Friday morning, Bordeaux

Once again an early battle through the Bordeaux traffic but this time on my way to collect a tiny amount of our superb Margaux that will go into our final Grand Chai blend. The wine has finally passed the strict tasting tests and been awarded Margaux status and can now be aged in barrel at the Chai. We only have six barrels but to get wine of this standard in such a great year is truly great wine detective work and therefore I am not going to tell you where it came from. However, I will say the VERY close neighbours are one certain Chateau Giscours, Chateau du Tertre and Chateau Issan!

When I finally get back to the Chai, a petit Denis is very pleased to see me and eager to show me his work over the last two days. He has singlehandedly managed to rack 89 barrels and blended the 2009 Syrah de Folie from barrels in the Dordogne up and through the connecting stainless steel pipe under the feet of Magali, Libby, Amye and Helen in the upstairs office (unbeknownst to them) to the Grand Chai and into the largest vat!

The 2009 Syrah is just superb and all those black olive, black fig and garrigue notes so dominant during harvest and fermentation are right back. Delicious stuff indeed and will be bottled in ten days time.

Last night Libby and I were invited to a ‘soiree privé’ at the Comptoir in St.Genes for the opening of a wine and art exhibition. The superb paintings were by Sigweis von Neipperg’s and the wines from her husband the Count von Niepperg, of his estates we tasted:

Enira from Bulgaria’s Bessa Valley
Clos Marsalette 2008 (Pessac Leognon white)
Clos de l’Oratoire 2004
Chateau Canon La Gafeliere 2007
Chateau Mondot 2002

And my friend and Château d’Aguilhe winemaker Patrick Honef presented a vertical of Château d’Aguilhe from 2000 to 2008.



Thanks to Anne-Marie for yet another lovely evening at the comptoir.


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