Winter Bordeaux on Broadway

Now that the cold weather has settled back in, and the wind bustles its way down Broadway, I thought it high time we return to that most classic of full-bodied Winter wines: Bordeaux.

There is a clear reason for the reputation that precedes great Bordeaux: the wines are full of brooding quality, even in their youth. That said, the greatest houses have long been known to make wine that needs a fair amount of aging; even when approachable young, they transcend with decades of proper storage.

I visited Bordeaux twice, in the Summers of 2016 & 2017, and found that though the above may hold true somewhat, there is certainly a trend toward making wines that can still be deeply enjoyed (and remarkably profound) after only a few years—though they still are prepared to stand the test of time.

This week, we’ll begin with the second wine of Château Figeac: known as Petit-Figeac, it is a selection of parcels meant to encompass the vision of the House and also be accessible early. The 2014 is half Merlot, with Cabernet Sauvignon and just a touch of Cabernet Franc. This is dark-fruited elegance, here, with all of the meaty brawniness of Merlot on full display. There is fresh tannic structure here, too. Perfect on a cold day with a big bowl of Cassoulet.

For the weekend, we’ll revisit a favorite value-driven Bordeaux of mine, Château Potensac’s 2005 offering from the Médoc. These wines can be austere and rustic in youth, but once they’ve got a bit of age on them, they really reward the drinker with earthy charm and distinctive medium-bodied texture. 2005 is one of the best vintages they’ve put out in some time, and we’ll pour it out of a 6-liter Methuselah, meaning there’ll be an intense freshness one would miss in 750ml. Hope to see you this week!  

THIS WEEK’S LINEUP

MONDAY (1/27), TUESDAY (1/28), WEDNESDAY (1/29) & THURSDAY (1/30)
Petit-Figeac,
Saint-Émilion 2014
30/glass
Poured from a Double Magnum

FRIDAY (1/31), SATURDAY (2/1) & SUNDAY (2/2)
Château Potensac,
Médoc 2005
35/glass
Poured from a 6-Liter Methuselah

RESERVATIONS