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Toast to Bordeaux: New class of flavour in town
BORDEAUX, TOUJOURS BORDEAUX: (JP/Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo) "Bordeaux, toujours Bordeaux," is the toast that members of an exclusive wine club make before bringing this precious liquid to their lips -- meaning literally, "Bordeaux, always Bordeaux"
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BORDEAUX, TOUJOURS BORDEAUX: (JP/Alvin Darlanika Soedarjo)
"Bordeaux, toujours Bordeaux," is the toast that members of an exclusive wine club make before bringing this precious liquid to their lips -- meaning literally, "Bordeaux, always Bordeaux".
While outsiders may not understand the meaning behind these words, all present at a tasting room on a recent Saturday afternoon seemed to agree there is only one libation which surpasses all expectations -- and that is the wine produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France.
The Jakarta chapter of the Commanderie de Bordeaux -- one of more than 70 branches around the world under the vise of the Grand Conseil du Vin Bordeaux (GCVB), an international wine society headquartered in and representing the winemakers of Bordeaux -- recently held a master class wine tasting event at the Dharmawangsa Hotel.
The event was part of the Jakarta chapter's 3rd "Fete de la Fleur", with the theme this year of A Festival of the Crus Class*s de Graves. The Fete de la Fleur is an evocation of the greatest festival in Bordeaux; the celebration of the flowering of the grape vines, normally held in the third week of June.
This time around in Jakarta, the celebration was timed to coincide with the visit of six winemakers representing the Crus Class*s de Graves, an association of sixteen chateaux from the Graves and Pessac Leognan area of Bordeaux whose wines are classified as "Great Growths". The winemakers were on their way to Hong Kong to attend VinExpo 2008.
The chateaux represented were Haut-Bailly (Caroline Perromat), Domaine de Chevalier (Olivier Bernard), Carbonnieux (Eric Perrin), de Fieuzal (Stephen Carrier), Malartic Lagravi*re (Kareem Nasser) and Smith-Haut-Lafitte.
The gravelly soil of the Pessac Leognan region provides a unique blend of minerals to its top-class red and white wines. The red wines are mostly cabernet sauvignon-dominant and the whites a careful blend of sauvignon blanc and Semillon grapes.
The tasting was the first time Jakarta chapter had hosted a representative group of Graves winemakers to show their exceptional wine. The wine, of course, was strictly from the Bordeaux region, which produces around 25 percent of France's quality wine.
The Maitre (head) of the Jakarta Chapter, Agustin V. Que, said it was good that the winemakers could come to Jakarta to present their wines personally.
"It's best for you to know the producers. Just like paintings, you will have greater appreciation if you know the painters," Agustin told The Jakarta Post.
The Jakarta Chapter, which was founded in December 2005, is one of the youngest of more than 70 chapters internationally, he added. GCVB established the first Commanderie de Bordeaux outside France in New York City in 1953.
At present, most of the commanderies are located in the United States, and there are seven in Asia (in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai and Jakarta). Fukuoka is also regarded as Bordeaux's sister city.
"We had 27 members when we first started. Now we have 45. I would like more new members but we will keep the membership small, maybe limited to 60 members, to ensure a strong spirit of belonging and camaraderie," Agustin said.
"Bordeaux is the greatest wine region in the world. It has red, white and sweet wines of the highest reputation and quality. What we do is to promote the full range of wines, not just the big names. Wine from Bordeaux is richer, has more balance, finesse and good length, which is the perception of how long the taste persists on your palate."
There are around 12,000 chateaux in Bordeaux, but only 131 are classified as meeting Grand Cru class* (Great Growth standards) based on soil, history and terroir. Terroir is the union of soil and climate found in the area where a wine is cultivated.
To create fine wine is to respect the fruit and soil and not just the technical aspects, said Olivier Bernard whose family owns Domaine de Chevalier.
"Concentrating only on the technical aspects could mask the complexity of the fruit," he said.
The best wines from his chateau were from 2005, Bernard said.
"During that year, the summer was perfect. The time of the harvest is very important too -- not too hot. They need all the best conditions to harvest," he added.
Events like the master class were a good opportunity for people to socialize and discover new wines, said Kareem Nasser, commercial director of Malartic Lagravi*re.
The best white wines from the chateau were from 2007, while the best red wines were from 2001 and 2005, Nasser said.
Although all wines at the tasting were "top-notch", the runaway champion at that day had to be the Fieuzal. The Abeille de Fieuzal 2005 white possesses an exotic woody aroma, while the Abeille de Fieuzal 2005 red has a creamy undertone with impressive tannin. Bordeaux, toujours Bordeaux!
