Do you see this beautiful chateau in the picture above? During En Primeur week, owner Paulin Calvet walked down these famous stone steps to greet me and walk me up the impressive entrance of his Chateau.

During this week, journalists are divided into small groups to taste the wines of various regions each day. I am in the "blind" tasting group with several other top name journalists and together we will taste the whites and the reds of the Grand Cru Classe De Graves "blind."

This means  the bottles are covered and we would only find out what wineries made the 2011 wines we were tasting and taking careful notes on after we finished our work.

Château Picque Caillou is located at the gates of the city of Bordeaux in the heart of the Pessac-Léognan appellation. A close neighbour of the prestigious Haut-Brion and Pape Clément châteaux, this 21-hectare vineyard carries a name indicative of its pebbly soils that originated from sediments deposited by the nearby Garonne River over thousands of years.

Paulin Calvet, who now heads the estate, has brought the quality up in recent years ... and in  2007  consultant œnologists Professor Denis Dubourdieu and Valérie Lavigne joined the winemaking team, bringing their technical rigour and skill.

Perhaps the first thing you notice about Paulin Calvert is he is a very friendly, thoughtful, yet very serious gentlemen about wine. He and his entire family, including his charming teen-age daughter (who looked like a portrait from Rembrandt) and his beautiful, hospital wife took much trouble to make sure the journalists received appropriate pourings of wines, and that everything was as it should be.

Lunch -- organized by Mrs. Calvet -- was delicious and allowed the journalists the opportunity to renew relationships from previous years and talk about the vintage.

I enjoyed the wines of Chateau Picque Caillou very much, and though I usually prefer reds, I gave his white wines my highest score in comparison to the majority of the other whites.

The blend is typically60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Semillon, with the  citrus flavors of a Sauvignon Blanc, but the Semillon with its rich saffron and vanilla elements. I love white wines from this region and with this quality, it is a remarkable value.

It may be interesting to note that historically, the wines of Picque Caillou were favored by Napoleon.

If you are interested in visiting the Chateau, here is some information.

Vineyard surface area: 20 hectares (1ha for the white vine)

Average annual production:
60-90 thousand bottles (red wine)
3,600-4,800 bottles (white wine)

Location: Pessac-Leognan (Bordeaux region, France)
Opening hours:

Wine tasting reservations and visits

Tel.: +33(0)5.56.47.37.98
web:
e-mail: chateaupicquecaillou@wanadoo.fr

"What a gorgeous chateau!"

I am here, inside Chateau Lafton-Rochet, speaking with Basile Tesseron, the son of the owner. Other journalists from around the world are here to taste the 2011 vintage of wines from Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Estephe, and Haut-Medoc.

These represent some of my favorite vintages in Bordeaux and overall, the quality is excellent.

You would expect the popular second and third growths to do well, and they did ...

... host 3rd Growth winery Lafon-Rochet was delicious, with my notes saying "On the nose, very ripe black fruits (baked ripe black plums), lots of delicious ripe black fruit on the palate, very fresh and natural black ripe plums, the finish is fresh yet still that ripe plum. Lively despite the concentrated black fruit."

Overall - aside from the Sauternes and the whites from Pessac-Leognan, this was one of the best tastings, with virtually all the wines scoring very high points.

Size of the Vineyards: 45 Hectares
Soil: Gravels and Clay
Average age of the vines: 40 ans
Average density: 9 000 vines per hectars
Harvested by hand in Small plastic baskets

Vats: 100% Temperature controled Stainless Steel Vats Vinification:

Premaceration at cold température in between 2 to 4 days Alcoolic fermentation during 10 to 16 days at 26°C. Pumping over 1 or 2 times per day depending on the variation of density between plots. Post fermenting macération at hot temperature in between 8 to 26 days at 30°C. Partial malo-lactique fermentation in new barrels.

8 Month in new oak barrels 7 months in one year barrels French oak Fining done with egg withes.

Alcool: 14 % Vol
Total Acidity: 3,35
Ph: 3,68
IPT: 73

On April 4, I was invited to a fabulous party celebrating the marriage of art and wine.

