Goes out to nearly 20.000 Bordeaux Wine Lovers all over the world!
Beautiful Bordeaux
A Personal Note From Ronald,
Thank you for taking the time to read my personal note. I always enjoy getting your feedback and thoughts about my writings and on what I drink. I tasted some great wines this month because we didn’t go on vacation. Normally we take a family trip in February, but not this year. My eldest son is studying in London and has no proper vacation. His brother will graduate from high school this year and needs all his time to study, or so he says… As a result we spend more time than usual at home this month. We made up for that and enjoyed the company of many of our friends at the dinner table. I will allow you a peek in our private life and private dinner parties.
Our dining room at Chateau Coulon Laurensac,
the venue for both our private dinner parties
and the Farewell-dinner on our week tours
So much to learn about our fabulous Bordeaux wine region
Second wines, not second best
One of the questions I get asked a lot is about the difference of a second wine and a Second Growth. I’ll explain the importance of second wines to you in my feature article this issue.
Instead of therapy
Of course we have our traditional winter renovations at Chateau Coulon Laurensac. This turns out to be a compulsory part of Chateau-life. This time we are redoing the entire pool. Some of my friends ask me if I have a building fetish. Well, not that I am aware of, but I often joke to people: Margaret and I live at the chateau with our two boys, our dog “Easy” and an army of workers. I will tell you something about constructing challenges in France in this issue. It is either that or therapy…
Learn about Bordeaux in Bordeaux
2017 is a great year for touring Bordeaux. You may even get the chance to taste some of the outstanding 2016 vintage, right out of the barrel. But most of our guests rave about our selection of older vintages (library wines) we taste on our tours. And of course you will see and taste all Five First Growths on all our week tours. And the meals are as spectacular as your tastings. From Michelin-rated dining to exclusive private meals in chateau-venues, not open to the public.
Our tours are great learning experiences in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. And we are looking for some couples and a few singles to take up our last spots. Check out our availabilities here. We would love to see you in Bordeaux with us this summer.
Solo travellers more than welcome on our Bordeaux Wine Tours,
Click on the picture for a short video
Feedback
Last time I told you that our new websites are up and running and they work now on your iPad or phone as well. If you haven’t checked it out please do so now. I would love to get your feedback on our websites and remember, you can reach me by email (Ronald@BXWINEX.com) or simply reply to this magazine. I love to hear from you.
Ronald and Margaret love to share
their passion for Bordeaux with you
And please remember: Don’t drink anything I wouldn’t drink!
Cheers from Bordeaux,
Ronald Rens, M. Sc., Wine Master
Wine writer and President
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Wines shared with friends
"Michelin rated butcher"
This month we hosted quite a few dinner parties at Chateau Coulon Laurensac. Margaret always enjoys preparing a nice menu while my responsibilities lay with the wines. Recently Margaret discovered which butcher provides the Michelin-starred restaurant Saint James and she now orders all our meats from there. So when a few of our friends from Classified Growths from Margaux and Pessac-Léognan came for dinner she prepared a beautiful fillet mignon with a stroganoff cream sauce. I paired this with some treasures from my cellar: a Figéac 1990 followed by Léoville Las Cazes 1978. It is always so much fun to taste together with other wine lovers and compare impressions and opinions.
Figéac 1990 followed by Léoville Las Cazes 1978
Enjoying Mouton 2004
Mouton Rothschild
A couple of nights ago some dear friends of ours from the Netherlands honored us with a short visit. One of them celebrated a big birthday last year, which we couldn’t attend and I had promised him a dinner with a tasting of Mouton Rothschild as a birthday gift.
We had invited some other friends as well and this time Margaret served the most impressive Cote de Boeuf grilled to perfection on the open fire in the dining room.
Speaking of Mouton, you’ll remember that Mouton changes their label each year with artwork by a contemporary artist.
The 2004 Mouton Rothschild carries a water color by Prince Charles and there is a reason for this: The year 2004 marks the Centenary of the Entente Cordiale, concluded by Britain and France on 8 April 1904. The Prince agreed that the label for Mouton Rothschild 2004 could be illustrated with one of his watercolors, inspired by a French landscape, in celebration of the Entente Cordiale. He has added in his own hand: «To celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Entente Cordiale – Charles, 2004».
