’s, and the aroma of
a wine itself varies from one year to the next. In our next newsletter, we will visit the "Médoc Wine Road"
and we will share tasting advice from the greatest wine-growers. However, with no further delay, for
an objective opinion on great Bordeaux wines, it is a sure bet to simply refer to Robert Parker’s
excellent Guide des vins de Bordeaux. A harsh and impartial critic, conscientious and absolutely
independent, he has allowed the whole world to better appreciate the quality of French wines.
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