By The Glass
LYLE FUJIOKA
Fine bordeaux
at good pricesRemember Y2K? With all the end-of-the-world anxiety, computer meltdown scenarios, financial collapse woes and apocalyptic hoopla, many would sooner have this event pass from memory.
But what about Y2KB? Yes, that's right ... 2000 bordeaux! Many wine lovers have been quietly re-mortgaging their homes in order to bankroll their bordeaux purchases. This comes as no surprise after every wine guru and guru-wanabee has been hyping the heck out of this vintage. It's hard to ignore Robert Parker Jr.'s statement that "2000 is a monumental vintage and undoubtedly the greatest year bordeaux has ever experienced."
Here's the good news. While first-growth wines such as Chateau Margaux and Chateau Mouton-Rothschild may be unaffordable to everyone except the insanely rich, many excellent wines were produced in the satellite districts, such as the Côtes de Castillon and Graves, with very pleasing, modest price tags. Wines of this vintage are extremely complex, concentrated and rich and will have even hard-core California red wine lovers jumping ship.
With this fabulous fruit concentration comes high tannin levels imparting great aging potential. While you could lay the wine down for five to 10 years to let the tannins soften, we're all for more immediate gratification, leading to a discussion on decanting. Simply put, decanting means aerating the wine to help soften the tannins and improve the aroma. Pour the bordeaux into a decanter, forget about it for an hour, then serve. Don't have a decanter? Get a clean, empty wine bottle and pour your bordeaux into it. Pour the wine back into the original bottle, wait for an hour, and enjoy.
Chateau La Galante Bordeaux Superieur 2000 ($15.95): This stylish and sophisticated blend of 65 percent cabernet sauvignon and 30 percent cabernet franc shows a beautiful Crème de Cassis, black cherry and vanilla nose. Deep, ripe raspberry, Crème de Cassis and toasty oak flavors finish with sweet, polished tannins reminiscent of a great California cabernet sauvignon.
Chateau De Parenchère Cuvèe Raphaël 2000 ($18.95): Made from the best lots of 40-year-old vines, Paranchère glows with flavors and aromas of ripe blackberry, raspberry and tampenade, accented with coffee, spice and vanilla. The fine, integrated tannins make for a superb tasting experience.
Chateau Le Bourdillot Cuvèe Prestige Bordeaux Supérieur 2000 ($18.95): A surprising pinot noir-like nose starts things off glistening with ripe cherry, coffee and integrated oak aromas. This silky, elegant wine blends black cherry, ripe raspberry, anise and mocha flavors, ending with firm, drying tannins and a long, impressive finish.
Lyle Fujioka owns Fujioka's Wine Merchants.
This column is a weekly lesson in wine
pairing written by a rotating panel of wine professionals.
Write to features@starbulletin.com
