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Château Belleuve Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé 2000

Château Belleuve Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé 2000

Earlier this year, I was invited to attend a dinner showcasing several vintages of Vieux Château Certan. François Thienpont was on-hand to explain the wines, and I felt lucky indeed to be seated next to him throughout the evening. Château Bellevue is managed by his brother, Nicolas and vigneron, Stephane Derenoncourt. A blend of 80% Merlot […]

Château Calon-Ségur Saint-Estèphe Grand Cru Classé 2000

Château Calon-Ségur Saint-Estèphe Grand Cru Classé 2000

A Classic Saint-Estèphe, the Calon-Ségur 2000 offers up sumptuous aromas of steeped blackberries, forest floor, wet wood, game, char, asphalt, saddle leather, violets, and brown sugar. The influence of the estate vineyard’s deep gravelly soils is evident in the nose and in a delicate vein of minerality, that sits like filagree atop velvety, caressing tannins. […]

Crêpes with an Oregon Marionberry Reduction Sauce

Crêpes with Oregon Marionberries reduced in a Red Bordeaux

In another lifetime, I made dozens of crêpes on Friday nights, when throngs of customers would flood my Eastern Washington tasting room to catch live music on the weekends. Since then, I’ve refined the recipe a bit—not the crêpes themselves, rather the toppings. Back then, I used our wineries’ Columbia Valley Cabernet, now I’m more […]

Barons de Rothschild Bordeaux Réserve Spéciale Blanc 2013

Barons de Rothschild Bordeaux Réserve Spéciale Blanc 2013

2013 was a tough vintage in Bordeaux, Château Lafite Rothschild describes it as the worst vintage in over 30 years, though it is important to note that the whites generally fared better than the reds. Nevertheless, the estate has the pedigree to pull off a good wine in a challenging year, I was favorably impressed […]

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot Premier Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2000

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot Premier Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion 2000

Ruby-hued and breathtakingly fresh, with a deep perfume of black cherry and cassis, forest notes, cedar, graphite, violets and an unexpected top note of smoke and coal dust. In the mouth, the 2000 Beau-Sejour Becot is silk over sinew, with penetrating black fruit neatly framed by polished tannins and moderate acidity. There are decadent notes […]

Château Margaux Grand Vin Premier Grand Cru Classé 1990

Château Margaux Grand Vin Premier Grand Cru Classé 1990

Tasted with awe and much contemplation, the 1990 Margaux was one of the crowning jewels at my last tasting in Carmel, a parting gift opened the evening before my move to Portland. Garnet-robed with no bricking, this bottle was delightfully fresh and vibrant with pronounced aromas of forest floor, leather, earth, plums, black cherries, sandalwood, […]

Château Ausone Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé 2000

Château Ausone Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé 2000

Where to begin? Château Ausone 2000 recalls some of my top red Burgundies—wines of this caliber have an otherworldly quality, that can only be described as an ethereal, gossamer, and transcendent. Complex, ever-evolving layers of black currants, ripe blueberries, gravelly earth, iron, olives, sweet tobacco, violets, camphor, and even a touch of dried honey. It’s […]

The Winemakers’ Collection Michel Rolland Cuvée No. 1 Château d’Arsac

The Winemakers' Collection Michel Rolland Cuvée No. 1 Château d'Arsac

Conjured by Michel Rolland himself—the man behind the curtain—the label touts “He currently offers advice to a hundred wine growing estates in 13 countries, on three continents. Considered the ultimate modern winemaker.” Cuvée No. 1 is big-boned with saturating aromas of raspberry jam, caramel popcorn, and buttered rum ball. Sweet on the palate, like plum […]

Château Margaux Pavillon Rouge 2000

Château Margaux Pavillon Rouge 2000

Pavillon Rouge is the second label of Château Margaux, and the 2000 is a perfumed, silken blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Freshly tilled, loamy soil, leather, forest floor, seedy berries, and black currents evokes the memory of some distant springtime, under cloudy skies. I’m especially struck […]

Château la Graviere Bordeaux Blanc 2014

Château la Graviere Bordeaux Blanc 2014

A charming quaffer, the Château la Graviere 2014 hails from the Entre-Deux-Meres region of Bordeaux. Translated, Entre-Deux-Meres means “between two tides” as it is seated between the Garonne and the Dordogne rivers. Primarily Sauvignon Blanc, the profile is classically grassy, with gooseberry and herbaceous notes shining through. There is perhaps a touch of juniper berry […]

CHRISTINE HAVENS
McMinnville, OR

christine@christine-havens.com