Bordeaux Wines
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27th October 2024 at 2:02 pm #604472
Does anybody else find it interesting how drinking habits in France have changed so dramatically – not least in the apparent difficulties that the producers in Bordeaux are experiencing?
When we first came to France all those years ago you would have to have to have thought very hard before saying anything derogatory about Bordeaux wines in French company. It was almost sacrosanct. Now they’re ripping out thousands of hectares because they can’t find the buyers for the stuff.
Evidently as tastes change and the younger generation drink ever increasing quantities of beer, the demand for a wine with large levels of tannin and a ever increasing levels of alcohol has become deeply unfashionable. I can completely understand that as 12.5% has always been my gold standard but that’s just personal choice.
Surely it must also be true that there has always been a lot of rubbish Bordeaux wines at the lower end of the market – the quality product will always sell and there will always be people prepared to pay the price for it but it has to be a good thing that, if the great French wine tradition is to keep its standing in an increasingly competitive market, then some thinning out must be encouraged.
For everyday drinking, the wines of the Languedoc, the Rhone and Beaujolais have improved considerably over the years and for those of us living over here who like an economic glass of wine with their supper, these seem to be a particularily good alternative to the traditional King of French wine – Bordeaux.
Interesting, post JJ.
I recall sitting in a prolonged traffic jam on the outskirts of Bordeaux some years ago. Heavily laden vines grew on both sides of the road and went on for miles. It was a hot still day and the air was fumy. Most unpleasant.
Shortly after we had a glass of something or other Bordeaux and it tasted of the traffic fumes that we had experienced. In fact over the coming months we noticed that phenonium a few times to the extent that we avoided it.
We do now have the occasional Bordeaux but have had no issues for some time.
Since visiting puglia.Mm is completely won over by Italian wines from the south of Italy.
just had a pot au feu with our French friends…served with two bottles of Bordeaux…I don’t drink so listened to them rabiting on about how nice they were…in the car MM confessed he prefers Primativo…they still managed to polish off two bottles between the three of them….I drove home…roof off the old Beetle…joy.
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In another life..MM imported Alsace wines into the Uk…which lit his enthusiasm for wine…talking about it tonight…Wine is so individual…He loves a strong wine13%/14% …most French people prefer 12%…Bordeaux…
He loves a bargain…capable of sitting outside Noz with a corkscrew…a taste …if it’s good back he goes.
like everything…personal choice is everything…At the moment he’s into reds..Italian…Primativo…from Manduria mostly ordered on line from Giordano..vini.
hes promised to pm you a list of his favorites.!
I’ve always found bordeaux wines grossly over-rated. Many years ago I did a wine tasting course at evening classes and then joined a wine tasting club. It really opened my eyes (and taste buds) to the huge range of wines available. For reds we would normally go for rhone or south of france. Whites I usually go for sauvignon style – but found a lovely muscadet recently.
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I think whilst I enjoy a nice Bordeaux, it has been leaning on it’s reputation over the past few years and prices have tended to increase to make it one of the dearer wines in the mid range market. I don’t believe in paying a lot for a bottle of wine here, it should be one of the advantages of living in France. There are a few inexpensive wines I look out for, like Roche Mazet for a merlot or cabernet sauvignon although the latter may be a bit “oakey” for some tastes. I also find Lidl generally have a fair selection of wines at good prices. It is at the end of the day down to personal taste and the sheer choice can be a bit overwhelming. Find a few labels you like and stick with them would be my advice.
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28th October 2024 at 10:43 am #604509Many moons ago – I couldn’t have been even twenty – so it was many moons ago!!, I found myself in a restaurant in the Lake District with (incredibly!) a bit of money in my pocket and I wanted to treat the young lady who was with me to a quality meal. Fillet steak – but not with beer – even at such a tender age, I knew this wouldn’t be in order. The sommelier approached – panic, I knew absolutely nothing about wine. Thinking certainly from the restaurant’s point of view he suggested a Haut Medoc – Chateau Talbot. I’ve never forgotten that bottle – I remember thinking that if the Gods drank this all day, then that’s where I wanted to end up but my wine journey was certainly starting at the top of the market.
I hadn’t sampled that wine for fifty odd years until on my birthday Mrs J said she would cook me a special meal – and she is a quite exceptional cook – but she would choose the wine. A bottle of Chateau Talbot appeared on the table. Quelle nuit!
When we arrived in France and knowing full well that the country in which I would be living was the mother and cradle of wine, I set about learning as much as I could about this wonderful product. It will always be a continuing journey, but I realised long ago that, unless I was extremely lucky, that that first bottle set the benchmark and that there would be a lot of compromising to be done.
JJ -I hadn’t sampled that wine for fifty odd years until on my birthday Mrs J said she would cook me a special meal – and she is a quite exceptional cook – but she would choose the wine. A bottle of Chateau Talbot appeared on the table. Quelle nuit!
Wow you were really spoilt! How lovely.
Our very dear Stinky always had ” Mme Merlot” at his side.
When I still drank alcohol and not ever really a serious drinker I tended to stick to middle priced Bordeaux wine, avoided white and was never a fan of Rosé. I found a lot of other reds to ‘Oaky’ for my taste.
It is very much, as has been said, a matter of personal taste.
Like a lot of things, sometimes with wine it can boil down to snobbery too. I don’t mean those who know exactly what wines are what but those who think they do. ( I’m not talking about those involved in this discussion, but people met over the years)
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