Do you know the five grapes of the great growing region of Bordeaux? Of course, you know Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but you may not be as familiar with Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.

While used in Bordeaux primarily as blending components, these three have found success on their own in other areas of the world including Argentina, Australia and here, in Virginia. We will visit tradition and modernity together in this tasting.

Cabernet Franc is one of the major red grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being used in blends and produced as a varietal in Canada and the United States it is made into ice wine there.

Cabernet Franc is lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon,^[1] making a bright pale red wine^[2] and contributing finesse and a peppery perfume to blends with more robust grapes. Depending on growing region and style of wine, additional aromas can include tobacco, raspberry, and cassis, sometimes even violets.

Records of Cabernet Franc in Bordeaux go back to the end of the 18th century; it was planted in Loire long before that. DNA analysis indicates Cabernet Franc is one of two parents of Cabernet Sauvignon, a cross between it and Sauvignon Blanc.^[3]

Malbec is a variety of purple grape used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins. Long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine, the French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West France region. It is increasingly celebrated as an Argentine varietal wine and is being grown around the world.

Called Auxerrois or Côt Noir in Cahors, called Malbec in Bordeaux, and Pressac in other places, the grape became less popular in Bordeaux after 1956 when frost killed off 75% of the crop. Despite Cahors being hit by the same frost, which devastated the vineyards, Malbec was replanted and continued to be popular in that area where it was mixed with Merlot and Tannat to make dark, full-bodied wines, and more recently has been made into 100% Malbec varietal wines.

Petit Verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends.^[1] It ripens much later than the other varieties in Bordeaux, often too late, so it fell out of favour in its home region. When it does ripen, it is added in small amounts to add tannin, colour and flavour to the blend. It has attracted attention among winemakers in the New World, where it ripens more reliably and has been made into single varietal wine. It is also useful in 'stiffening' the mid palate of Cabernet Sauvignon blends.

When young its aromas have been likened to banana and pencil shavings. Strong tones of violet and leather develop as it matures.

We'll be sampling the following wines Tuesday evening!!

2008 Petit Verdot – Jefferson Vineyards – VA

Petit Verdot – Jefferson Vineyards – Monticello, VA
Originally used as a bordeaux blending grape, Petit Verdot has really made its own niche as a single varietal wine here in the new world. And it's here in this niche that this amazing Petit Verdot from Jefferson vineyards really excels. When you open this wine up you get hit by an amazing aroma of both spice and Violet. Shortly after this initial burst of great smells you start noticing the more subtle aromas of some sort of dark fruit (which I can't quite identify) and even believe there may be a little bit of bannana. After you get a good whiff and move on to take a sip you are get some pretty nice flavours right off the bat, beginning with that spice and dark fruit carrying over from the smell. You also get a pleasant taste of black currant and a bit of tobacco. And most importantly of all you get a nice long, dry finish with some subtle notes of herb's that really stay with you. Now I had this wine at a tasting, so no food, but I really think that this would go great with a heavy pasta sauce or a nice strong cheese. This is an amazing wine and one which you should really try, especially if you are a fan of Bordeaux or Meritage wines. If you want a nice heavy tannin wine that will age well then get yourself one of these bottles, you will love it and for the price how can you go wrong.

De Bortoli Deen Vat 4 Petit Verdot 2006
Region
Australia

Appearance
Deep purple with inky red hues

Bouquet
Blackcurrant and spice aromas

Palate
Rich plum and toasty mocha oak. Full tannins, fleshy mid palate with generous varietal character and flavour.

Vintage Conditions
Drought conditions led to an earlier vintage than previous years. Dry weather and warm sunny days with low cropping levels contributed to great flavour intensity in the resultant wines.

Winemaking
The winemaker together with the viticulturist carefully select individual fruit parcels on the basis of fruit ripeness and flavour profile. On delivery to the winery minimal handling for gentle flavour extraction is utilised including cool maceration on skins and lengthy warm fermentation. The wine also underwent full malolactic fermentation [MLF] and was barrel aged in new, two and three year old oak.


