The Heritage Club - November 2022
This month features two wines from Château Marjosse in historic Bordeaux, France. These wines are true to their style and deliver well above their price point. Beloved winemaker, Pierre Lurton faced steep but differing challenges with these particular vintages.
Chateau Marjosse Bordeaux White 2017
Producer: Château Marjosse
Winemaker: Pierre Lurton
Region: Bordeaux, France
Grape Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc, Semilion, and Muscadelle
Viticulture: Sandy-Clay and limestone soils dominate the area.
Method: Pneumatic pressing express, low-temperature alcoholic fermentation, in concrete thermoregulated tanks.
Serving Suggestion: Serve chilled with leaner fish. A strong cheese or hummus would stand up to this quite well.
Age: Drink now or age up to 5 years.
Tasting Notes: The nose smells of citrus, green apple, and beeswax while the palate delivers ripe melon, lime zest, and contains wonderful minerality.
Chateau Marjosse Bordeaux Red 2018
Producer: Château Marjosse
Region: Bordeaux, France
Winemaker: Pierre Lurton
Grape Varietal: 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc
Method: Vinified in temperature-controlled cement vats, followed by aging in French oak barrels.
Viticulture: Pockets of rich clay-based soils on the banks of the Dordogne River.
Age: This wine could show well into the early 2040s if cellared properly.
Serving Suggestion: Serve at room temperature after a 30-minute decanting. This wine pairs with beef, lamb, or even venison.
Tasting Notes: The nose is stewed raspberries and currant with baking spices. The palate delivers notes of fresh red and black fruit with supple tannin.
WHY WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT THESE WINES
Since 1650 the Lurton family have been wine producers in Bordeaux. Today they represent one of the largest wine dynasties in the world with no fewer than 17 family members of the current generation working in the wine business today. François and his cousins represent the fifth generation. Pierre Lurton is the winemaker and owner of Chateau Marjosse. Marjosse has long been known for their exceptional value in a part of the world where that designation is found scarcely.
Bordeaux, while certainly known for their red blends (both left and right bank) also makes wonderful white wines. Less than 10% of Bordeaux's production is dedicated to white wine, but the sand-clay soil of Entre-Deux-Mers provides ideal conditions for these grapes.
This particular blanc has the acidity I look for in Sauvignon Blanc while the Semillion supplies structure and body. 2017 was a year of harsh frost in Bordeaux, so I was very excited to see that this wine still has good fruit on it. This particular challenge shows the skill of Lurton as well as the agricultural understanding of his vineyards and grapes. Yields were down around 50% for this vintage and the entirety of the red wine varietals was lost. Enjoy this light-bodied white blend with some cheese and light appetizers before a Thanksgiving gathering and thank us later.
Most wines from Bordeaux, especially the reds, taste old. That is not meant as a negative whatsoever. They taste as if they are of an old place and tradition, which of course they are. This particular rouge tastes young and vibrant. Decanting this wine is essential. After air gets to the wine, this Marjosse opens beautifully. Merlot, in general, gets a bad rap. The flavors it can deliver are varied, but the tannin structure is what always sticks out to me. The tannin is supple, not harsh. The fruit mixed with the spiced nature of this wine shows how outstanding Merlot can be. Balance is something spoken of in wine but often misunderstood. This wine is exceptionally balanced and long-lasting. Weather in Missouri will be turning soon and this hearty wine speaks of winter. Approachability can be tough for a wine that should be aged another handful of years. However, the Marjosse 2018 Rouge blends skillful winemaking with a strange growing season to produce a balanced, delicious, and approachable wine.