Archive for September, 2025

Les Chevaliers des Vins Vancouver Chapter held a twenty year horizontal retrospective on 2005 Bordeaux at the Water Street Cafe on September 16th. This Bordeaux wine tasting has been a September tradition for many years organized by Doug Eakins and conducted by the legendary Bill Blatch. Sadly Bill passed away in February 2025 from a heart attack while in Tahiti. Many memorable write-ups on Bill’s amazing personality and outstanding contributions to the wine trade on the web including The Guardian here, Jancis Robinson here and Jane Anson here. Definitely “the wine whisperer of Bordeaux” – and the world expert on Sauternes – he is really missed by all of us. Les Chevaliers decided to carry on their annual event in his memory with your scribe and Barbara Philip MW BCLIQUOR’S Bordeaux buyer previously ably advised by Bill. Both of us were longtime close friends of Bill and so this event was quite an emotional one as we toasted him with our fond memories. Several previous wine tastings by Bill have been posted here including 2003 Bordeaux and the three Leoville Estates in St Julien on September 19, 2022 here.

The vintage 2005 in Bordeaux was recognized from the start as a stunning magical year producing reds that are rich, powerful and tannic. The Faculty of Oenology in Bordeaux even remarked that “it would remain long in the memory for its quality”. A dry warmer year for ripeness but a cooler September resulted in bigger tannins compared to say 2009 & 2010 needing years to open up. While 2003 had 6 days over 40C the 2005 had only 2 days over 35C with less hot spikes and less overall Summer heat for best fresh balance.

We started with a 2015 CHANTEGRIVE BLANC from Leveque in the Graves with 50:50 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon a good value. At ten years it has lost much of the SB freshness but has a predominant Semillon style but is holding well and an enjoyable aperitif at 13 abv.

We finished up with 2005 RIEUSSEC SAUTERNES of 90/8/2 Semillon/SB/Muscadelle several picks Sept 23-Oct 27at 14 abv showing the usual advanced colour of this property with an excellent rich sweet botrytis beauty. Good one.

We tasted 8 reds with the last one blind. A few of my comments:

2005 BELLE-VUE HAUT-MEDOC Well situated in Macau near Giscours with old vines Petit Verdot (1936) used in first one of 1996 (100%) then purchased by Vincent Mulliez in 2004 (who died in 2010 at age 44) and carried on by his family of Auchan Supermarket before being sold in 2021 to Treasury Wine Estates (own Penfold’s & excellent Cambon La Pelouse a near neighbour of Belle-Vue). Here a blend of 50CS/27M/20PV & 3 Carmenere. Showing dense fruit but a bit rustic and more herbaceous on the finish. Good table wine to enjoy now.

2005 LES GRAVIERES ST. EMILION This is 100% Merlot that lists 13 abv but has more heat than that on the finish. NIce berry smooth textures helped by the vintage but rather simpler flavours. 2005 LA CROIX ST. GEORGES POMEROL Twelve acres near Vieux Ch Certan & Le Pin of Jean-Philippe Janoueix helped by Michel Rolland using 96M with 4 CF with iron notes of terroir & more complex choc-mocha spices.

2005 GRAND PUY DUCASSE PAUILLAC This 60CS/40M blend is one of their best up to that date. Much improved today with more recent vintages. This has solid fruit but earthy closed in less classically Pauillac styling. Still OK. 2005 KIRWAN MARGAUX Best so far with bigger intense concentrated density and less flowery Margaux (shown by recent vintages). Overcropped during 70s & 80s (though 1983 is lovely) but almost too extracted here but this Third Growth at 13.5 abv is coming around wonderfully starting now.

2005 CLOS DU MARQUIS ST. JULIEN Separate area (not a second label or just younger vines of Las Cases) was created near the winery as “Petit Clos” back in 1902. Usually more Merlot grown than LLC (vineyards further West) and 2005 is typical 50CS/37M/123CF/1 PV with 20 months in French oak (20% new). Amazingly excellent again in 2005 rich creamy ripe fruit at top value! No rush.

2005 CALON SEGUR ST ESTEPHE Gasqueton Family since 1894 but sold to Suravenir Insurance in 2012. Old single block of 55 hectares (50 planted) now at increased density of 10000 vines/ha with ever more CS planted to eventually reach 70%. Distinctive Heart label for Marquis de Segur who made wine at Lafite & Latour but whose heart was at Calon. Outstanding wine of the tasting for sure. Admirable coffee mocha notes with structure and intensity just starting to open up. Outstanding future!

2005 OCULUS OKANAGAN BC This classy top Bordeaux blend wine of Mission Hill Family Estates started with purchased fruit in 1997. Lots of innovative changes since as they have continued in pursuit of the very highest quality by owner-proprietor Anthony von Mandl. 2005 made by John Simes is 42M/28CS/20CF/10PV after cooler 2004 with highest Merlot of 70%+ and forest fires of 2003 with cellar improvements showing. It shows softer textures with quite spicy pepper notes compared to the Bordeaux and is more advanced. Grab some of the remarkable 2020 Oculus, their best ever for balanced velvety flavours of big ripe fruit awarded 100 points by top Canadian wine author John Schreiner. They have come a long successful way. Congrats!

