Some people love a certain wine because the wine is made in a certain region that they like. But, not all the wines reflect where they come from or terroir.

 

One of our guests tonight brought a bottle of wine for the dinner.

 

The wine was Chateau Lascombes 2001, a 2nd growth of Bordeaux from the Margaux village. 2001 in Bordeaux is a classic year that produces an accordingly classic, terroir-oriented style of wine rather than big and rich ones that are more likely to be made in a hot vintage such as 2003.

 

The wine is 10 years old, which means it is supposed to show classic nose of mature Bordeaux bouquets such as cigar box, tobacco and oriental spices with integrated tannins.

 

They looked happy to drink the wine through the dinner, saying how wonderful the wine is!

 

The guest offered me to taste the wine. Since I mostly have American wines on the list and more importantly I mostly recommend American wines to guests, I have fewer chances to taste French wines recently. Of course, I got excited!

 

"Sweet aromas of blackberry jam, crème de cassis, reduced port wine sauce, mixed with sweet vanilla, chocolate from new oak. Ripe, rich texture on the palate with low acidity."

 

Is this really Bordeaux??

 

It surely tastes like what's called "Bordeaux blends" but not ones made in Bordeaux. It is more like Cabernets made in the New World such as California.

 

I would think that it is a good wine in a blind tasting but not a Bordeaux. In other words, it's a good wine but not a good Bordeaux. The wine doesn't show terroir.

 

The bottle was finished before their main courses so that the guest decided to buy a bottle of red wine from our list. And he asked for my recommendation.

 

I asked him if they wanted to drink a similar wine or a completely different one. His answer was "both." But, he added that both must be Cabernet.

 

As for a completely different one, I chose Chateaux Leoville Barton 2001. And for a similar one, I brought Spottswoode 2004 Napa Valley, California!

 

The guest told me that I mistook one for the other. He thought that the Bordeaux was a similar one and the Napa Cab was a completely different one.

 

I said "NO."

 

Ch. Leoville Barton is a same 2nd growth of Bordeaux as Ch. Lascombes but is a very classic style that shows earthy cigar box and tobacco with rich yet fresh cassis and blackberry as opposed to Spottswoodes that is more fruit-driven with rich and ripe black cherry and crème de cassis with integrated oak flavors though it is more restrained than other Napa Cabernets.

 

The label of Ch. Lascombes is obviously more similar to Ch. Leoville Barton but what's inside has more in common with Spottswoode.

 

The guests tasted both wines. And the opinions were divided. Three of them preferred Leoville Barton and the other three liked Spottswoode better.

 

They asked me which one I like better. I said that I like both very much despite the fact that they taste completely different. A polite sommelier's ubiquitous way to answer (or avoid) that kind of a question obviously made them bored. (usually, it's followed by "they are just different!") But, it is true that I like both very much for the same reason.

 

Both wines express where they come from clearly, in other word, terroirs. Ch. Leoville Barton tastes like Bordeaux and Spottswoode tastes like Napa Cabernet both in a very high level.

 

For exactly the same reason, I didn't like Ch. Lascombes despite the fact that I liked the taste of the wine.

 

It tastes more like California but the label says that it's Bordeaux.

 

Apple should taste like apple.
Orange should taste like orange.

 

I would send back a bottle of orange juice to a grocery store if it tasted like Apple juice no matter how delicious it was.