The Mouton Rothschild 2004 was superb and we had a great evening with a lot of laughter.
Pomerol
We also dined in a private chateau in Pomerol this month. Since I am a Hospitalier de Pomerol I felt completely at home at Chateau Siaurac. We drank a magnum of Siaurac 2010 on the lamb. On the cheese we drank a bottle of Siaurac 2009. As usual the discussion around the table at some point focussed on vintage preference. I went with a preference for the lush and flattering 2009. Margaret preferred the more traditional and more intellectual 2010. Both were great with many more years in front of them.
A big fat Chinese New Year
And for Chinese New Year we tasted a Jeroboam (6 liters) of Château Ramage la Bâtisse 1996, drinking beautifully at 20 years of age. I was glad we were with a large group of friends to get this job done!
A bottle a day keeps the doctor away
Second wine, definitely not second choice
Chateau Lafite Rothschild, home to one of the most famous second wines in Bordeaux
Why a second wine?
The world of Bordeaux wines is complex and sometimes not so easy to understand. What makes things even more complicated is when chateaux make different wines within the same vineyard. The reason a chateau chooses to make different wines is actually quite simple. Not all grapes are perfect when harvested. Remember vineyards in Bordeaux are often large; 60 to 100 ha is no exception. Not all grapes in a vineyard reach the same level of ripeness. In addition, wines in Bordeaux are a blend of several grape varieties and not all varieties ripen equally well on each parcel. Furthermore, not all vines have the same age and as a rule of thumb the oldest vines produce the best wine.
You can guess what happens when a chateau makes only one wine. Exactly, all the grapes, ripe or not end up in that same single wine. Having a second wine has become a quality indicator in Bordeaux. Grapes that are not quite perfect, are vinified separately and voilà, we have a second wine. This increases the quality of the first wine dramatically.
No second choice
This second wine resembles the Grand Vin but is obviously not the same quality. Less complex, less powerful and above all, second wines mature quicker. Traditionally Bordeaux second wines are drunk while waiting for the first wines to mature.
At the top end of Bordeaux these second wines are certainly no second choice. Because of the increased wine making techniques and knowledge of wine, all wines in Bordeaux have improved over the last decades.
The second wine of Chateau Margaux
The second wine of Chateau Mouton Rothschild
Better than ever
Many second wines of today are even better than their big brother -the first wine- of 20 years ago. The advantage for us wine lovers is that second wines are a lot cheaper (maybe should I say less expensive) than the main brand that serves as flagship wines. Let’s look at one of the most famous second wines of Bordeaux. Premier Grand Cru Classé Lafite Rothschild has been producing Les Carruades, the second wine of Lafite, for many years. American wine guru Robert Parker rates Les Carruades at the level of a Fifth Grand Cru Classé, but this is no official classification of course. The noble designation Grand Cru Classé can never be on the label of something as common as a second wine.
Costly decisions
How many and which grapes are used for the Grand Vin or the second wine, is a decision each Chateau makes themselves. There are no rules. For some vats it is already clear from the start. The grapes from the best parcels for example. These grapes will almost always go into the first wine. Wine of the young vines is kept separately in other vats for the second wine. Yet this is not a law carved in granite. All wines will be tasted and rated. Each individual barrel is judged at regular intervals. And the winemaker of the chateau and his team then decide for which blend a a vat will be used: Grand vin or second wine. And this is a costly piece of self-censorship.
No second wine for Yquem, here it is all or nothing
Expensive bargains
These strict selections and quality improvement lead to higher prices. After all, there is less wine and the quality is better. In the last century (which is really only 17 years ago!) you could still buy many of the second wines for around $ 30, only a fraction of the price of a Premier Grand Cru. A few examples of the vintage 2010 show how much the scene has changed in Bordeaux. The price of the Les Forts de Latour (second wine of Latour) is around € 300 and the Pavilion Rouge (the second wine of Chateau Margaux) is well above that. These are price levels that –as recent as last century- the first wines didn’t dare dream about.
