The results I tasted from both Clos Cantenac and Château Séraphine are downright delicious. Distinctly different from the two previous vintages, the reds are slightly more approachable at this stage than their predecessors, and they have a decisively bordelais flair. The rosés and white crackle with freshness and structure. All made in very small quantities, these are worth seeking out.
Read MoreWhen Fabrice Reynaud, the fifth-generation custodian along with his brother Philippe, asked if I would be interested to taste their flagship estate's 2020 en primeur wines, I was happy to do so. Sure, I was interested to taste some Graves wines from Bordeaux's excellent 2020 vintage, but I was also deeply curious to taste wines from Château des Places. Because in 1859, a large stash of Roman coins - one of the largest found in France - was found in the vineyards that a few years later began the legacy of this château. A Roman winemaker is purported to have buried them in 49 BC. How could a history buff refuse?
Read MoreToday’s Bordeaux is affordable Bordeaux. No, I’m not talking about the 2019 En Primeur campaign, where prices are being slashed despite the most recent declarations of “the vintage of the century” in the face of the challenges presented in bringing the wines to market in the face of COVID-19. Rather, I’m talking about the 90%+ of Bordeaux wines that are sold outside of the En Primeur system. In fact, many sold within the En Primeur system are highly affordable, too. The fanfare at the precipitous (price-wise) top of the quality pyramid has distracted far too many consumers for far too long. During the same time, quality was skyrocketing while prices throughout most the region remained modest.
Read MoreA world almost entirely closed to travel, a cancelled Bordeaux En Primeur Campaign and persnickety, new DHL compliance requirements in the US are nothing compared to the tenacity of Martin Krajewski, owner of Château Séraphine and Clos Cantenac. And so it was that I held a mini En Primeur chez moi.
Read MoreBordeaux was incredibly calm during this year's en primeur campaign. Winemakers and châteaux owners seemed more doting and a few almost seemed to be pleading for the thinned crowds of visitors to give the vintage a chance.
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