J.M Cazes family Bordeaux and beyond wine tasting in the Wine Watch Wine Cave

"...Once upon a time, I drank a little wine,
 was as happy as could be..."

Get Down by Gilbert O'Sullivan

That's why we are so happy here at the Wine Watch, we're always drinking wine!!

Were back from vacation tanned rested and ready to get back to work this week with three excellent tastings including our “Once in a Lifetime”  Musigny versus Bonnes Mares Grand Cru Burgundy tasting this Friday night.  Which is sold out!! 

Thursday, July 12, 2018 - 7:30 PM

Malvira Piedmont wine tasting with special guest Brand Ambassador Matt Fleming

We still have a few seats left for the Malvira tasting on Friday night, come out and experience one of the best producers of Arneis along with some excellent Barbera and their Roero Nebbiolo.  This event is a steal at $65 per person and this includes dinner!

Saturday, July 14, 2018 - 7:30 PM
J.M Cazes family Bordeaux night at WWWB
And we have room for the JM Cazes family Bordeaux and beyond wine tasting in the Wine Cave at Wine Watch.  This walk around tasting will also feature some tasting treats  along with wines from all of the estates

The most expensive wines in the world come from France and although some of the most famous wine regions like Burgundy and Bordeaux are best known for their expensive wines there are lots of great values in Burgundy, Bordeaux as well as in the rest of France.  All you have to do is follow the great producers to see where the next hot up and coming wine producing region will be like Minervois.

The JM Cazes family became famous because of Chateau Lynch Bages located in the powerhouse appellation Pauillac which is home to 3 of the 5 “First Growths” of Bordeaux’s 1855 classification.  The demand for Pauillac around the world has encouraged producers like Lynch Bages to produce not only a second wine but now they have a third label simply bearing the title of Pauillac.  But even that wine is not every day for many wine drinkers so the Cazes family has branched out in efforts to offer their fans more affordable wines and they now have wineries all over France as well as some projects in exciting places like the Douro River Valley of Portugal. 

Join us as we bring our “Wine Drinking People” in South Florida up to date on what this first family of Bordeaux has been working on for the next generation of Cazes in the 21st Century and beyond.  This is a walk around tasting in the wine cave and is limited to 35 tasters Toni Lampasone will be serving up a few tasty treats to accompany the tasting wines and the fee for this event is $45 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

J.M Cazes family Bordeaux and beyond at Wine Watch
Saturday, July 14, 2018
7:30 PM

Blanc de Lynch-bages Pauillac 2016
Price: $82.50      Sale $72.60

(94 Points) This offers more proof that the whites in the Médoc have resisted the heat of August. The pH here is 3.01, and certainly the impression in the glass is of beautiful freshness with a creamy mid-palate of white peaches, honeysuckle and gentle citrus sorbet. Fermented at a low temperature in a combination of stainless steel, one year old barrels and 45% new oak with a very light toast, this is very delicate and extremely pretty. A blend of 52% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Semillon and 18% Muscadelle. Decanter

Domaine Des Senechaux chateauneuf du Pape Blanc 2015
Price: $60.00      Sale $52.80

Situated on the commune of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the white grape varietes count for 9 % of the total surface under vine for the Sénéchaux vineyards. The vines are exposed south, south-west and their surface soils consist of sandy clay-limestone.  White vines are treated with the same care and attention as the red wines. The press is filled using a gravity system and the grapes are crushed gently. The Roussanne and Clairette varieties undergo skin maceration. Cold settling is then followed by temperature controlled vinification (18° C).  The Domaine des Sénéchaux white wine is made from 33 % Roussanne, 29,5 % Grenache Blanc, 29,5 % Clairette and 8 % Bourboulenc.

Domaine Des Senechaux chateauneuf du Pape Rouge 2015
Price: $67.50      Sale $59.40

The parcels that produce the Domaine des Sénéchaux red wine are south and south-west facing and composed of quartzite pebbles. Vines are planted on three distinct soil types: pebbly clay-limestone, deep sandy soils and molasses-safre sandstone.  Close pruning, plowing, organic fertilizers, de-leafing... Under the responsibility of Bernard Tranchecoste, the technical team at the Domaine des Sénéchaux maintain the 24 hectares of vines with meticulous care and attention. Yields are restricted to 30 hectolitres/hectare.

In order to ensure smooth tannins and produce a red wine that is characteristic of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, an intense work of cap-punching, 'rack and return' and gentle pumping over is carried out at the beginning of the vatting period. The wines are aged in a variety of wooden containers such as tuns and one-wine and two-wine barrels.  The Domaine des Sénéchaux red wine is unfiltered and composed of 64 % Grenache, 19 % Syrah, 15 % Mourvèdre and 2 % Vaccarèse-Cinsault.

Domaine L'Ostal Cazes Estibals Minervois 2015
Price: $20.50      Sale $18.04

It takes its name from one of the domaine's finest parcels... ''Estibals''. L'Ostal Cazes Estibals is made from a blend of the youngest vines that do not meet criteria for the Grand Vin de L'Ostal Cazes. The blend is made up of 42% Syrah, 36% Carignan, 12% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre.  This balance of grape varieties provides a perfect expression of the Minervois appellation. The wine is aged in French oak barrels for 12 months.
A rich, smooth and sun-drenched wine With its deep red hue and violet glints, L’Ostal Cazes Estibals offers notes of scrubland, morello cherries and red fruits. On the palate, the attack is full and smooth with well-marked tannins and a touch of oakiness.