Yet those prices are far below those of their big brothers. For the price of a single bottle of Chateau Margaux 2010 you can buy three bottles Pavilion Rouge of the same vintage. One bottle of Latour 2010 costs the same as five bottles Les Forts of the same year. Less, but certainly not cheap
Premier Grand Cru Classé
Latour
Lafite Rothschild
Mouton Rothschild
Margaux
Haut Brion
Premier Grand Cru Classé Supérieur
Yquem No second wine. Here it’s is all or nothing. Yquem produces either their Grand Vin Yquem or nothing at all like in 2012
Second wine
Les Forts de Latour
Les Carruades de Lafite
Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild
Le Pavilion Rouge de Margaux
Le Clarence de Haut-Brion (until 2007 Bahans Haut-Brion)
No second wine. Here it’s is all or nothing. Yquem produces either their Grand Vin Yquem or nothing at all like in 2012
At Latour even the second wine has its own second wine
New pool at Chateau Coulon Laurensac: Almost ready
In a month the pool will look prettier than ever
Can we start on Monday?
“Can we start the work this Monday, please confirm.” That Friday Margaret and I were just finishing a leisurely lunch on the bay of Archachon, about 45 minutes from Bordeaux as I received this message from our pool company. We had ordered a complete overhaul of our pool at Chateau Coulon Laurensac and the work was supposed to begin somewhere this winter. I had sent numerous unanswered emails and had left countless unanswered messages to enquire when the work would finally start. This Monday was the obvious answer. In France, when workers tell you that they want to show up, you never say no! As a result I spent a large part of my weekend dragging hoses and pumps to the pool as the pool guy at the end of our conversation had casually informed me that the pool of course had to be empty before he could do anything.
Can we start on Monday?
Where did all the water go?
Water
“Where will all the water go?” asked my mother when I told her about my change of plans for the weekend. “Well, into the gardens,” I answered. It was not a strange question because we’re talking about some 120.000 liters of water here (about 32.000 gallons). Luckily we have a rather large garden because it takes a while for this pool tsunami to filter into the ground.
“We will start working at eight sharp on Monday, so can you make sure to be there to let the workers in?” my pool guy ordered. He grumbled and used what seemed to me some slightly profane language when I informed him that he couldn’t come before eight-fifteen because otherwise I wouldn’t be back from driving my son to school.
Unexpected priorities
Of course nobody showed up at 8.15 am. Around ten o’clock I was starting to get worried. Had I misunderstood his grumblings? Had I insulted his dignity by refusing access to my property on his requested slot? Around 10.30 I started looking for his phone number and as I was dialing his number, there was somebody ringing at the gates and the miracle happened as a small army of workers showed op. After a lot of shaking of hands and best wishes to everybody for the New Year, they were ready to inspect the battlefield. Well, almost, because there were unexpected priorities to be met: “Where can we plug-in our coffee machine, because we can’t do anything without coffee!” I showed them the changing room near the pool-house and that seemed to do, as our Portuguese stonemason ordered a young helper to stop idling and start brewing coffee.
The battlefield of Verdun
Within two days they made the pool area look like the battlefield of Verdun, a century earlier. Two days later it started to rain and that made our lawn even softer. Of course my chap insisted on continuing driving his big truck over my lawn up-and-down the pool area, creating two deep muddy trenches, making the WO I image even more accurate.
You should know that winters usually are mild in Bordeaux. Well, not the winter of 2017 of course. We had some serious frost this year with temperatures of -10C (around 14F) in the nights and early mornings. Needless to say that you can’t build when your material is frozen. As a result the work was interrupted for a couple of days every now and then. To their credit the workers showed on multiple frost-free Saturdays waking us up at eight sharp with heavy machinery. But we didn’t complain (Well, not much anyway).