Each year, Henri Lurton, owner and winemaker of the 2nd Growth Brane-Cantenac in Marguax, invites an artist (of song, photography, other forms of art) to kick off the new vintage.

Last week,  Eric Boissenot, a famous oenologist and amateur photographer, to kick off the annual series "Brane seen through the eye and lens of ..."

Mr. Boissenot's work will be on display until March 2013. As fabulous as the artwork is, the new vintage is fantastic.

I had tasted the wind blind earlier during a formal "blind tasting" event organized by the UCG and was glad to see when the tasting was over and the scores compared, it received one of my highest ratings and read:

"purple color, subtle fuchsia rim, very subtle yet focused aroma of ripe,  sweet, concentrated plums with a hint of tobacco. Juicy palate of very sweet ripe fruit, chewy and mouth filling with elegance. Accent of Prince Edward cherry tobacco. Finish is rich, satisfying med+ and intensely structured with concentrated, well balanced fruit and tobacco. Will continue to improve for decades."

Many older vintages were also offered at the Boissenot event, and they paired well with his art!

See that turret? Can you imagine how exciting it would be to spend a few nights in it? That was one of the most incredible experiences of my life living in that fairy tale castle for a few days as a result of a scholarship I won from an AXA sponsored competition for Master of Wine students.

During that time, I spent a half-day with Jean René Matignon, Technical Director, and learned everything about the winery (well, quite a bit at any rate).

We saw the super high tech equipment, the optical sorter that made the final section of grapes look like luscious black jewels, the new cellar and more.

In this link you can hear Jean René Matignon speak about the vintage.

“Welcome!” says vivacious yet petite Laure d’Aramon, nee Manencourt, who grew up at Chateau Figeac.

The driver has just deposited me at this famous wine estate in Saint-Emilion and since I have a small collection at home, am very excited to talk about the wine and taste some classic vintages during dinner.

At 8:00, fellow journalists and I make our way to the “big house” where Laure’s mother Marie-France lives. As the guests speak French and sip Laurent Perrier champagne, I look at the many framed paintings on the quaint wall-paper covered wall. The wallpaper is of the classic French style … it looks like something you might have seen in a 18^th century mansion with its mix of red and yellow stripes and flowers.  Some ancestors are on the wall – as can be expected – yet I was hoping for more.

What is interesting is the many modern color snapshots mixed among the classic etchings and painting, photos of the Manoncourt family having fun on vacations and ski trips.

Marie-France enters the room, a very energetic woman in a Chanel-looking jacket. She has beautiful blond-toned hair, near shoulder-length, and the same vivacious manner as her daughter. Dinner is called with the sound of a little bell…

… we are arranged around the table … I am seated near Laure’s husband, Comte Eric d’Aramon, a very affable man who is actually a real count and even more interesting, is responsible for turning Yoplait yorgurt into a best-selling product. If I understood the story correctly, Yoplait’s downfall came when General Mills decided to use a less expensive American yeast that changed the yogurt’s texture.

You may be interested to know that Chateau Figeac is is the largest estate in Saint-Émilion, with 40 hectares (99 acres) of vineyards. Due to its gravel dominated soil it is planted in grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon (35%), Cabernet Franc (35%), and Merlot(30%).  The majority of  Saint-Émilion wines are dominated by Merlot, so Figeac is more similar to the wines of the Medoc and Graves. The wines are aged in 100% new oak barrels.

Château Figeac wine carries the rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé (Class B) in the official Classification of Saint-Emion wine/

The Manoncourts have bought other estates besides Figeac.

We start with the La Fleur Pourret from Domaine Manoncourt and then go to Chateau Figeac 03 which is extremely fresh looking after nearly ten year in bottle. You will find perfumed spice on the nose and spiced ripe plum on the palate.  It is made with 100% new oak.  I found a pronounced sense of cinnamon on the palate, and am told – incredibly – it is from the cabernet sauvignon and not necessarily the oak . Next we try the ’86 Figeac which has many of the same characteristics.

