Question: Are the wine grapes Macabeo and Viura similar?

Answer: Indeed. Basically the same white grape going by different regional names with Macabeo (or Macabeu) most commonly used in Catalonia but called Viura in Rioja.

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Your scribe is a long time admirer of the bubbles from Champagne. Fortunate to try many Grandes Marques celebrating the arrival of 2025 and the recent festive season of 2024. Some maturing exquisite Salon & complex Krug Vintage both from that intense fruit balanced 1985 year hit the spot. Enjoying the balanced Pol Roger in Magnum from 1996 & 1990 both drinking on a wonderful plateau of refined enjoyment. Younger stars like 2014 Roederer Cristal & 2008 Dom Perignon are highly recommended. Though current sale volumes for Champagne are down those who purchased wisely have older treasures to draw on for regular treats. Also, many non-vintage (or rather multi-vintage) have increased amounts of reserve wines now being added. Charles Heidsieck has 50% reserves for fantastic depth plus the great value of fresh fruity Piper is enticing.

Monitor the newer vintages arriving for bottles to buy. Be careful because grapes tend to be ripening under warmer Summer weather that may result in higher Phs and lower acidity, Look for brands like Gosset that don’t go through malolactic fermentation to preserve the best vibrant freshness. There were smaller harvests for 2021, 2020, and 2019 but 2022 & 2023 have bounced back with more volume. Check out detailed vintage information on best Champagne years to acquire with very useful guides available on the internet. Three excellent ones are The Finest Bubble here, Wine Scholar Guild here, and Wine Spectator here.

In hindsight, it was wise to buy vintage Champagne from 2012 & 2008 which have turned out to be classics in the mode of 2002, 1996, 1990 and 1988. They are all well balanced and age exceptionally – especially in larger formats. Wonderful now. These vintages really were good purchases especially from smaller grower champagne producers. One of the first commercially available growers and an exceptional one is Paul Bara pioneered by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant linked here. On 11 hectares of ideal clay & limestone soils in the Grand Cru of Bouzy they use only the first pressing of grapes. Particularly impressive is their Bouzy Brut Grand Cru Millesime of 2012 & 2008 a blend of 90 % Pinot Noir & 10% Chardonnay. The disgorgement dates on the back label show that 2012 was 05/19 (nearly 7 years on lees) and 2008 on 05/17 (nearly 9). Seek out which vintages of this decade of the twenties will be well structured and balanced for best cellar aging. Put some bottles away for a few years and appreciate the aged dividends they handsomely pay you.

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Question: I would like to take a vacation in 2025 that includes some interesting wine & food festive focus – possibly also including a cruise. Any thoughts?

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Robert Parker captured well this Millennium vintage with his early comments on 2000 red Bordeaux: “These very powerful, very concentrated, muscular wines will, in many cases, take years to evolve. They are loaded but, at the same time, quite tannic and dense.” Our Vancouver Group of Eight held their 127th meeting at Blue Water Cafe on January 14 to check this vintage out as it approaches 25 years of age. Over dinner we studied and enjoyed 9 Bordeaux reds plus an opening Krug Vintage Champagne and closing Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes also from this historic year.
Some brief impressions by your scribe on the wines:

2000 KRUG VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE: A tour de force named “Stormy Indulgence” blended with 42% powerful Pinot Noir, 43% aromatic & expressive Chardonnay, and 15% generous Pinot Meunier. Some hail on July 2 affected Pinot Noir vineyards in this climatically chaotic warm ripening season. Showed here surprisingly fresh and intense and probably the larger size of the harvested grapes and the addition of come choice Chardonnay from both Avize & Mesnil helped this top quality showing. Rich but precise, not too aged, complete, complex and long. Exciting start.

2000 CHATEAU HAUT-BATAILLEY Pauillac: Ian Mottershead found it “at first reluctant” but this improving property opened nicely with lighter maturing solid but simpler herbal fruit flavours whose tannins have softened. Drink currently.

2000 CHATEAU D’ARMAILHAC Pauillac: Cellared by yours truly and know it well. Better Pauillac terroir showing usual ripe plums, tobacco, and leather. Always admire the intense very well balanced textures in this wine. Great value. On a lovely plateau of enjoyment now. Delicious paired with the chicken chanterelle mushrooms dish.

2000 CHATEAU LYNCH -BAGES Pauillac: Fun to compare the style of these first three all from Pauillac. Darkest colour with impressive cassis, cedar, lead pencil, graphite open bouquet. This is riper richer and way more concentrated on the palate. A touch of mint from that 71% Cabernet Sauvignon. Power with tannins integrated at a cool only 13.3 alcohol. Drinking beautifully now in complex layers but no rush as has such depth of fruit that is still evolving. A cellar treasure.

2000 CHATEAU BRANAIRE-DUCRU Saint-Julien: Second darkest look with black olives, dried herbs, and earthy nose. Elegant underrated St.Julien with some firm tannins remaining. Reminds me a bit of the ripe 1982 and stylish 1996. Another good example of how these wonderful 2000 Bordeaux are seductively aging. Enjoy your smart early purchase or may still find it for a remarkable value at auction.

