The 1980's were a good time to be discovering wine. Napa was just beginning to focus on the classic worldly varietals and turn out competitive product. (And there were no traffic jams or limousines to interfere with your quest.) Washington State was in the hands of Mom and Pops, just a curiosity. No one had heard of Merlot. Riesling was important. And the old world was where the sophistication was. Back then, for the average American, wine was just beginning to transition from Mateus, Lancer's and Boone's Farm, to Bordeaux, Spätlese, Mondavi, and Lytton Springs. Robert Parker struck a chord with his book about Bordeaux, touting the 1982 vintage and whetting everyone's appetite. You could actually buy a label that said Pauillac, Margaux, Graves, St-Julien or St-Estèphe, starting at less than $20. Once upon a time, I bought this respectable Pauillac, Château Batailley 1982, for under $16.
Now, when someone who is the age I was in 1985, comes into the store looking to buy a Bordeaux, curious, wanting to know the differences between the left and right banks, they usually go away empty handed. For $20, you just can't buy a label from a well known appellation. You have to pony up $50 and up, or look to the suburbs of Bordeaux, so to speak. Neither is all that satisfying an alternative. Your research begs you to compare a Pauillac to a Pomerol, to see the what difference the soil, the grape and the proximity to the river makes, but you question if that knowledge is worth a couple of hundred dollars.
Still there are bargains to be had, if you can look past the old world to the new, and Château Lagarosse is on that list. "A group of American investors", called Adams French Vineyards, purchased and have been renovating a group of Château to create a solid portfolio of approachable Bordeaux. The well-known and already well-exposed Michel Rolland is part of the management team of this endeavor, and he is putting his stamp on each bottle.
Château Lagarosse is located in Premières Côtes De Bordeaux, which is south of the high end appellations, but not too far from Saint-Èmilion. Château Lagarosse is chiefly Merlot, as you might expect. The exact blend is listed as 80% Merlot, with 10% each Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. This is Merlot with a French twist, a decidedly bigger personality than the typical California Merlot. At the finish line, this is Merlot that engenders respect for Merlot.
Expect a very aromatic nose, big on berries and almost candy-like, with flavors that run deeper, more towards cassis, black cherry and lots of rocks. Bordeaux wines run the gamut of styles, and some are really over my head. This one is nicely heady, makes you think, but stays accessible. There is plenty of tannic structure there. Robert Parker has assessed the 2005 vintage in Bordeaux with an overall 95 rating, one of the best in recent times. This wine is a testament to the quality of the vintage. You could probably even cellar it a while, but don't forget about it!
Price: $16 (Nashville). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 13.5%.
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