TIERRA DIVINA Malbec 07

Why do so few wine labels these days reflect the origin of the wines? Maybe it's just that international-style wines have little to do with terroir. Who knows? Anyway, we are going back to our roots, and here’s the result.

Mendoza is divided into two distinct growing regions: Luján in the north, and the Valle de Uco in the south. As you progress south from Luján the landscape becomes sparser, the soil rockier, and the wines more intense. While we farm vineyards in both appellations, we have developed a particular fondness for the remote southern reaches of the Valle de Uco.

Some 120 kms south of the city of Mendoza, the vines simply run out of soil. From here, the high plains extend, unplanted, down to Patagonia. On this margin lies our San Carlos vineyard, which grows amazingly deep and dark fruit, powerful, and structured. Just twelve kms north of here is our La Consulta vineyard, the source of a softer and rounder, complex wine. Both vineyards are situated close to the base of the Andes, at 1000 meters of elevation. Both have thin reddish soils underlain by deep channels of alluvial stones, and both were planted in the 1930s with the low yielding small leaf clone of malbec. Tierra Divina is an expression of the Valle de Uco: very dark; deeply fruited with ripe, dense plum and cassis fruit; complex and fragrant and exotic, with a beautiful long finish. And like the best malbecs, its power is tempered by a haunting lightness in the mouth.


Felino Malbec 2008
Varietal Composition 91% malbec 6% cabernet sauvignon, 3% syrah,

Vintage 2008

Harvest March 19 through April 18; hand-harvested
Appellation Mendoza, Argentina
Vineyards in Luján de Cuyo and Valle de Uco
Climate Semi-desert; 2,500 feet average elevation

Growing Season Winter temperatures were colder than average with abundant snowfall, providing an excellent reserve of water for use during the warm growing season that followed. A small crop set of well-formed clusters saw early veraison due to a particularly hot, dry summer. Though temperatures cooled in February, March was warmer and allowed for slow, consistent ripening of the red varieties.

Yield 3.1 to 3.6 tons/acre
Primary Fermentation Fermented with selected and native yeasts in 8 to 18 ton closed-top stainless steel fermentors. Maceration 3 to 4 day cold soak; 15 to 18 days total maceration
Secondary Fermentation Native malolactic fermentation in barrel; 4 months to completion
Barrel Aging 8 months in American and French oak barrels; 21% new

Bottling February 2009

Tasting Notes
This powerful, firmly structured malbec is black/fuchsia in color and perfumed with wild raspberry and bittersweet cocoa. The palate unfolds in velvety layers of plum, currant and anise. Notes of white pepper and minerals accompany fine-grained tannins on a long, memorable finish.

2007 Lang & Reed Cabernet Franc

When we began our exploration of Cabernet Franc we set out with the goal to present a wine that was ‘true to type’, or in wine-speak, a wine that showed ‘typicity’ – boldly saying ‘Cabernet Franc’! Our exploration, in progress for over a decade, brings us to the rows of many vineyards in very diverse growing conditions. Our newest find has been north of us [north of Napa Valley that is] in the hills of Lake County. Lake County has been known for a very long time as a region capable of producing stunning Sauvignon Blanc so it seems natural that it would do well with the closely related Cabernet Franc. Our discovery of some very fine vineyards in this area invites a new level of experience to the aromatic and flavor profile of our Cabernet Franc.

