I love a Bordeaux, and we only have two bottles left of a very special right-bank Bordeaux, the Lassègue Saint Émilion Grand Cru. Steeped into the history of Bordeaux and its classification system, which originates back to 1855 in the Médoc, the right bank was largely omitted from the rankings. Thus in 1955, 100 years later, Saint Émilion crafted their own classification, overseen by the French National Institute of Appellations (INAO). The goal is to reclassify wineries every 10 years, but there has been some conflict and controversy since the rankings began. Most famously, Château Cheval Blanc who maintained a premier spot from 1955 until the 2021 vintage, chose to withdraw from the Saint Émilion classification in 2022. And as a complete aside, yes, it is a Cheval Blanc that Miles is imbibing out of a plastic cup at the end of Sideways (he is drinking some %$*!-ing Merlot!).
Despite the drama, having a Saint Émilion Grand Cru on our wine list is a huge coup for us. And the Lassègue is delicious! It’s a mosaic of mostly Merlot, with some Cab Franc and a skosh of Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose offers a beguiling bouquet of ripe dark fruits, including blackberry and plum, interwoven with subtle notes of cedar, tobacco, and a hint of mocha. On the palate, the Lassègue conveys an exquisite fusion of flavors. The dark fruit core is complemented by layers of earthy undertones, graphite, and touches of dried herbs. The tannins have become well integrated with time, providing a structured framework for the wine's nuanced profile.
When you try the Lassègue, you are drinking history! And if you are interested in reading more, check out bordeaux.com/us/Our-Terroir/The-Libournais/Saint-Emilion-Grand-Cru.
Jun 30, 2025 at 8:30 AM
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This month we are featuring aroma kits to go along with our club wines. As you know, I often like to inject a bit of education to the club tasting experience (although there will be months where we simply enjoy the wines without thinking too hard about them!). In picking aromas, I chose professional-grade scents, mostly food flavorings, that should hold up throughout the month, one per wine. The biggest question is not to guess what you are smelling – although that does becomes a quandary – but if you agree with the winemaker that the scent is indeed in the wine.
Upwards of 90% of what we taste is actually through smell. While there are six primary tastes surmised by our tastebuds (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, fat, and umami), on average we can detected around 10,000 odors. And sorry to say this, but women are usually better sniffers than men. When we are tasting a wine, the retronasal passage, which connects our mouth to our nose, receives scents emitted from the wine. This is the same passageway that causes kits to shoot chocolate milk out of their nose! But this is the biggest reason why we ask you to swirl your wine and stick your nose in the glass before taking a sip – we want you to really get in there and assess aromas and see if what you are tasting truly matches what you are smelling.
Of course, this is easier at the beginning of a tasting before the alcohol mushes up our brains! So for the remainder of the month, if you haven’t experienced the aroma kits yet, ask for you and do a little comparative analysis between the scents and the club wines. And always feel free to let me know if you think the aroma kits were an enriching experience for you! I always appreciate your feedback.
Cheers!
Jun 24, 2025 at 5:56 AM
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