(Click tab to close this window)


Cabernet Sauvignon:
Despite being so prominent in the winemaking industry, the origins of this variety were shady up until the 1990s. Prior to this, many felt that the variety was ancient origin – perhaps even the Biturcia grape used to make ancient Roman wine. However, these romanticised and altogether dubious origins were placed on the shelf when DNA typing, undertaken by the UC David Department of Viticulture and Enology, determined that Cabernet Sauvignon was the offspring of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc – most probably due to a chance crossing in the 17th century.

Cabernet Sauvignon can grow in various different climates and soil types – in fact the wine usually gives a sense of the terroir in the taste. Naturally prone to vigorous yields, winemakers must be careful not to compromise the quality of the wine. Practices such as using less vigorous rootstock, green harvesting and aggressive pruning of grape clusters ensure lower yields.

This variety is most famously found in Bordeaux blends and thrives on the gravelly soils of the Medoc, being both well drained whilst also radiating heat to the vines. However, internationally varietals are very common – especially in warmer climates.

Merlot:
Used for both blending and varietal wines, Merlot is the foremost grape in the Bordeaux. Merlot wines usually have a medium body with hints of berry, plum and currant. Its softness and fleshiness, combined with earlier ripening, makes Merlot a popular grape for blending with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, with its higher tannin levels. Its name comes from the Occitan word “merlot” which means “young blackbird” – a nod towards the grape’s beautiful dark-blue colour. An offspring of Cabernet Franc (and therefore a sibling of Cabernet Sauvignon), it was first mentioned in 1784 where a labelled wine made from the grape attracted praise from all quarters.

The grape can easily be identified by its loose bunches of large, plump grapes. The colour is less or a blue/black hue than Cabernet Sauvignon and it has a thinner skin, with correspondingly fewer tannins. Pruning has a massive impact on the outcome of the wine, with reduced yields giving higher quality wine. Merlot has a propensity to quickly over ripen after hitting its initial ripeness level, sometimes in a matter of a few days. The renowned Chateau Petrus favours early picking to ensure acidity and ageing potential, while other growers favour late picking and the added fruitiness that comes with the additional ripeness of the fruit.

Merlot is now the most commonly grown grape in France, which claims two thirds of the world’s total Merlot cultivation.



(Click here to close this window)

(Click tab to close this window)

Consisting of 31 hectares located in the calcerous plateau of Pujols sur Ciron, near Barsac in the Graves appellation, this estate has much to commend it. A few disparate plots are also located on pebbly terraces at Illats. Since 1982 Denis and Florence Dubourdieu have overseen the replanting of the vineyard, so as to unlock its great potential. The name itself echos the first names of its founders: Denis and Florence Dubourdieu.

In 1982, at the time of its founding, Clos Floridene was a tiny enclosed parcel planted with 2 hectares of old white vines composed of Semillon and Muscadelle, a wine-grower dwelling, an old cellar and 2 hectares of fallow. The vineyard reached its present size by way of aggressive expansion – its immediate neighbours were snapped up by the enterprising Dubourdieus. The vineyard expanded considerably with the acquisition of Chateau Montalivet, a 13 hectare vineyard. In 2004, Fabrice Dubourdieu supervised the construction of Floridene’s new cellar. This allowed the first red wine to be produced by the estate during the 2005 vintage.

Produced from younger vines, Clos Floridene’s second Label is named Montalivet (after the subsumed estate).
(Click here to close this window)

(Click tab to close this window)

Stretching 50km along the Garonne River, the Graves is named after its soil – a potent blend of gravels, clays and sands. Pebbles and stones mixed with silts and clays rest on soils that are far sandier than the norm – in fact pure sand or hardpan (iron-oxide cemented sand) can be found. Some of the top estates even have deposits of white quartz in their soils. Unusually for the region, two-thirds of Graves is dedicated to white wine growth with Semillon taking the place of honour. The appellation of Sauternes gives rise to some of the world’s most clamoured after dessert wines.

The leading light of Graves is Chateau Haut-Brion – its only first growth, the other four belonging to the Medoc. Many estates here have an illustrious history – Chateau Pape-Clement was, as the name suggests, founded by the soon-to-be pope Bertrand de Goth. Planted in 1300 and with seven hundred harvests under its belt it is the oldest wine estate in the Bordeaux – comparatively, the region of Medoc only came into existence when the then-marsh was drained by Dutch engineers in the 17th century!

Soils: Gravels, clays and sands that are carried down from the mountains by the Gironde.
Size: 3,000 hectares
Output: 22,000,000 bottles
Type of wine produced: Robust medium to full-bodied reds and noble dry whites.
Grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc for reds. Semillon, Sauvignon, Muscadelle for whites.

[Click here for detailed map]  

(Click here close this window)

(Click tab to close this window)

Vintage Overview

One phrase which is being used increasingly to describe the 2010 vintage is ‘embarrassingly good.’ Given how 2009 was lauded to the heavens by the bordelaise as ‘the best ever’, it’s something of an awkward truth that – a mere twelve months later - we are faced once more with awe-inspiring quality. A due sense of cynicism is to be expected, but this mustn’t interfere with our appreciation of what is, quite objectively, a fabulous vintage.

Not that this came as a sudden surprise, as Bill Blatch (Bordeaux expert and negociant) notes: “Back in November, many owners were already quietly confident that their ’10 was better than the already legendary ’09 but, coming hot on the heels of the hallowed 2009s, they seemed embarrassed to say it too loudly. Today, half of Bordeaux is less timid in assessing ’10 as great as, if not greater than ’09.” He adds, “There is one point of total agreement: It is totally different from its predecessor.”

What we appear to have is more of a stylistic shift, while the quality has remained essentially static in its excellence. This quality isn’t reserved to the top tiers of Bordeaux producers, either. David Peppercorn MW observes that wines are attractive at all levels, from lesser properties all the way up to Grand Crus: “Those with lesser sites have made excellent wines.” He added that he would be quite happy to list many of them as everyday wines at the prestigious West End Garrick Club, where he sits on the wine committee.

The Reds

These are not wines for the faint-hearted, and in their excellence they are uncompromising. The average alcohol level is 14.5 per cent, peaking at 15.5 per cent in some cases. In addition, pH values are very low, acidity is obviously very high, and the tannins are formidable (ensuring fantastic ageing potential.)

Overall, these are ripe, dense wines packed with sweet fruit notes such as raspberry, strawberry and black cherry. Some are so richly flavourful that they take on a delicious ‘pruney’ dimension. Ordinarily this would be overpowering, but the keen balancing acidity keeps everything in check.

There is also what we might call a ‘rustic’ edge to many of these reds, in contrast to the silky voluptuousness of the 2009s. This is due to a searing hit of green tannins, which will develop and imbue the wine with steadily greater structure and balance.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc were generally picked in near-perfect conditions during the gloriously dry conditions of mid-October.

(Click here to close this window)