With the cheese course we get special plates … lo and behold, the antique plates have a painted picture of Chateau Figeac on them. I can just imagine an enterprising salesman a century ago visiting all the Chateaux and offering to make them plates.

With each new course, Madame Manoncourt rang a little bell. Service was of the old style, with the two uniformed servants passing dishes and guests serving themselves.

After cheese and dessert and a delicious 1990 Chateau Fargues Saturnes we were invited into the drawing room for tea, followed by an 82 Figeac (spiced plums, pronounced but smooth tannins, delicious). It is also a French fashion to bring out Calvados and rhum …

Fabulous dinner, world class wines, and time shared with a generous, and delightful family.

Luckily, all the care of the Smith Haut Lafitte team worked out, for the wines were brilliant all through the line. The top Smith Haut Lafitte white was charming with its sharp, clearly defined flavors of yellow grapefruit and citrus, with a streak of minerality and racy acidity.

The top red had smooth elegant tannins, delicate red fruit, and a long satisfying finish.

Of course, the second wines were delicious too ... the Cathiards had bought the Cantelys vineyard twenty years ago and made quite a success of it. I loved the zesty freshness of the white and finesse of the red.

Always elegant hosts, the Cathiards ended the tasting with a round of Louis Roederer Brut Premier champagne, a tour of the cellar (Daniel takes great pleasure in opening it via remote control), and dinner.

Though many of the journalists spoke both English and French, the tables were divided by language. We tried many vintage wines during dinner ... the white Chateau Smith Lafitte 2009 served with the 1999 with foie gras terrine, and the Chateau Smith Lafitte Red 2000 Magnum served with the 1990 Magnum with entrecote steak.  The verdict for these wines was that the 2000 was better with the steak, and the 1990 with the cheese.

Delicious topaz colored 1997 Sauternes from Chateau Sigalas Rabaud 1997 finished off the meal.

News at the winery includes they are building fifteen more suites in their elegant Les Sources de Caudalie hotel, and a new chai to expand the production of their second wine.

The spell-like meaning of a carrot with a gold sauce, served to 14 people, is luck.

Perhaps today at En Primeur with the tasting of Haut Medoc and Pauillac and Saint Estephe it means "luck for the vintage" for the very important Asian market.

Happily the samples today were quite on point, with several within my highest score. They iclud Chateau Gloria with its brandied cherry nose, intense brandied cherry palate, mouth filling tannins and elegant structure.

Chateau Beycheville received high marks yet was different with a nose of tar, extremely extracted very ripe black fruit, intense black licorice, black pungent tea, on the palate lively acidity juxtaposed to intense black ripe intense extracted black tar like fruit. Spice. Coffee grounds. Elegant despite all its rich extracted blackness.

Ormes de Pez and Phelan Segur rounded out the top wines, with great concentration of fruit and incredible elegane.

"Krug champagne!"

Well, what else would you expect when having dinner with Jean-Michel and Jean-Charles Cazes at the restaurant inside the exclusive Cordeillan-Bages hotel in Pauillac.

The hotel (managed by Relais & Chateau) is gorgeous and the atmosphere is very refined and relaxed.

We are gathered together to experience the talent of the new chef, Jean-Luc Rocha.

We start out with Foie gras mi-cruit, pain d'espices et pulpe de Maracuya

As you can see, it is quite a work of art and delicious. This is paired with Chateauneuf du Pape 09, Domaine des Senechaux.

Then, we have Lamprey a la Bordelaise paired with Saint-Estephe 2000, Chateau Ormes de Pez.

Suckling lamb in a zesty Viennoise crumb, grilled chop,(above) is served with a golden carrot.

A member of our group found it interesting that there were precisely fourteen people at the table, and we all had golden carrots made extra gold by the gold sauce.

14 carat gold, you see.