Domaine L'Ostal Cazes Grand Vin Minervois 2015
Price: $32.50      Sale $28.60

The Grand Vin L'Ostal Cazes is the essence of the domaine. Its appellation Minervois La Livinière is one of the most demanding in the Languedoc region as this AOC is produced by as little as 30 winemakers who adhere to a rather Draconian set of regulations.

Firstly, the grapes are carefully selected according to strict criteria which retains less than a third of the terroir's total production, giving priority to two Mediterranean varieties: Syrah (90 %) and Grenache (10 %). This Grand Vin is then aged for 15 months in French oak barrels.  Syrah brings depth.  The traditional planting ratio gives the wine its intense ruby hue and bright core. Its bouquet displays red fruits, violet and spicy notes such as vanilla and licorice. The oily and fleshy attack evolves into velvety tannins which are backed up by a pleasant freshness. A wine with good potential for bottle age.

Roquette & Cazes Douro Portugal 2014
Price: $37.50      Sale $33.00

Roquette e Cazes, the latest product of the happy encounter of two families.  Jorge Roquette (Quinta do Crasto, Douro)and Jean-Michel Cazes (Chateau Lynch-Bages) were already united by a firm bond of friendship before going into partnership to create great wines using grape varieties native to the Douro valley.  The latest fruit of this collaboration, “Roquette e Cazes” came into being with the 2006 vintage, and has benefitted since its launch from the expertise acquired with Xisto (see below). Its keeping potential differentiates it from its older sibling. More accessible, it is in fact ready to taste as soon as it is put on the market.

Xisto benefits from a specific fermentation management, that is, through Bordeaux-style vinification protocols adapted to the potential of the grape varieties used. The fermentations are carried out at higher temperatures than those used in Portuguese vinification.  Likewise, speeding up the pumping over during the first three days of fermentation and a longer maceration time give the wine its exceptional concentration.  With its production limited to between 3,000 and 4,000 bottles per year, Xisto is a rare wine. At Vinexpo 2005, Xisto 2003 was voted “Exhibition Discovery” by an international panel of 14 specialised and eminent journalists, wine tasters and sommeliers.

Pauillac de Lynch-Bages Pauillac 2015
Price: $51.00      Sale $44.88

The newest wine from the Cazes family from Pauillac is priced so that more can get a taste of the style of Lynch Bages at a more everyday drinking price.

Chateau Les Ormes de Pez St-Estephe 2009
Price: $75.00      Sale $66.00

(92 Points) This is tight and precise, with lots of cut from start to finish, as chiseled graphite and iron notes support the dark currant, mulled fig and crushed blackberry fruit. Long and toasty, but well-integrated on the lilac-tinged finish. Best from 2013 through 2022. Wine Spectator

Menu

Cheese & Charcuterie with Extra Thick Brown Sugar Caramelized Bacon
Five Spice and Red Wine Braised pulled pork with Mushroom Duxelle and chevre Mousse
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Bites with Currant Catchup
Grilled Eggplant Ratatouille in Phyllo Cups

This is a walk around tasting in the wine cave and is limited to 35 tasters Toni Lampasone will be serving up a few tasty treats to accompany the tasting wines and the fee for this event is $45 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

A story of journeys, a story of the Médoc

Owners of the Château Lynch-Bages since 1939, over the generations, the Cazes family has spread its viticultural wings and developed a model brand of tourism that is steeped in a tradition of hospitality. From the Ariège mountains to the vineyards of the Mèdoc and elsewhere, the story is about journeys.

A common surname throughout the south of France, Cazes originates from the word “casa”, meaning "house”. It’s a name of travellers and emigrants. Like many others, the Cazes-family laborers from the Ariège region of southwest France left their mountains in 1875 and set up home in the Médoc. Starting as a baker in Pauillac, Jean-Charles Cazes, took charge of Lynch-Bages in 1939.

First steps into wine making

Jean-Charles Cazes crafted a wine that rapidly gained recognition. André Cazes, the youngest of his 4 sons, was studying Law. But he was dragged into the turmoil of the Second World War. Taken prisoner, he didn’t make his way back to Pauillac until after the Allied victory. Here, he went into Insurance. It was not until the 1960s that he took back the reins of the property. And like his father before him, his influence was decisive. He regenerated and expanded the vineyard, which attained almost 100 hectares at the end of the 1990s.

A new cosmopolitan generation

After his studies in engineering, André’s son Jean-Michel returned to Pauillac in 1973. He was accompanied by his Portuguese wife Thereza whose family came originally from Mozambique. Their marriage, officiated in Pauillac by André Cazes – at that time the mayor of the commune – was the building block of a family that became increasingly cosmopolitan. Their three Paris-born daughters, Kinou, Marina and Catherine, were soon joined by Jean-Charles, who made his entrance in Bordeaux shortly after their arrival. This family history is traced in the book Lynch-Bages & Co., a family, a wine and 52 recipes.