Bon jour, étudiants. To continue our learning journey on French wines, Big Red and I recently hosted a tasting of classic French wines with two Burgundy wines and two Bordeaux. As especially bright students will remember, red Burgundy wines are always either Gamay or Pinot Noir and reds from Bordeaux are always a blend of up to five grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. We selected the wines this time with the help of David Butler, owner of Le Caviste, a fabulous French wine bar in Seattle. Here’s the lineup:
- Domaine Rochette Brouilly Cru Beaujolais (Burgundy, $20)
- Domaine du Prieure Savigny-les-Beaune, (Burgundy, $27.50)
- Chateau La Fleur Milon 2007 Pauillac, (Bordeaux, $30)
- Chateau de Grand Bos 2005 Graves, (Bordeaux, $30)
Burgundy for Balanced 
As always, our tasting was blind and tribe members tasted each wine both with and without food. (Not sure what this tribe thing is? Take the quiz to find your tribe then find customized wine recommendations at the “Wine Picks By Tribe” section.) The preferences of different tribe members at this tasting were especially distinct, clearly showing how one tribe’s “marvelous” can be another’s “meh.” Balanced Tribe members, on whole, liked the Brouilly (pronounced broo-yee). They found it to be a light wine with a “tingly” mouthfeel and flavors of raspberry and strawberry jam. And while it was drinkable on its own, it also paired well with the cheese and charcuterie we served. Unfortunately, no Accessible Tribe members attended this tasting, but I think that they would have agreed with Balanced Tribe members in their preference for the Brouilly.
Bordeaux for the Rest
The Developed Tribe loved the Pauillac (say it with me…poy-yac), which comes from one of the most famous appellations within Bordeaux. Its wines are classic representations of the region, and Developed Tribe members were smitten—though they had some interesting ways of saying so. The wine’s aroma reminded tasters of mesquite smoke, wet soil and grilled jalapeños stuffed with cheese. And to describe its taste, we heard leather, wood and dust storm—earthy flavors that mellowed into deep plum and toasted marshmallow when the wine was paired with food. The Complex Tribe also liked the Pauillac, but preferred the Graves (pronounced grahv rhyming with mauve). They loved its scents of warm spice and pungent earth and tastes of darkest chocolate, boysenberries and walnuts.
Hot Tip on a Light Pinot
David noted that Graves is a special area in Bordeaux. The vines there grow in meters-deep river rock gravel, which gives the wine a legendary mineral quality that our tasters experienced as dry mouthfeel. You may be asking yourself, well, what about the Savigny-les-Beaune? Although not a stinker, this light, dry and even tart wine wasn’t anyone’s favorite. But it is a classic example of a traditional Burgundy. If you are a fan of light Pinot Noirs, give it a try.
C’est Si Bon, Darling
Ah mon cheri, we have now sampled wines from only two of France’s many wine producing regions. I see more French wine tasting parties in our future. Please inspire us with a comment on your favorite French wines and wine producing regions. Merci! 