It was my wedding anniversary last week and after eighteen years
of happy married life what better way to celebrate than to open a bottle of
1994 Graves over a meal with some friends. I was given this bottle by a friend
who had obviously kept it for many years and I was not certain how well it
would have matured and how it had been kept. I had a reserve bottle just in
case.
This wine is from
the Graves area of Bordeaux. The vineyard is situated in the Toulenne commune
and was produced by the Coste family. A nephew, François Gauthier, now runs the
estate which is situated on the left bank of the Garonne very close to the
river.
Chateau Chicane is a typical example of the Graves appellation
which lies to the south of its more illustrious sister Pessac-Léognan. The soil
of Graves, which is composed of gravel, clay and sand, combined with the climate
and weather provides the perfect growing conditions for the vines.
The wine was
blended from some of the famous grapes of the region, Cabernet Sauvignon -
65%, Merlot - 30% and Malbec - 5 %. The Château only makes
red wine but other Châteaux in the area make both red and white.
During my
researches, on the internet, some wine websites claimed that the wine is not
very well renowned but in the area it is. Although there is very little
information about the wine on the web, it is written about in several of my
wine books.
I was not
expecting the wine to be at its best after 18 years. The label recommends
keeping it for a maximum ten. However, I decided to write a tasting note just
after I decanted the wine. The wine was fully developed and on the downward
slope and it was past its best. It had lost its fresh fruit character but had
matured to retain strong flavours of dried fruits. It had a slightly vegetal
aroma reminiscent of aged Burgundy.
My wife and I
enjoy the character of wines like this and it went down very well with a rib of
beef. The wine, however, was more than ready to be drunk and I do not think it
would last must longer. If the wine had retained a fresh fruit character
it would have tasted great.
It is well worth
keeping a wine of this quality for about ten years to give you an idea of how
good Bordeaux, Burgundy and Rhône wines develop and mature in the
bottle. Good wines from the USA, Italy, Australia and South Africa will mature
similarly.
The 1988, which
was a better vintage than 1994, will set you back about 27 pounds a bottle if
you can still get it. I don’t think I would buy the 1994 even if I found it.
Tasting
Note:
Wine: Château Chicane 1994 AC
Graves Red
Tasted on: 10th November 2012
Appearance: A clear medium tawny colour. The
wine produces tears on the glass.
Nose: This wine is fully developed if not
over the hill. It is clean with an intense aroma of stewed plums, raisins,
spice, vanilla and the typical tobacco box aroma of Bordeaux.
Palate: It has medium body and softening tannins.
The medium acidity is well integrated into the body of the wine. It is dry with
concentrated and complex flavours of prunes, raisins and dried fruits. It has a
spicy flavour of marzipan, vanilla, cloves and vanilla. It has medium length.
It has a warm feel on the palate from its maturity rather than its alcohol
level which is medium (12%) from the label.
Conclusion: Although the wine is over the hill it has
aged quite gracefully just as I would have expected from a good quality
Bordeaux. It would have been at its peak about ten years ago. I would not
hesitate to try another bottle, if available, but not buy it.
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