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By KEITH ST. CLAIR
Published April 13, 2005
Bordeaux.
Even the word itself sounds expensive. Rightfully so, since many of the wines coming from this province in France are priced out of the reach of mere mortals. (A bottle of the 2000 Chateau Petrus, for example, will set you back about $1,800.)
But there are values to be found, and Jim Sirna at West Palm Wines in Ybor City does a good job tracking them down and getting the word out. Granted, his shop hosts some of the priciest high-end tastings in Tampa Bay. But he offers plenty of learning opportunities for the rest of us.
In Bordeaux, the Gironde River bisects the wine country. "Left Bank" wines are dominated by cabernet sauvignon. Merlot rules over on the Right Bank (home to Chateau Petrus), with cabernet franc often blended in.
Saturday evening, Sirna led more than a dozen people through a guided tasting of six affordable Right Bank wines, coming from in and around the Pomerol and St. Emilion districts. The $30 cost of attendance bought access to tasty wines, hors d'ouvres and Sirna's knowledge -- delivered in his uniquely animated style.
Here are my notes on what was sampled:
2002 Vieux Chateau St. Andre ($20) : Crimson purplish in color, this has a shy nose of cranberry and black cherry. Fairly good concentration, with flavors of peppery dark fruit. Average.
'99 Chateau Belair ($34) : Garnet in color, this has nice aromas of spice and dusty dark fruit, followed by lean flavors of plummy dark fruit, earth and a touch of black pepper. This wine has decent acidity and minimal tannin. Drink now. Good.
'00 Chateau Mazeris ($20) : Very dark reddish purple, this wine has a very good nose of candied cherries, blueberry and spice. Good dusty flavors of plums and dark fruit, some earth and a hint of bell pepper on the expanding, lengthy finish. Nicely balanced, with very good acidity and a bit of tannin. Good.
'00 Chateau Fombrauge ($40) : Dark purple, nearly opaque. Its full nose of plummy dark fruit leads to concentrated flavors of plums, currants and vanilla. This nicely balanced, yet fruit forward wine is very New World in style and would be difficult to pick as a Bordeaux in a blind tasting. Very good.
'00 Vieux Chateau Gachet ($23) : Very dark purple, nearly opaque. It offers wonderful aromas and flavors of sweet spice, plums and dark red fruits, plus hints of earth and barnyard on the nose. A balanced wine that is seamless from the entry to its lengthy finish, this should age nicely. This is bargain Bordeaux, folks. Very good.
'02 Chateau Le Conseiller ($23) : My favorite of the tasting was this dark reddish-purple, 100-percent merlot. Aromas of vanilla, sweet spice, cherry, toast and coffee leap from the glass. In the mouth, it delivers spice, cherry and chocolate. This wine is about fruit, but there's also decent acidity and a little tannin to back it up. Drink this delicious value over the next few years. Very good.
Taste for yourself
Bern's Winefest Grand Tasting April 24 The Grand Tasting is perhaps the highlight of the eighth annual Winefest. Taste more than 150 wines paired with food from Berns and SideBerns. There also will be two interactive seminars and a silent auction. 12:30-4 p.m., in the tent next to SideBerns at the corner of West Morrison and South Howard avenues, Tampa. $75 in advance, $85 at the door (if available). Purchase online at www.bernsfinewines.com/bernswinefest/ or call (813) 253-0358 for information.
-- Keith St. Clair frequents tastings throughout Tampa Bay. E-mail him at stclair@tampabay.com.
[Last modified April 13, 2005, 14:25:07]
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