Saint Estephe VS Pauillac Bordeaux Wine Tasting

When asked if she was going to join Alcoholics Anonymous: “Certainly not. They want me to stop now.”
Dorthy Parker

And I’m not stopping any time soon either because you never know when your last bottle is so we are taking down as many great bottles with our “Wine Drinking People” as we can again this year. 
We are trying to keep our “Wine Drinking People” busy at least on Friday and Saturday nights this time of year as July and August we do skip Thursday nights every other week but you can always count on us drinking some very fine wines on Friday and Saturday nights at the Wine Bar.  Hey - I drink two bottles of wine every night!
We have one of the largest collections of vintage Bordeaux that we have ever had in the store right now so we are trying to take down as many bottles as we can before they are all gone. 
On Friday August 25th, we will study the difference between Saint Estephe and Pauillac two of the top appellations from Bordeaux’s left bank.  Join us as we showcase five wines from each of these regions of Bordeaux.  The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $375 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

SAINT ESTEPHE VS PAUILLAC BORDEAUX WINE TASTING
Friday, August 25, 2023
7:30 PM

1983 Chateau Lafon-Rochet Saint Estephe
1983 Chateau Meyney Saint-Estephe
1983 Chateau Montrose, Saint-Estephe
1989 Chateau Meyney Saint-Estephe
1995 Chateau Calon-Segur, Saint-Estephe
1980 Chateau Latour Pauillac
1983 Chateau Duhart-Milon Pauillac
1983 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac
1986 Chateau Pichon-Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville Pauillac
1995 Chateau Lynch Bages Pauillac

Menu
Selection of Cheese and Charcuterie
Tuna Carpaccio with Savory Herbs and Roasted Garlic Aioli
Venison Shumai with Wild Mushroom Sauce
Bordeaux Braised Beef Short Rib with Root Vegetable Risotto and Red Wine Demi
Canales De Bordeaux with Pinapple Rum Sauce

 
The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $375 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.

A bit about Saint Estephe:

Saint-Estèphe is a true "terroir" wine. The influence of the soil, gravels as usual and more clays than in Médoc, can be experienced when tasting a Saint-Estèphe wine. Although Pauillac is just close-by, Saint-Estèphe wines are different.  The wines of Saint-Estèphe wines are very colored, earthy, firm, robust and tannic. They reach their maturity slower than other Médoc wines.

Saint-Estèphe hosts 5 Grands Crus Classés (great growths) such as Château Montrose and Château Cos d'Estournel.  Just a little bit less powerful than Pauillac and rustic than Saint-Estèphe, Saint-Julien wines are very aromatized. They are harmonious and well balanced red wines. Saint-Julien is the right balance between Pauillac and Margaux.

  A bit about Pauillac

Pauillac is on the left bank of the Gironde. St-Julien is to the south. A stream called Ruisseau de Juillac marks part of the boundary between the two communes; other parts are marked by a stone wall and a country lane. To the north, across the Jalle du Breuil, lies St-Estèphe. Pauillac is bounded on the west by the parish of St Sauveur and the Landes forest. All three communes lie within the Haut-Médoc. The town of Pauillac is the largest in the Médoc, with a population of over 5000. Pauillac is somewhat more elevated than the surrounding area, rising to a peak of nearly 30 metres above sea-level in the region of Château Pontet-Canet. The soil is gravelly, as with most of the Haut-Médoc. The forest to the west shelters the vines from the Atlantic winds. Pauillac contains around 1200 hectares of vineyards.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the predominant grape, but it is invariably blended with other grapes. As with all red Bordeaux, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec may also be included in the blend (although wines will not necessarily include all five grapes). Prior to the 19th century, Malbec was predominant.

The style has been described as 'stark'.   The predominant fruit flavor is usually blackcurrant, sometimes veering into plum. Pencil-shavings and cigar-box are also characteristic notes.

Wine from Pauillac may be labelled as Haut-Médoc (usually wine which the château considers inferior to its main offering and wishes to market under a different label).   Similarly, second (or third) wines from the grandes châteaux may be labelled simply as Pauillac.