TN: Two wines not from Burgundy

Although I have never been served anything from outside Bordeaux when in that region, the Burgundians seemed to have a more outgoing, open-minded nature. On a press trip to Burgundy earlier this year although what we tasted and drank was in excess of 95% Burgundy there were at least some bottles from elsewhere. That seems to me to be a more healthy position than that found when visiting Bordeaux, which often seems to me to be trying to create the impression that there is no viticulture anywhere in the world east of Castillon. Is this a fair view, do you think?

In a similar fasion although I love the wines of the Loire above all else I will never drink exclusively from that region; to keep some context you have to taste widely, and I think drink widely as well. I know I drink fewer and fewer New World bottles, but I do still have a few Californian and Australian bottles in the cellar. And there is no shortage of wines from across Europe; recent additions to the cellar have come from Alsace, Provence, Rioja, Jurancon, Limoux, the Mosel and so on. That's obviously alongside the 2005 Rougeards, the 2005 Lebretons (Domaine de Rochelles), the Chereau-Carré Muscadet and the Claude Riffault Sancerre.....

Here are two notes on wines tasted on during a visit to Burgundy earlier in the year.

Chateau Beychevelle (St Julien) 1970: Served blind. Pure and aromatic on the nose, elegant and stylish, very meaty but bright too. Elegant, stony, perfumed, gravelly, a little note of crushed seashells which I usual take as a sign of a reasonable amount of bottle age. Clean but certainly substantial on the palate, amazingly meaty, pure and perfumed, with sappy-stony fruit like that on the nose. Grippy, but balanced, this is delicious wine. This is one of just a small handful of clarets I have tasted from this vintage - the year I was born - and on the whole they have been very good indeed. 18/20

Barbeito Malvasia Madeira 1962: Served blind. A rich, deep golden brown, with a warm and toasty tinge to the rim, with perhaps the faintest tinge of green. A little vegetal on the nose, but with notes of Christmas pudding and seasonal spices, crumbly ginger biscuits and sweet, smoky, baked earth aromas. Rich on the palate, peppery, with very prominent acidity. A very firm composition, with walnuts and sweetly polished wood. Full, rounded and expressive, this is intense and yet bright and lifted. A wine of great warmth and intensity, this goes on and on. Really very good indeed. Barbeito is a small family business established in 1946 which turns out authentic, unadulterated Madeira - on the basis of this tasting I would like to try more. 17/20

Nice notes, Chris.

Bordeaux 1970 was greatly praised in its youth but is widely considered, I think, not to have quite fulfilled expectations. I have owned cases of Pontet-Canet (Belgian bottling) and Ducru-Beaucaillou and a few more recently bought bottles of Chasse-Spleen and Cos. The first was never very gracious (but perhaps I drank them too young) and the second was solid but uninspiring until the 90s when it really started singing; I have two or three bottles left. The Chasse-S has been variable but the best excellent whilst I haven't yet opened any Cos because of its disappointing showing at the horizontal referred to below; I should pluck up my courage with another wine in reserve.

I remember a Latour at an offline in the early 00s which was truly outstanding and I attended a horizontal at La Vigneronne (probably in the late 90s) where the showings were very patchy; my Ducru, and your Beychevelle, would be well up amongst the best - I may still have some manuscript notes which I will look up.

When visiting a region, I only want to drink wines from that region, so I tend not to notice the insularity of the locals!

But even if I lived in a region famous for its wines, I'm sure I'd want to branch out. Perhaps the Bordelais never get bored with Bordeaux, but I would find that stifling.

At a dinner a few months ago Jacques Lardiere said he had a variety of wines from across the world in his cellar, though many of his colleagues only drink Burgundy. I've heard anecdotal stories of Bordeaux owners looking at people like they had 2 heads if they asked if they drank anything other than Bordeaux.

Maybe Alex R (does he still post here?) could give a better view.

When visiting a region, I only want to drink wines from that region, so I tend not to notice the insularity of the locals!

But even if I lived in a region famous for its wines, I'm sure I'd want to branch out. Perhaps the Bordelais never get bored with Bordeaux, but I would find that stifling.

Good point Oswaldo - as someone pointed out on another forum where I posted this, it would be rather strange and perhaps disappointing to spend several days in Burgundy and be served only Bordeaux! Although I wasn't suggesting this should be the case - I was just surprised at being poured these two wines, and it made me realise that it (almost) never happened in Bordeaux. I say "almost " because I have also remembered that even the Bordelais pour Champagne for their guests!

And of course it may be, in view of this, that the locals pour Bordeaux for guests but may be much more wide-ranging in their own drinking at home.