Chateau de Reignac 2001Feb 09 '05 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line This Bordeaux is young and just beginning to evolve. Not much of a bargain at $30/bottle. Consider a California Merlot, like the 2001 Chateau St. Jean.
The 2001 Reignac was my Fat Tuesday wine. This is a somewhat generic Bordeaux Supérieurthat received some good reviews from Robert Parker (Wine Advocate magazine), rating at 90/91. This wine is becoming difficult to find, and I've seen a 25-50% price jump during the course of the past year. Don't understand the reasoning for the price escalation (other than the Dollar's slide against the Euro) for what is, pretty much, an everyday dinner wine. Château de Reignac 2001 Bordeaux Supérieur ------------------------------------------------------------ Alcohol: 13.0% by volume. Production: A blend of 75% Merlot (the most planted grape variety in Bordeaux) and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon from Château de Reignac's 140-acre estate. Bottled at the Chateau in St. Loubès, France (Bordeaux), by Château de Reignac. There are a number of interesting wine laws in France. For instance: in Bordeaux, winemakers are limited to how much red wine can be produced per hectare of land. The limit is approximately 587 gallons per acre (after converting from hectoliters/hectare). This creates a need for some careful vineyard maintenance, which is explained fully on the wine bottle's label: "Through severe pruning and harsh 'green-harvesting,' yields were limited to 26 hls/ha (1.2 tons/acre). The fruit was hand-harvested in late September. After table-sorting before and after destemming to eliminate any less-than-perfect grapes, the remaining fruit was gently crushed. After a period of pre-fermentation, cold maceration, the juice was fermented in a combination of stainless steel and oak tanks. The new wine was run off into new oak barrels wherein it did its malolactic fermentation and aged 22 months." Appearance: Deep purple color, intense and dense. Grabs the wall of the glass leaving a leggy, lavender curtain. Aroma: Black fruits and ripe cherry accented with dry herbs, new oak, and light traces of violets (iodine), burnt toast, ground coffee (reminds me of Starbucks House Blend), and clay/mineral. Flavor: Some grip and firmness in initial mouthfeel. Cherry and black plum flavors with chocolate and espresso revealed at mid-mouth; slightly chalky in texture. Fairly intense, but softens with some breathing time. Finish is long, with lingering cherry and black fruit accented by a pinch of pencil lead. Price and Availability: Imported by Jeffrey M. Davies Selections of South Kearny, New Jersey. About 171,500 bottles were produced in total (approx. 14,292 cases). I purchased this wine about a year ago (May 2004) at Costco Wholesale in Norwalk, California, for about $16.25/bottle (and that price included sales tax). I considered my purchase a good bargain at the time--the wine was previously offered at the Wine Exchange, Orange, CA (winex.com) for $19.99 -- and that is about the most I would probably pay for this wine today. At the date of this review, the 2001 Reignac is available at wine.com for $31.99 per bottle (plus shipping & tax). I have also seen this wine listed online through European retailers for 22.90€/15.77£ (about $29.40 U.S.). The 2000 release is available at Beverages & More -- bevmo.com -- for $33.99 per bottle (plus shipping & tax). http://www.bevmo.com/productlist.asp?area=wine&N=-8294 Recommendations: This Bordeaux is young and just beginning to evolve, so give it plenty of breathing time. I poured a couple of ounces and waited nearly two hours before approaching my first taste. You may want to consider looking for better year (2000 vintage) Bordeaux wines. Verdict: Rated "90/91" by Robert Parker/Wine Advocate magazine. Appearance: 4.75/5 Aroma: 18/20 Flavor/Body: 34.5/40 Finish: 8.75/10 Overall Quality: 22/25 ------------------------------ My Score: 88 -- 4 stars. For a few dollars less in today's market, I prefer the 2001 Chateau St. Jean Merlot, Sonoma County (rated "90" by Wine Spectator magazine, with a suggested retail price of about $25; I've been buying at around $17.50). It's more aromatic, fruity, and ready for drinking right now. Review to follow in due course.  |
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