The 2006 is an assemblage of four vineyards, two located in the heart of the Napa Valley and two from the northern reaches of Lake County. The new dimension, and a peek into our future vintages, comes from the High Chaparral Vineyard and Cross Springs Vineyard in Lake County. The High Chaparral sits above the 2,000-foot elevation on very sparse red soils. This vineyard was planted on its own roots, in the early 1980’s. This ‘Franc de Pied’ provides a deep streak of aroma and flavor that clearly expresses a mineral and stony like quality to the wine. Also above the 2,000ft elevation, the relatively youthful Cross Springs Vineyard is planted to one of the new Entav/Inra clones especially noted for pure varietal expression. The grapes from these vineyards provided us with an exciting facet in our goal to express ‘typicity’ in our Cabernet Franc.

Description:
Showing clear and brilliant red color with youthful violet on the edge, the aromatics of this vintage clearly shout Cabernet Franc with late summer herbs and bright white cherry fruit mingling with typical Franc floral characteristics. On the palate savory and tarragon combine with floral essence buttressed with dried cherry and currant fruit flavors. The gentle tannins are nicely punctuated by lively fruit acid, which lead into a finish that is fresh and mouthwatering.
Production Statistics:
Varietal Composition: 100% Cabernet Franc
Appellation: 90% Lake County 10 % Napa Valley

Domaine de Pallus 2006 Chinon

Pallus is the high-class wine of the field. It is resulting from an assembly of 4 old pieces from frank cabernet being located around the property: Tiriots 0,51 ha: Vine planted in 1974 on one of the most famous slopes of Chinon name. The slope is marked there and the exposure is full south. The first 30 cm of ground are sablo argillaceous limestone then the roots plunge directly in micaceous chalk (bed rock of the area). The wine drawn from this soil is marked by the presence of the calcareous element: sharp, nervous, wild and saline wine. Fine tannins and very dense for a red fruit in the aromatic plan. It is responsible for the minerality in the assembly of Pallus. Three pillars 0,58 ha: Vine planted in 1968 on slopes with moderate slope. Very flexible ground sablo argilo organic with ferrous stones on approximately 2 m then again micaceous chalk. Pieces perfectly homogeneous adult develop throughout the year in a wise and serene way. The drawn wine is expressed that at the end of its breeding under wood. Careful wine and shy person who develops flavours of under wood, of cigar then a very full and velvety mouth. Once more wisdom is done noticed and gives the key of classicism in assembly. Rougery 0,48 ha: Vine planted in 1952 with a frankly single clone of cabernet because contrary to the clones current the sheets are glabrous and green clearly, the bunches are very small cowards with coarse grains. There the ground is sandy argilo with ferrous stones, then we find likings limestone to 70 cm of depth. The argillaceous tendency is found in the wine by a silky and gracious attack then, by the richness and the generosity of tannins. Extremely long wine. It brings the body and the heart of Pallus during the assembly. The field 0,72 ha: Vine planted in 1962 on micaceous chalk terrace with semi slope. The ground is composed of silica, ferrous stones and small pieces of limestone on approximately 2 m then the micaceous chalk flagstone. Out of spring a spring, alive and precise wine with the nose. The mouth it has a dynamic attack and a structure skeleton, fine thanks to a typical acidity of the calcareous ground sablo. This wine brings in the assembly of the aromatic intensity as well as a fine acidity. The outputs obtained are about 30 hl/ha on each piece. The wine makings are made individually ferments wood open from 15 of it to 19 hl. After assembly the wine will be high out of new barrel for 18 months. The wine will be bottled without being stuck nor filtered. Analyzes: - Alcoholic strengths 12,5% with 20°C - Total Acidity 3,6 g/L (H2SO4) - PH 3,45 - Volatile Acidity 0,55 g/L (H2SO4) - Free SO2 14 mg/L - Total SO2 54 mg/L Comment of tasting: - Color: Red ruby of constant intensity - Nose: One finds the class of the large soils of the field of Pallus to knowing them fruity red spiced as well as fine flavours of breeding. - Mouth: It is in perfect harmony with the nose because the construction of this Pallus 2006 is characterized by its purity. The discrete and sincere attack is connected on tamed tannins which allow to appreciate the traditional and singular heart of this wine.