Needing therapy soon
I will spare you further gruesome details and I am delighted to be able to inform you that the work is almost done and our pool is starting to look like a pool again. The lawn around the pool on the other hand, still looks like a minefield after an infantry invasion. My gardener saw the look on my face when I was inspecting what was left of my lawn and he realized that I might start needing therapy soon. To prevent this, my gardener promised me that he’d get the lawn in order in no time. It may take a small investment of buying some turf but then the result will be beautiful this spring. “Even better than before!” he emphasized, when he saw the disbelieve in my eyes…
Disbelieve in my eyes…
Our 2017 Bordeaux Wine Tour Program
Because you want a Bordeaux Wine Experience and not "just a tour"
The Grand Tour of Bordeaux
The Grand Tour maybe the most special tour we offer, with meals as exceptional as your visits. Imagine tasting all five First Growths and Yquem. And there is more: Superb chateau meals and Michelin rated dining… Add to this the best of Pomerol and Saint Emilion and you’ll see that this dazzling Grand Tour of Bordeaux is your chance to see and taste the very best that Bordeaux has to offer.
Seeing the medieval chateau at Superior First Growth Yquem is a highlight on all our Bordeaux week tours
A master-class on tasting Classified Growths marks the
start of each of our Bordeaux Week Tours
The Bordeaux Grand Cru tour
This is probably our most exclusive tour. This ultimate wine tour for Bordeaux lovers is as good as it gets. Can you believe that you’ll see and taste all five First Growths and Superior First Growth Chateau d’Yquem including some older vintages! Of course we include the best of Saint Emilion and Pomerol as well. Add to this outstanding meals at exceptional venues not normally open to the public and you’ll see why this tour usually sells out early.
Ask us for an Itinerary here.
The Bordeaux Grand Cru Harvest Tour
The Harvest Tour is Grand in every way, both in food and wine. Enjoy chateau meals and Michelin rated dining. The most exciting time in Bordeaux is harvest time. You can sense the anticipation in the air.
And the food is superb as well: Exclusive meals at extraordinary venues not normally open to the public. On top of that you’ll see and taste all five First Growths and Superior First Growth Chateau d’Yquem and many of them will be older vintages!
Ask us for an Itinerary here.
Bordeaux in full harvest swing
2017 Bordeaux Wine Tour Schedule
May 15 – May 20 (2017)
(Last rooms available, just two double rooms)
June 5 – June 10 (2017)
(Last room available,
just one single room)
June 26 – July 1 (2017)
(Last 3 rooms available)
September 4 – Sept 9 (2017)
(Last rooms available)
The Bordeaux September Grand Cru Harvest Tour
September 18 – Sept 23 (2017) (Last room available, just one double)
The Bordeaux October Grand Cru Harvest Tour
October 2 – October 7 (2017)
Last room available,
just one single room
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What makes our Bordeaux Wine and Culinary Tours so special?
•
See and taste all 5 First Growths and Château d’Yquem!
•
Expert (and humorous) guidance by Bordeaux specialist Ronald Rens
•
Air-conditioned accommodation at our privately owned 18th century chateau
•
Taste more Classified Growths than on any other Bordeaux wine tour!
•
Grand Cru Farewell Dinner with all Grand Cru wines (including Chateau d’Yquem!)
•
Gourmet meals at three Bordeaux Chateaux and a Michelin starred restaurant!
•
Grand Cru wines with all meals (except breakfast…)
•
Air-conditioned, luxury motor coach transportation throughout the tour
•
Great food and wine and a lot of fun in a small group
2017 Bordeaux Day Tour Packages
The most complete Wine Day Tour Packages in Bordeaux!
Best of both worlds tour
Stay at our Chateau and be chauffeur-driven to Classified Growths on a private tour that combines the best of both worlds in Bordeaux: the Médoc and Saint Emilion.
Chateau Coulon Laurensac, without a doubt the best place in the world to taste all five First Growths and Yquem…
The Bordeaux Wine Experience
at Chateau Coulon Laurensac
1, chemin de Meydieu
33360 Latresne (BORDEAUX), France
Website : www.BXWINEX.com
Call us:
1-877-203-2665 (toll free from USA & Canada) or
+33 556 20 64 12 (from anywhere else in the world)
(These lines go directly to our Chateau in Bordeaux so please remember that we’re on Paris time!)
Copyright © 2017 by The Bordeaux Wine Experience. All rights reserved. The content, design and graphical elements of this Magazine are copyrighted. The Bordeaux Wine Experience is a Dutch company specializing in wine and culinary tours in the Bordeaux region for an English speaking international clientele.