Wine Review: Red Bordeaux—and moving beyond steak

I haven’t forgotten about my wine reviews. I was waiting for the right meal to bring out this baby—which, of course, didn’t happen. This weekend, I was going to open it for Saturday lunch and do the classic red Bordeaux pairing—steak. However, my host mother had forgotten our plans and poured a Burgundy she had open instead. Oh well. So the Bordeaux got pushed to dinner—with quiche Lorraine.

This is one of the main points I want to make with this wine review—red wine is surprisingly versatile. We hear about the importance of protein to soften a Bordeaux tannins, but seem to forget that there are other proteins than steak. The Chateau Blanchon 2009 came to the table with two meat-light dishes (quiche Lorraine and eggplant parmesan) and performed excellently with each one.

The Wine

Chateau Blanchon 2009

Origin: Bordeaux, Right Bank

AOC: Lussac Saint-Emilion

ABV: 14%

Awards: Gold Medal, Concours de Bordeaux 2010

Varietals: 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc

Aging: It doesn’t say, but I’m guessing okay!

Serve: at cool room temperature, decanted, with red meat or dark fowl

The Food

Quiche Lorraine (not this recipe, but close enough. Though, I do have to add, for the love of God, do not boil bacon. Gross.)

Quiche Lorraine comes from region of France furthest to the Northeast—which actually puts it pretty solidly in white wine territory, since the wine-producing regions around it are Alsace and Champagne. However, it has a pretty noticeable flavor (bacon) and plenty of protein to soften the tannins of a red. In fact, I’d be tempted to say a subtler white might not be able to cut through the occasionally cloying nature of this quiche, which is composed of eggs, butter, heavy cream and bacon. Oh, and there’s some flour in there too.

Dried boar sausage and magret de canard (the breast of a duck raised to make foie gras) as an appetizer.

Eggplant Parmesan

Recipe following is not my strong point. There were a number of changes to this recipe. Firstly, I started with plain bread crumbs and seasoned them, because pre-seasoned breadcrumbs don’t exist in France. I added basil, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese. Secondly, I pan-fried the eggplant briefly in some oil because I was afraid the crumb coating wouldn’t stay crunchy in the oven otherwise. Finally, I didn’t have mozzarella cheese, so I compensated with an over-abundance of Parmesan.

The Verdict

To quote my host mother’s sister: “C’est un peu jeune, non? C’est dommage.” It’s a little young, so it was sort of a shame to open it now. Even with the use of a Vinturi, it was still very tannic.

The Blanchon opened with a nose of toast and dark chocolate, but if you really worked at it, you can pick up a dark fruit—blackberry or cassis maybe. Lighter-bodied than I expected (though I’m used to Malbecs and Zinfandels), but still fairly tannic.

I didn’t notice the toast upon tasting the Blanchon, but the dark chocolate and dark fruit continued throughout. Nice finish, if tannic.

It paired very well with the protein-heavy quiche. The egg and milk moderated the tannins and the bacon actually offered a very nice counterpoint to the flavor of the wine—since it’s an intense, savory flavor. As far as the eggplant parm went, the cheese offered the necessary protein and the tomato sauce gave the right amount of “big” flavor.

Overall, a good and surprisingly versatile wine, but needing maturity. If you were to pick up the bottle, hang onto it for a year or two. And decant!

Wine Review: White Bordeaux

Hey all. So this is my first wine review—of many, I hope. Like all consumers, I have a budget, thus, I will not review any bottle that costs more than ten euros. However, as I am in France, the wines I am drinking may end up being significantly more in the States (or indeed, not available), since there’s a long plane ride and an import tax between the wineries here and the consumers in America. Secondly, the wines I choose are ultimately subject to my palate. I don’t like tannic wines, as much as I make an effort, and I’m partially to elegant, creamy whites. Thirdly, the French don’t really drink wine without food, so I’ll also be talking about the dinner I made to go with the bottle and how well that worked.

So, with those precautions, let’s meet:

The Wine:

Benjamin de Vieux Chateau Gaubert Blanc 2009

Origin: Bordeaux, Left Bank

AOC: Graves

ABV: 12.5%

Awards: Bronze Medal, Concours de Bordeaux 2010

Varietals: 60% Semillon (“which brings roundness and body to the mouth”), 40% Sauvignon Blanc (“for the richness in bouquet”)

Aging: 80% in stainless steel, low temperature, 20% in new barriques

Serve: at 50 degrees Fahrenheit, with fish in sauce, shellfish, white meats, or cheese

The Food:

Broiled Lemon Thyme Pollock

I followed the recipe almost to the letter, but I left out the anchovy paste. I don’t like anchovies, in general. Additionally, I didn’t have any anchovy paste and didn’t feel like buying any specifically for this recipe. Additionally, it’s worth noting that the mayonnaise I used was flavored with Dijon mustard, which added another flavor to the fish.

Diced potatoes, sautéed in butter and garnished with chives.

Green salad with a mustard vinaigrette.

The Verdict:

The Benjamin Gaubert starts with lemon and grapefruit on the nose, then opens up to some floral scents and a little bit of green apple. The bouquet is fairly indicative of the flavors, but the Gaubert also boasts a nice, creamy mouthfeel and a little bit of butter on the mid-palate, maybe because of the barrique aging. I didn’t notice quite as much green apple as I expected from a Sauvignon Blanc, but then again, this is majority Semillon, a varietal with which I don’t have a whole lot of experience. Fairly creamy throughout, but with a fairly long and fairly tart finish, which gives it a nice balance.

It paired very nice with the fish, since it was tart enough to punch through the mayonnaise crust but without overwhelming the taste of the fish. However, it did not work as well with the salad. The mustard vinaigrette was a bit too, well, mustardy to go well with this wine, but I think a simple oil and vinegar dressing would have worked perfectly.