Vinexpo 2007: Fête de la Fleur

I was in Bordeaux for 10 days this June 2007 for Vinexpo and stayed at Chateau Siran in Labarde/Margaux through the kindness of Edouard and Sevrine Miailhe. After over a week of tasting through the 2006 vintage (mainly at the Union de Grand Cru event) and the nightly dinners, I attended the Fête de la Fleur, a celebration traditionally held to close Vinexpo.

This year, it was held at Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte in Pessac-Leognan. The Fête coincided with the 20th anniversary celebration of Pessac-Leognan’s classification as a separate appellation.

The strictly black tie affair started with cocktails consisting of a seemingly endless supply of vintage 2004 from most every chateau in the area. Because my French is pretty much limited to reading and ordering off menus and wine lists, Edouard & Sevrine and Alexandre & EG Millevoie thoughtfully made the extra effort to introduce me around and entertained me during the evening.

The Food and Wines:

Fish Course: Tartare de Bar en Surprise au Caviar d’Aquitaine (a French spin on ceviche topped with local caviar)

2000 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc - I have enjoyed, in varying degrees, this chateau's blancs and pretty much have consistently favored them over their reds - but not at this particular instance. The wine, while pleasant enough (and I'd always rather have a middling white with my fish course than none at all), seemed to lack any distinguishing character. It lacked the lively acidic vibrance of the '04, the forward generosity of the '03 and the admirable focus, purity and acidic balance of the '01. Too soft, somewhat flabby, too tropical. I didn't finish my glass and declined the offer of more.

Meat Course: Jarret d’Agneau Ouble au Four (a straightforward dish of slow-roasted lamb)

2001 Chateau de Pez - Simply put, I have never thought much of this chateau's wine. It just seems neither here nor there. In a blind tasting, I doubt very much I would be able to guess it as a St. Estephe. I always accept a glass if offered and drink at least half of it to be polite, but that's as far as I'd go (unless, perhaps, there was nothing else to drink).This time was no different. There was nothing really objectionable with the '01, but nothing particularly noteworthy either. I took only two sips to give it a chance, but, after having already tasted several Pessac-Leognans before dinner, I stopped after that to save space for the rest of the wines.

2000 Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge - This, like their 2003 and 2004, was quite nice. Not "ripe n' ready" and eager to please like the '03 and not as finely reserved as the '04, though it is noticeably more self-restrained than the ones from the 90s that I've tried (and to me this is a good thing). I enjoyed this wine's somewhat creamy texture (yes, acidity was acceptable at best) and over-all slight earthiness. The flavors (and SHL certainly never skimps on this) of black fruit, cassis, tobacco, some dark raspberry notes in the middle, and, of course, oak (but notably better integrated than other SHLs I recall) also had a nice touch of minerality to the back and finish. Quite nice.

1996 Rauzan-Ségla - Save for the 1955 (the "z" in "Rauzan" still an "s" then) I had at Chateau d'Issan two nights before (excellent, notes on that to follow), I hadn't tried a Rauzan-Ségla in many years. Last two bottles were around 6-7 years ago, a 1995 which was way too young and hard, and a 1986 which seemed DOA - almost no fruit and too much acidity - perhaps a bad bottle (from D. Sokolin in NY). The 1996 was very enjoyable. Well-focused, pure, well-balanced, elegantly layered and velvety. Sweetish red fruit over a dark base with a nice, vaguely smokiness to its cedar and camphor whispers. Not flamboyant, it allowed you to unravel its bouquet and flavors rather than push them at you.I'm a sucker for seduction. I'll look around for some of this.Then things began to get vinously more serious.

Cheese Course: I don't recall now the ones I had as I just chose whatever Sevrine recommended. 1998 Haut Brion - This was the first '98 HB I tried. My first thought when I saw it on the menu was to think it would be too young to really enjoy. I was wrong.The wine was exceptional. It called to mind an image of myself at dusk, sitting alone in a field of old vines in soft, gravelly earth, the air laden with the scent of cool, approaching showers. Old-earthy black fruit, dried herbs, mere touches of tobacco and graphite, lightly infused with discreet sweetish red berries, fine minerals surfacing to the back and following to the finish. Full-bodied, but not dense or ponderous. Very nice.

Back to reality: I myself, have white wine with cheese when I am in control of the pairing, but this wine went well with the soft, creamy, pungent, gamey cheese Sevrine picked out (I wish I remembered what it was). Bartholomew Broadbent, son of the esteemed Michael Broadbent, is a very friendly and unassuming fellow who runs Broadbent Wines out of San Francisco (seated at our table that evening) also mentioned that he generally prefers whites with cheese - and, although I whole-heartedly agreed with him, I'm glad he said it first.

Trio of Desserts:

I only really enjoyed the little tart-tatin, and it (unsurprisingly) paired well with the 1998 Yquem. Before anything else, let me just state for the record that I liked this wine. I've never had what I could call a bad wine from Yquem and I always appreciate having a glass of Yquem, any Yquem, if I don't have to pay for it. But when I'm doing the buying, experience has taught me to stick to the better vintages.

I liked the '98 much better than the comparatively lackluster '99 (I didn't buy the '99, it was given as a gift) as the former has obviously better body, weight, middle, depth, more botrytis notes, complexity and better balance than the latter. However, having said that, considering the price, I would not buy the '98. If I'm going to spend anyway on a young Yquem, I would rather spend just a little more on a better vintage - like, say, the 1997.

Still and all, this, my first Fête de la Fleur, was magical,
an evening I shall always remember.