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Question: In these tough times for the wine industry what can I do to help?

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British Columbia Liquor (BCLIQUOR) celebrates their 40th Anniversary for Bordeaux vintage releases on September 27, 2025 spotlighting the heralded 2022 vintage. It all started with the release of the fantastic 1982 vintage bought by the ebullient David Scholefield. Your scribe remembers lining up early at 39th & Cambie in October 1985 to buy a magnum of 1982 Chateau Mouton Rothschild at the then reasonable price of $148.75. Forty years later it is all well managed by Barbara Philip MW BCLIQUOR’S Bordeaux buyer who had been most ably advised by the legendary expert great guy Bill Blatch who died earlier this year. On September 10 Barb conducted a media preview of two dry whites, thirteen reds, and one Barsac which showed impressively. While they are two years ahead with early barrel tasting at the Bordeaux Primeurs it is actually preferable to see the wines bottled and released for a fairer, more definitive assessment.

BCLIQUOR produced an excellent detailed free booklet on the wines available for purchase of some 104 pages with 198 wines featured with comments – including 8 from the 1982 vintage. The powerful 1982 Cos d’Estournel bought by me for $39.45 in October 1985 is now forty years later and drinking splendidly but selling at $1500. That is quite a difference in price for enjoying a mature beauty. There is also an insightful feature in the current free TASTE magazine by Rhys Pender MW with comparative notes on the 2022 & 1982 Chateau Lagrange St.-Julien.

Nineteen dry Bordeaux whites on sale of which we tasted two from Pessac-Leognan:

2022 CHÂTEAU FERRAN BLANC $50: Lovely fresh lemony citrus notes of 96% Sauvignon Blanc with 4% Semillon grown near Martillac with a touch of oak is drinking forwardly. Value.

2022 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER $250: This is more classic with 30% Semillon blended with 70% Sauvignon Blanc harvested August 28 to September 6. Pale colour, stylish open aromas, dense but soft rich palate with much more textural depth and layers of mineral fruit and 40% new oak still to integrate. History of aging well now in Diam closure for best aged bottle consistency. A treat.

Finished with one of six Sauternes from a year noted for late arriving mid-October Botrytis affected grapes:

2022 CHÂTEAU COUTET BARSAC $55 (375ml): Blend of mostly Sémillon with blended Sauvignon Blanc & Muscadelle at 13.9 abv has structured ripe notes of pineapple/apricot/almond/peach & textbook ginger with high residual sugar yet that Barsac acidity of drier styling.

A diverse selection of thirteen Bordeaux reds tasted with brief comments:

2022 CHÂTEAU REYNON, CADILLAC CÔTES DE BORDEAUX $40: Dark deep ripe floral fruit with a touch of spicy herbal green, orange, and red peppers yet balanced. Nice for food matching and good value at 14 abv.

2022 CHÂTEAU LA VIEILLE CURE, FRONSAC $60: Similar dark look, more earthy plums Bordeaux styled top Fronsac fruit forwardly drinking but ageable too. Big with a touch of heat on the finish at 15 abv.

2022 CHÂTEAU GRAND CORBIN-DESPAGNE, ST-EMILION GRAND CRU $95: Right bank family owned since 1812 this blend of ripe 75% Merlot with 24 Cab Franc & 1 Cab Sauv with 50% new oak is quite juicy sweet prune generous fruit at low yielding 36 hl/ha 15 abv.

2022 CHÂTEAU BELLEGRAVE, POMEROL $100: Distinctive spicy iron notes of Pomerol with 25% Cab Franc blended with 75 % Merlot is stylish rounder forwardly entry but still tighter balance on the finish 14 abv.

2022 CHÂTEAU BROWN, PESSAC-LEOGNAN $80: Attractive cassis/blackberry from 53% CS, 45 Merlot, & 2 PV on gravelly clay P-L soils. Even a touch of developing tobacco leather already at 14.5 abv.

2022 CHÂTEAU LANESSAN, HAUT-MEDOC $50: Medium bodied but cooler top fruit for superb classy value under the radar at 14 abv. Proven ageability from this property over many vintages still enjoying the fresh solid 2000. Top recommended value buy.

2022 CHATEAU SIRAN, MARGAUX $85: Shows well the Margaux definition even in a hot year with lighter charming fruit & flowers 14 abv. Easy drinking.

2022 CHÂTEAU MARGAUX, MARGAUX $1700: Expensive wine but truly outstanding. Intense concentration right to the still very dark young rim. First thought it was not as structured as 2016 but then I was amazed by the best elements of 2009 ripeness + 2010 rich tannins beautifully combined. Low yields from small concentrated Cab Sauv (92%) berries and silky tannins using only 40% of crop for the Grand Vin. WOW. Shows how great the 2022 vintage can be at the highest level. 14.5 abv

2022 CHÂTEAU BRANAIRE-DUCRU, ST.-JULIEN $140: Full body and structure of St. Julien from 60.5CS/31.5M/5.5CF/2.5PV at 14.5 abv. Impressively shows big fruit with signature cedar/cigar box developing complexity. Smart buy for cellaring.

