BLACHON SELECTIONS Francois Blachon is a wine professional/importer who lives in Bordeaux. Having spent 20 years in the wine industry, Francois has many personal friends in France who make wine and he is honoured to represent them as their export agent in the United States. We are thrilled at Cascade Trade to be representing these wines in Seattle and we hope you enjoy the quality and value they offer. Blachon Selections offers wonderfully made wines from Bordeaux at great prices. Are these FIRST GROWTH properties? No, but they are wonderful, quality houses making classic Bordeaux styles that represent very strongly the region from which they come. The following selections are wines that showcase the styles of Bordeaux we prefer and to provide an affordable opportunity to taste left and right bank styles of winemaking. All of the wines have balance and personality, and they are delicious with food. If you appreciate well made Bordeaux but are tired of the soaring prices, these will serve you well!

Chateau Cap D’or, St. Émilion   The district of St. Émilion produces more wine than any other RIGHT BANK appellation. The area seems to be growing in popularity as well likely due to the emphasis on more approachable Merlot dominated blends than the firmer, tannic Cabernet styles of the LEFT BANK. Cap d’Or is a smooth blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and it spends 12 months in French oak barrels. It has excellent balance and offers great value for such a high quality wine from this region. St. Émilion may also be attracting a greater number of wine lovers because of its diversity of styles. Wines here can range from light, fruity clarets to the finest FIRST GROWTHS capable of aging into the next century.

Chateau Guibeau Ls Fourvielle, St. Émilion   Blended from 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, this St. Émilion is polished and sophisticated especially for the price. The reason for its bright freshness is due to the fact that it spends little or no time in new barrel. It is vinified primarily in cuves (French word for a special type of open top vat) commonly used all over France and neutral French oak barrels for one year. The wine has a magnificent, velvety texture, firm but silky tannins and a long finish. Packed with round, ripe fruit and classic Bordeaux structure this wine shows powerful aromas of dark fruit and tasty flavours of red berry. Chateau Guibeau La Fourvieille is 41 hectares and happens to be the largest vineyard of Puisseguin St. Émilion situated on a clay-limestone hillside northeast of the village.

Chateau Montaigut, Côtes de Bourg   Located on the right bank of the river Dordogne just upstream from its confluence with the Garonne, the Côtes de Bourg district produces more red wine than any other Bordeaux Côtes appellation. This property has been around for a long time but its modern history of winemaking began in 1975 when Francois de Pardieu bought 30 acres which has now grown to approximately 80. Grape varieties grown in the Côtes de Bourg are similar to the larger Blaye area just up the road and almost all the wine produced is red and it is primarily focused on Merlot. This blend from Chateau Montaigut is 65% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cab Franc and 5% Malbec. The wine spends a good stint in steel tank and 12 months in neutral barrel to add weight and mouth feel.

Chateau Pichecan, Margeaux   This is a very small winery in Margaux comprising only 3.5 hectares. It is made up of very poor soil, mainly gravel, limestone and clay, and seems to be perfect for producing great Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. This full-bodied blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and is aged for one year in French oak. Margaux is known for producing wines of elegance while also exhibiting weight, body and supple fruit. At their best, the wines of Margaux combine deep, ruby colour, with structure and concentration like any top-quality but Médoc but generally with a more fragrance and a silkier texture than is found to the north in St-Julien, Pauillac and St-Estèphe. Chateau de Pichecan is ideal for red meat and lamb and it will drink well through 2016.

Chateau Saint Bonnet, Médoc   A very deep, aromatic nose with hints of earth distinguishes this Médoc as unmistakably Bordeaux. It is medium/deep ruby red with some bricking. It shows characteristic earthy tones with hints of oak and spice. The blend is medium bodied with firm but light tannins and subtle earthy tones meld into warm red fruits and it is all backed up with balanced acidity. Here is a case where typical left bank practices are modified a little bit allowing Merlot to dominate the blend at 50% and Cabernet taking a lesser role with 40% along with 10% Cab Franc. This 2000 vintage spent 12 months in French oak prior to bottling.

Chateau Grinou, Bergerac, Dordogne   East of Bordeaux is Bergerac, a wine producing region located on both banks of the Dordogne River and steeped in 2,000 years of winemaking history. The area is best known for its red wines but white wine production as well as quality continues to expand. An added bonus is that prices are cheaper than in Bordeaux. This white wine from Grinou is not particularly complex but it combines all of the right components. The assemblage is 50/50 Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The Sauv Blanc brings crisp fruit and acidity to the blend while the Semillon adds weight and texture. It is tank fermented and made in a dry style perfect for Seattle seafood. We call this one our “French house white”.

Chateau Du Grand Caumont, Vouvray   In 1906, Louis Rigal, founder of the famous Rigal Roquefort cheese company, bought this Corbières property then known as Villa Manzanetto and turned it over to his son. Since 1985 it has been known as Chateau du Grand Caumont and it is located west of Narbonne in the heart of the Corbières AOC in the Cote du Languedoc. It is a large estate of 150 acres and the soils are composed of stone and clay with excellent drainage. Domaine de Mougin is a fresh, red blend of 45% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 15% Carignan and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is fermented entirely in stainless steel to accentuate the purity of the fruit. The Grand Caumont Cuvée Tradition is blended from 60% Carignan (40% of which comes from the oldest vines in the vineyard), 35% Syrah and 5% Grenache. The lower yields and high proportion of old vine Carignan as compared to the Mougin make for a much heartier wine.

Domaine De Vic, Languedoc   This Chardonnay has good body, ripe, crisp fruit and is very well made for the money. It spends nine months in tank on the lees adding weight and texture to the mouth feel.