Wine on the Radio - July 24, 2003       Listen

Unsnooty Bordeaux                   Recommendations

Bordeaux usually raises images of snooty sommeliers and unapproachable wines.   But what's more unsnooty than grilling?  

So get some big thick lamb chops going for Sunday dinner and serve with an ideal wine, Bordeaux .

Red Bordeaux are wines made from mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

What makes Bordeaux really good with lamb is the firmness of their tannins.   Tannins give an edge to the wine.   The edge cuts through the hearty richness of the lamb giving balance to the taste of the meal.  

This complement is why they're such good food wines.

With lamb chops we recommend a wine like the Bordeaux from Côtes de Bourg and its neighbors across the river in the Médoc region.   Look for those names on the bottle.

These are flavorful reds and they're typically more ready to drink at a younger age than many other more high brow and expensive Bordeaux .

Check out some of the choices below and get those lamb chops cooking!

Pop the cork™.

Some Unsnooty Bordeaux . All Prices Approximate

Ch. Les Grandes Marechaux 2000 Cotes De Blaye $15
Bordeaux, France
Winemaker's Notes
A silky and pretty wine, with violet and berry character, delicate body and a fine finish
- Wine Spectator

Ch. Sociando Mallet 1999 Haut Medoc $35
Bordeaux, France
Winemaker's Notes
Château Sociando-Mallet makes concentrated, deliciously balanced wines that equal many classified growths in quality

1999 Ch. Croix de Millorit Cotes de Bourg $8
Soft easy merlot

1999 Ch. Roc de Cambes Cotes de Bourg $40
WA 88 points, Notes of ripe cherries, prunes, toasty new oak, and caramel jump from the glass of this Merlot-based, fleshy, expansive, seamless 1999

Ch. Belair 1998 Haut-Medoc $18
Bordeaux \, France
Winemaker's Notes
Well structured, finely balanced Médoc with an easy, accessible charm

Ch. Citran 1999 Haut Medoc $20
Bordeaux, France
Winemaker's Notes
A red fruity, spicy wine, a great complexity in aromas, well balanced between fruit and tannin, long at the palate, harmonious and fine

Ch. Clos L'Eglise 2000 Cotes de Castillon $35
Bordeaux, France
Winemaker's Notes
A blend of 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon

Ch. Coufran 1998 Haut-Medoc $25
Bordeaux, France
Winemaker's Notes
Coufrans exceptional charm lies in its approachability when young without sacrifice of longevity

Ch. Greysac 1999 Medoc $18
Bordeaux, France

Ch. Larose-Trintaudon 1998 Haut-Medoc $18
Bordeaux, France
Winemaker's Notes
Clean precise wines - more firm than round. Very typical of the Haut Médoc at its very best.