And also interesting that a vast percentage of the guests were Asian, and the Hong Kong VinExpo is just a few months away.

Well, I have no idea what this leads up to, yet it is quite clever.

Dessert -- pictured below -- is like a classic Russian doll, with the various layers of delicious flavors breaking open and leading to layers of other flavors. It is called Fraicheur de fruits exotiques, verveine-citron.

It was a fabulous introduction to Chef Jean-Luc Rocha and his style, which is quite intricate and complex.

Yet what I especially relished from this dinner was the opportunity to get to know Jean-Michel Cazes. He is one of the most brilliant and affable men I have met ... very impressive with his combination of charm and business savvy.

... and though he must meet hundreds of people a week, and certainly dozens every day, this morning he recognized me by name when the sea of journalists he must have met from then till now must have been a blur.

Also at my table that night were some really fun people from Hong Kong ... a lively pair of guys that produce a radio show about wine, Chi Sun Lau and Wilson Kwok (Wilson also has a restaurant in Hong Kong).

"There are five essential conditions for a quality vintage," says famed professor Denis Dubourdieu, speaking in front of over a hundred journalists from virtually every corner of the world.

We gathered together at Chateau La Lagune, where the vat room I visited several years ago had been cleaned out and filled with many seats and tables covered with elegant white clothes. Bottles of pink-labeled Evian water sit before us, along with some empty wine glasses.

Each year, Professor Dubourdieu gives a presentation on the vintage, and though the message is always upbeat, learning about the factors responsible for the vintage is always refreshing --- especially for a Master of Wine student.

Among the positive factors for quality this year was rapid and early flowering, good spring weather, water stress before color change, a good amount of rainfall, and hot August weather.

After a discussion of these factors, we tasted several examples of high quality wine from various regions. Professor Dubourdieu explained the wines were selected blind ...

.... they were all excellent examples for their regions, and the 2011 vintage is off to an excellent start!

... so here I am, a Chateau Fourcas Dupre, tasting an incredible line-up of more than forty wines. The day started off as every day should ... in a Relais & Chateau hotel called Chateau Cordeillan Bages owned by the Cazes family.

It is an incredible and very elegant hotel.

Chateau Fourcas Dupre is a family-owned chateau (1843) and the owner is very personable, greeting journalists as they arrive from their cars or vans.

I am in the 'blind tasting group' filled with names you usually see in the international wine columns.

The way it works is that servers bring wines to the journalists, and once it is all over, the journalist gets a list of the names and numbers.

We don't seem to have a lot of wine from Listrac or Moulis in New York, so each year I am refreshed about the signature color and nose and taste of this wine, which is very vibrant with lively acidity and (at least when very young) a remarkable color.

The Haut Medoc wines, Chateau Greysac and La Tour de By, both scored well.

Of course, Margaux is when things turn serious, and virtually all of the wines showed exceptionally well.

As for the top three, it is a toss up between Chateau Brane-Cantenac, Chateau Malescot Saint-Exupery, and Chateau Lascombes.

The Brane-Cantenac is extremely seductive ... the nose is of very ripe, black licorice and vanilla scented fruit, and the palate rich with intensely concentrated fruit balanced by lively acidity and sophisticated tannins. The finish is very elegant and focused ... it has the structure of a sleek aircraft that carries you off across the seas for a gentle landing. What is interesting about this wine is that it is ready to drink this very minute, yet has the magic balance of fruit, acidity, tannins, and subtle use of French oak that will allow it to improve with time.

Chateau Lascombes is very different ... it is a more markedly assertive wine wit intense black fruit, very concentrated and rich with luscious black licorice. Inky and seductive.

I have a collection of 1982 Chateau Malescot Saint-Exupery so I was curious to taste the 2011 vintage. What an evolution in 30 years. The young wine is MASSIVE on the plate, with an explosion of ripe black fruit (roasted black plums) very dense and richly concentrated. Asstringent tannins. Incredibly richness and concentration. Will need much time to develop.