Château Valfontaine 2010 and Entre-Deux-Mers
This wine is from the Entre-Deux-Mers area of Bordeaux which is situated between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. Entre-Deux-Mers is more famous for its White Wine but the area is a source of a considerable production of light red wine. Château Valfontaine is a typical but good example of this style of red Bordeaux. The soil here is more clay based than the gravel of the Haut Médoc
The wine is produced from a high proportion of Merlot blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The Merlot produces wines which are lighter in tannin and which mature earlier and Merlot wines tend to be fruitier when young. Château Valfontaine 2010 has an intense cherry colour. On the nose it has a strong flavour of red fruits especially cherries.
On the palate it has a the typical taste of Bordeaux with concentrated red fruits, liquorice and tobacco box flavour. It has light tannins and feels smooth and sumptuous. It is well balanced and integrated. It has a long length. This wine is not made for keeping and I would drink it young. It is probably at its best now or over the next year.
It goes down well with beef and French cheeses. It is good standard quality wine and at £5.99 it represents really good value for money. It is wine which shows the character of Bordeaux without being expensive. So three cheers for the Waitrose buyers. You will not go wrong with this wine.
The wine is also labelled with the new Appellation d'origine Protégée which is now beginning to replace
Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) on French wine bottles.
Les Hauts de Lestac Cuvée Prestige 2010 AOC and the Haut-Médoc
The Haut-Médoc is situated on the left bank of the Gironde river and is considered to be one of the top wine areas of France if not the world. It includes the communes of Margaux, Pauillac, St Estephe and St Julien. Some of the worlds most expensive and prestigious red wines are made here such as Château Latour, Château Margaux and Château Mouton Rothschild. Some of this prestige rubs off onto lesser wines.
Whilst the famous wines are made from vines grown in the best locations alongside the river the other wines of the less renowned names of the area still benefit from the sand and gravel soils of the Haut-Médoc. The quality of the standard wines, however, is little different to the reds of Entre-Deux-Mers; this is reflected in the retail price in France. Les Hauts de Lestac does not command a much greater price than Château Valfontaine.
The style of wine is quite different, however, Les Hauts de Lestac is made from a predominance of Cabernet Sauvignon blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the wine is much more tannic and austere and it is more closed up. The red fruit flavours are not as strong and the wine needs to be kept to mature for a couple of more years before it will reveal its fruit flavour. The wine is matured in oak so it has a flavour of vanilla and liquorice.
It also has the typical tobacco box aroma and flavour of Bordeaux. It is slightly stronger in alcohol than the Valfontaine at 13% but this is not noticeable on the palate. It is the level of tannin that makes the difference. the tannins need to soften up a little before the wine is fully approachable. The wine has long length and it goes well with magret de canard as recommended on the bottle. The tannins helped to refresh the palate.
It is very good value for money if you buy it in France. The Baron de Lestac estate is one of the largest producers in the Haut-Médoc.
Two different Styles
Two different styles of wine created by the blend of the grapes used and to a certain extent the soil and the micro-climate. The wines of the Haut-Médoc have the potential to age much longer and the potential to become great wines. This is not always the case, however. Both of these wines are of similar quality they are good everyday drinking wines. The wines of Entre-Deux-Mers should be drunk young and most of the wine from the Haut-Médoc should be allowed to mature and allow the tannins to soften to reveal the fruit.
The 2010 vintage
2010 was a very good year for Bordeaux reds; almost as good as 2009. I have tasted some very good examples of both vintages. It is well worth buying half a dozen bottles of medium priced Haut-Médoc
and storing them in a cool dark place for a few years.
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