2022 CHÂTEAU LAGRANGE, ST.-JULIEN $130: Another appealing St. Julien but earthier accessible spicier fruit of 86CS/12M/2PV picked in the last 3 weeks of September in 60% new oak 21 months. Still a baby compared to the 40 year older 1982.

1982 CHATEAU LAGRANGE, ST.-JULIEN $600: Mature example with a special complex bouquet. Less alcohol at 13.5 abv. Drying out and much lighter still enchanting but not the greatness of the age worthy outstanding 2000 presently singing brilliantly at 25 years.

2022 CHÂTEAU LYNCH-BAGES, PAUILLAC $350: Popular property here with 66CS/28M/3CF/3PV at 14.5 abv shows its usual Pauillac power with finesse. Successful again in 2022. Also have Echo de Lynch-Bages at $110.

2022 CHATEAU PHELAN SEGUR, ST.-ESTEPHE: $125: Unusually more Merlot at 56% with 40CS and a little CF/PV with low yielding 28hl/ha at 14 abv. Excellent ripe peppery full bodied above its recognized classification successful after June hails reduced the crop volume with 55% new oak. Surprise of the tasting. Well done Veronique Dausse.

Check out this plethora of quality Bordeaux wines being released on September 27. Many already delicious but most freshly balanced for aging complexity as well. Versatile vintage. Opportunity knocks!

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Question: Can wine made from grapes automatically be classified as vegan or vegetarian?

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Over the decades it has always been interesting to me to study restaurant wine lists. Your scribe has loads of experience even judging several competitions awarding the best wine list. Memories from the last century of dining at Michelin starred restaurants (with rooms) in France and upon checking in asking for the Wine List to carefully go over before dinner. Some long expansive tomes in those days and it was fun to narrow down some possible wine choices and older vintages you wanted to try and enjoy. It was so much simpler then with fewer top quality wine regions and more reasonably priced classic wines. Today it is much more difficult to balance the restaurant’s hope for profitability with the consumer’s search for fair value. So many factors involved now including the plethora of successful wineries around the world offering excellent wines, the demand and scarcity of icon wines, the increasing prices of all wines, higher mark-ups, tariffs, the marketing of brands, the dominance of supermarkets, cost control and inventory management, staff training, the happening of natural & orange wines, and the health issues with recent emergence of no alcohol or low-alcohol (NoLo) or alcohol-free (AF) & non-alcoholic (NA).

What is the right magic number of wines to offer on a Wine List? You want a diverse selection at various price points to satisfy consumer tastes – but not too many to navigate through. It is nice to see a regularly changing updated list. A good opportunity to try new undiscovered wines. You want wines that match the cuisine. Two lists often work well with a shorter one with reasonably priced wines and by the glass selections plus a longer one of more limited inventory at higher prices. We like slower mid-week specials (Cactus Club Tuesday half price) and BYOB day (at Orto Artisan Pasta). It is not an easy job to craft a balanced workable wine list. Increased restaurant emphasis on beers, ciders, sake, and especially cocktails. Please try harder on your Wine Lists!

Thinking back over the past year on various Wine Lists we have experienced shows Canada (with monopoly Liquor Boards) really needing wine price relief though Quebec & Alberta are somewhat better. Several visits to Paris & Burgundy show extensive lists of yore at the 3 star Michelins (Epicure at The Bristol) & Bistro 114 Faubourg but still fine value at Le Maufoux in Beaune for 2020 Chablis Raveneau 70 Euros, 2018 Meursault Domaine Roulot 100E, and 2015 Beaune Clos de la Mousse Bouchard Père 110E. The USA does better but with an amazing wide range starting with good Greek wine reasonable choices by the glass “Vins au Verre” at Milos locations to pair well with the Greek food to expensive resorts like Topper’s at the Wauwinet on Nantucket Island though have 11 Gevrey-Chambertin choices from $8000 to $140 listed in descending price order. Some fair values in New York with mature Italian 2014 Barbera d’Asti Icardi $85 perfect with the Italian focused cuisine at Don Angie, fresh Vermentino from Sardinia $62 at Shukette, and appropriate Alsace Riesling 2018 Grittermatte $95 at hot new Penny. Like the wine focus at some Boston spots like Toscano that feature ongoing specials for 8 ounce servings. San Francisco ranges widely too from upscale Rousseau Clos St. Jacques verticals at Angler to more user friendly lists at Zuni Cafe.

Possibly the best restaurant wine find of the year for me was an exquisite bottle specially imported of surprisingly pure balanced complexity 2022 Bourgogne Blanc Hautes-Cotes de Beaune Jardin Du Calvaire from respected Etienne Sauzet at Le Crocodile Vancouver. Posted on this Blog August 11, 2025 were white Burgundy values & this is another one to add on.

Wine Lists and sommelier led formal wine service is presently at a crossroads. Where do you think restaurants go from here? Pleased to receive your feedback and your predictions.

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