2000 CHATEAU BRANE-CANTENAC Margaux: Second flight begins well with perfumes of Margaux violets, truffle, and a touch of coffee. Improvement shown by the Lurton family with stricter selection for the Grand Vin. Mature softness of higher 55% ripe Merlot (42/3 of CS/CF) is interesting. Tad spicy sweet fruit cake with a greener finish.

2000 CHATEAU PALMER Margaux: Deeper and darker. Blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon & 47% Merlot. Does exhibit that typical welcoming complex bouquet of Palmer using only 50% of crop for Grand Vin selection. Seems rich full and smokey tertiary development earlier than legendary 1970, 1966, and 1961. Nick Wright cleverly found it “a bigger Palmer than usual”. Wonderful paired with the lamb shank course.

2000 CHATEAU MONTROSE Saint-Estephe: Black look. Another 1990? Earthy dank closed in nose but surprising approachable initial palate before the tannins grab. Usual structure of firmer bigger tannins. Mixed feelings on this vintage. Not as impressive as 1989 & 1990. First year of new stainless steel fermenting and availability of smaller vat sizes. Probably will develop further and down the road you can catch it at a better time.

2000 CHATEAU PAVIE Saint-Emilion: Paling edge. Very ripe Merlot that is so attractively open and fragrant! Unique but almost too dry port-like for me. Often gets the perfect 100 score but not enough aristocratic finesse. Ian was closer to the mark and liked “the chocolate-liquorice notes so often found in top St. Emilion”.

2000 CHATEAU PETRUS Pomerol: What a finish with this 100 pointer of only 2300 cases from best Pomerol. So different from the also Right Bank Pavie appellation. Dark with some aged rim. Amazing bouquet intensity of vibrant iron notes and concentrated Merlot. Admire the powerful structure with finesse it displays over these opulent textures. Monumental balanced pure fruit with a distinctive terroir. Will develop more complexity with further aging.

2000 CHATEAU D’YQUEM Sauternes: More challenging vintage for Sauternes. Shows delicate lighter marmalade of delicious apricot, orange, pineapple and tangerine. Matches the mango compote in the innovative Creme Caramel Vanilla Rice Pudding dessert.

In summary the 2000 red Bordeaux are evolving wonderfully. Come the next millennial year of 2100 future wine collectors will be cherishing 2000 in the same way we were for the 1900 vintage at 100 years of age in 2000. As Ian so aptly put it “All 2000 wines showed very fine indeed”.

As a postscript your scribe has tried a lot of other 2000 red Bordeaux over the last few months and has never been disappointed. Here are 8 more:

2000 CHATEAU FONTENIL Fronsac: Tried last night with a roasted rabbit leg. Michel Rolland property using 85% Merlot. Lots of ripe solid extracted fruit of outstanding value. Least expensive of all these. Less complex but a wonderful dinner wine.

2000 CHATEAU CANTEMERLE Haut-Medoc: This month. Surprisingly silky, round, and charming – almost Margaux-like. Really likeable now.

2000 CHATEAU RAUZAN-GASSIES Margaux: This month. Improved property with a big dense black cherries statement. No rush.

2000 CLOS DU MARQUIS St. Julien: This month. Separate parcel within Leoville Las Cases. Best of these four with full spiced fruit and lively balance. Has St. Julien styling. Deserving to be upgraded to classified growth designation.

2000 CHATEAU LE CROCK St. Estephe: End of last year. 53CS/33M/9CF/5PV coarser but has softened nicely for current use.

2000 CHATEAU PICHON LALANDE Pauillac: End of last year. Deep ripe fruit so attractive. More complexity and balance. Opulent round and softer – so mellow. Early plateau.

2000 CHATEAU LANESSAN Haut-Medoc: End of last year. Classic full flavours combine with acidity & supple tannins. Big success in 2000. Always hits above its weight class. Dependable value buy in most vintages.

2000 CHATEAU CAMBON LA PELOUSE Haut-Medoc: Last bottle December 2024 of this Cru Bourgeois that was my early fav top value 2000 red Bordeaux vintage purchase in volume. Lots of great memories of drinking over 20+ years. Sorry all gone. Another one singing praise for the 2000 vintage consistency.

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Question: Why does using the Syrah grape variety usually result in a peppery wine?

Answer: The reason is because Syrah grapes contain ROTUNDONE – the same class of natural terpene compounds you find in black and white pepper corns! It is also found in some plants and herbs like oregano, marjoram, rosemary and others. Rotundone mainly from the grape skins provides distinctive aromatics that survive the fermentation process. Previously the peppery characteristics in wine were more pronounced from grapes grown in cooler wine regions. Now most wine regions are warmer and many are harvesting the grapes earlier. Wine tasters often find that same rotundone as white pepper notes in the “groovy” Gruner Veltliner variety.

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