The world’s largest wine expo, held
bi-annually for five days in Bordeaux, a beautiful city on the wide
Garonne River in south-western France, in June, was eloquent testimony
to French flair and style.
The scale of the
organisation around three halls, the longest being one kilometre in
length, with a plethora of Restaurants du Jardin offering regional
delicacies (and thereby becoming favourite lunch-time venues!), coffee
and espresso bars and a Club du Lac along the lake front, had to be
experienced to be believed!
The Comité de Vinexpo
improves its offering with every Vinexpo and 2007 was no exception.
Un passerelle or floating pedestrian bridge was an innovation, as it cut
down on distances and provided a watercooled pathway across Le Lac
between the main exhibition site and the convention centre.
KWV has exhibited there
many times and since 1999, the company has been present at each Vinexpo,
which is held every two years over five days.
This was one of the best
Vinexpo fairs commercially and also the biggest, with more than 50 000
visitors and 1 300 Press from across the world.
But Vinexpo is not all
work and no play! There is plenty of scope for improving your wine
knowledge at tastings, lectures and on tours.
Bordeaux with its stone
buildings turned to shades of molten gold in the sunset, is a grand old
city, built centuries ago upon its prosperity as a river port and its
lucrative wine trade. Narrow, winding streets, many of them
cobbled, wend their way through the Old Town. Restaurants offering
fine cuisine and even finer wine lists, are often concealed behind drab
exteriors.
A memorable dinner in
just such a restaurant, paired with a bottle of 1989 Noble Cuvée de
Lanson Champagne and followed by a 2002 Château Margaux, was a
highlight. The food, prepared from the freshest ingredients, was
elegantly plated, with prompt, discreet service.
The famous Médoc, Côtes
de Bourg, Sainte Emilion and Pomérol regions are nearby, with many châteaux
offering tastings and other events during Vinexpo, ending on the
Thursday night with the Bal des Fleurs to which the cream of wine
society repairs.
Vieux Château Certan
tasting in Pomérol
One of the leading châteaux
in this region famous for its Cabernet Franc and Merlot blends, is Vieux
Château Certan owned by the Thiénpont family of Belgium. They
hosted a tasting at which 11 leading châteaux and domaines were
represented.
It was a sensory feast
of world-renowned, fine wines the likes of which are not often
offered at one tasting: Bollinger Champagne, Corton Charlemagne (Pinot
Noirs from Burgundy), Trimbach (famous Rieslings), wines from Château
Le Pin, Vieux Château Certan, Chassagne Montrachet, Burgundy and
Brunellos from Italy.
Ghislain de Montgolfier,
owner/president of Bollinger Champagne and the fifth generation of the
family, hosted his table. He told me that the Bollingers were
originally Germans from Baden-Wurttemberg and settled in France nearly
two centuries ago. He is descended from the founder, Jacques
Bollinger, as well as from the Montgolfier family of France, the
pioneers of ballooning, and the family after whom the Montgolfier clocks
were named.
A luncheon foray into
the exquisite village of Saint-Emilion followed, at a restaurant housed
in an old building with a tree-shaded courtyard, nestled up against the
Abbey. Impeccable service, cuisine and a bottle of Chateau Bel-Air,
a Merlot/Cabernet franc wine made for a memorable afternoon.
Other
wine events during Vinexpo...
Côtes
de Bourg: The
Citadelles du Vin wine awards were announced on the eve of Vinexpo at a
gala function at which the Côtes de Bourg hosted several tables.
This appellation, created in 1920, has a climate and terroir that has
given it the nickname of “Little Switzerland of the Gironde”
situated as it is on the right bank of the mighty Gironde and Dordogne
Rivers, 35 km north of Bordeaux and opposite the Médoc.
There
are 550 winegrowers of whom 300 are independent and 250 are co-operative
growers, who abide by stringent production rules, have eco-friendly
vineyard practices and the latest techniques. It produces a wide
variety of wines and there has been a recent revival of Malbéc
plantings, as well as the production of generic brands that showcase the
appellation.
3, 900
hectares are planted to red vines and 25 hectares to white wines.
The most notable red varietals are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet
Franc and Malbec, while Sauvignon Blanc, Colombar and Sémillon comprise
the white varietals.
Cave de
Rasteau dinner at Quai des Chartrons, Bordeaux: An
event that is an old favourite to attend on the penultimate evening of
Vinexpo, is that of the Cave de Rasteau situated in the Vallée du Rhône
near Orange and Avignon.
They
have 700 hectares under vines with 180 members. The average age of
the vines is 40 years and 70% of the plantings are on the hillsides.
The varietal mix is mostly Grenache with Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault,
Carignan and others.
Their
ranges are: Côtes du Rhône red, white and rosé, Côtes du Rhône-Villages
red, Rasteau Côtes du Rhône-Villages red and a Vin Doux Naturel
Rasteau.
Amongst
the excellent wines at the convivial evening that was enjoyed by
international Press and guests alike, were the Ortas brand, Les Viguiers,
a white wine, the Ortas Carte Or, a delectable red wine and the must-try
wine, the Vin Doux Naturel Rasteau with its aromas of dried fruit,
spice, apricot and honey, perfect with foie gras and produced only from
Grenache Noir. Its companion, the Signature Vin Doux Naturel is
outstanding.
Jean-Jacques
Dost, the amiable managing director, once again provided a memorable
tasting and dinner.
Château
Jean Faure, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
I was
invited to attend the second tasting at this lovely château situated
near the picturesque town of Saint-Emilion, perched on its great outcrop
of rock overlooking verdant vineyards and expansive skies.
Olivier
Decelle, proprietor of this grand cru, hosted guests to a comprehensive
tasting of wines from this property, as well as those from his other
properties of Mas Amiel in Languedoc, Château Haut-Maurac in the Medoc,
Château Haut-Ballet and Château Bellevue in Fronsac, at Château Jean
Faure.
It was
fascinating to note the evolution of the wines over the past two years,
made from Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec. The estate benefits
from this rare combination of grape varieties within the terroir of
Saint-Emilion which is similar to those of its neighbours, Châteaux
Figeac and Cheval Blanc.
Under
M. Decelle’s careful supervision since 2004, Jean-Faure is displaying
its great promise with elegant wines showing depth, and good acidity
producing freshness. These are classic chateau wines that will
improve with every vintage and are sure to regain for the chateau its
former eminence.
The
barbecue buffet paired with the château’s wines was rounded off with
a 1969 Mas Amiel dessert wine - the perfect ending to the longest day in
the Northern Hemisphere.
Great wines, super
people, wonderful cuisine and cool weather capped a successful voyage to
France.
©
Penelope Horwood
