Sublime Wine

You’re gonna love this…

Riddle me this, Batman. What do you get when you harvest grapes that just miss making the cut for a $500 bottle of Chateau Lafite Rothschild?

You get Barons de Rothschild Lafite Réserve Pauillac 2003, an amazing Bordeaux which is simply off the hook.

I was NOT expecting this in a $25 dollar bottle of Bordeaux. This wine was made during the heatwave 2003 year – an amazing vintage and one of the best years ever for Pauillac. This is a classic Claret Bordeaux, blended from 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot and a little Cabernet Franc.

This is smooth, rich, and fully structured Pauillac, nicely concentrated claret with velvety tannins and a never-ending liquorice finish. You’ll taste melting ripe cassis and black cherry fruit. Pair it with grilled steak, grilled breast of duck, or firm cheeses. Did I mention I loved it?

So what’s the deal?

How did this become such a big wine for such a little price?

Did you know “Rosebud” was a sled, because I thought… but I digress…

The story of why this wine is so awe-inspiring starts with the vines. The grapes were mostly sourced from Châteaux Lafite and Duhart-Milon. That’s right, the same vineyards where they grow the grapes for Chateaux Lafite Rothschild. And that’s exactly how you can get a taste of Grand Cru Bordeaux at a less than a tenth of the price. Told you you were gonna love this.

The Pauillac 411

Guess what. Most experts consider Pauillac as the best appellation of Bordeaux because it has three premiers Grands Crus classés (1st great growth) out of 5. Pauillac also has a totle of 18 grands crus classes.

The big Three of Pauillac are Château Lafite, Château Latour and Château Mouton-Rothschild. If you don’t know why this is important don’t sweat it, we’re going to cover this all in future posts, so stay tuned.

Pauillac wines are known to have a lot of body, and like most French reds they are tannic and acidity when they’re young… meaning they’re designed to age ten to fifteen years. Remember, when you are patient enough to age them properly Pauillac wines reward you with a whirlwind of aromas of blackcurrant and cedar that are, well… sublime.

Okay, party people, so now you know what to get me for my birthday. That’s right, a couple of cases of Barons de Rothschild Lafite Réserve Pauillac 2003.

Hey, did I mention I’ll be you bff?

Suz

It is 230 degrees outside. At 11:30 PM. For real.

I need something delicious and delightful, and served well chilled. I look in my fridge, and lo and behold, I see a bottle of Lillet with SERVE WELL CHILLED stamped across the label.

I don’t usually drink aperitifs, but this really hit the spot tonight. It has been around since 1887, so apparently it has hit the spot for a lot of other people, too. Lillet is made in Podensac, which is 20 miles south of Bordeaux. It is a blend of white wines, which is then blended with herbs and fruits. Ok, I don’t taste the herbs but I do taste the fruit-it’s as fruity as Ted Haggard in a massage parlor!

Besides being tasty, I love the label on the back. It reads: It is perfect for those special times when day turns to evening and evening turns to night! I think that is that is their way of saying politely “It is tacky to drink this before noon.”

I’m not going to lie to you. Lillet is OLD SCHOOL. I don’t think they are running out of it at Skybar anytime soon. But it is different, and it’s nice to have an aperitif every once in a while. So get yourself a bottle, stash it in your fridge, and enjoy! (But not for breakfast).
Cheers old school style,
Suzanne