It's September, the weather is beginning to change, so, with most in the UK, it must be back to school time.
Let's begin our lessons with a bit of historical detail involving a certain, well-known figure called William (The "Conqueror" from Normandy) who, in 1066, sent over a fleet of small boats to Hastings on the south coast of England, where King Harry got an arrow in the eye for his troubles and ended up losing his kingdom...
At least the invaders from Europe were reputed to have brought some nice wine with them at the time. As Napoleon might have said, an army doesn't just march on its stomach, it needs a drink, too!
Now, don't take this lesson as "gospel", as my early school days' memories might be a bit blurry, but I think it's close enough to the truth. It does, however, bring us neatly towards appreciating wines from France, notably those of Bordeaux.
Royalty and the nobility have long been associated with access to, and consumption of, the finest available in both food and drink. They've always been able to obtain the money (usually from us) to finance their upmarket lifestyle, so it's not surprising that a market developed to supply the needs of those with the funds to have anything they want, whenever they want. Add the "new money" people to this (with their Tuscan villas and superyachts) and it's easy to see why there's a demand to supply the finest wines at the drop of a hat, anywhere in the world.
Personally, I've seen it in play in the past, with a particular vintage of "First Growth" Haut Brion needed on a yacht in the south of France just for a crew party... endless cases of £1000 a bottle Lafite Rothschild being whisked away to Hong Kong for "clients" unknown... and the "Don't you know who I am?" crowd of French-sounding, double-barrelled surname customers in the Cotswolds, up from their London mansions for the weekend, all demanding instant van loads of chilled pink Champagne, Chablis and Provence rosé. I think many of these could trace their lineage back to a few infamous Normans from 1066. A definite sense of entitlement but, as the notorious phrase goes, "Money talks".
There are certain favoured locations around the world which have always had a reputation for producung wines which are a cut above the rest. Some of these invove multiple generations of the same famiy commiting to quality at any cost. Constantly evolving their methods over centuries (not just decades), pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved, and proving to connoisseurs why they're the best. It's all about the refinement of what is, to put it simply, fermented grape juice.
Some outstanding vineyards can trace their history back to viticultural practices established by the Romans thousands of years' ago.
In Bordeaux, it's long been known that the best sites are to be found on either the well-drained gravel outcrops of the Medoc or the limestone plateau in Saint Emilion. Let's look at one property fitting the bill.
Chateau de Lamarque, the oldest property in the Médoc region, has a family history dating back to Garison de Lamarque building the original fortified castle in the 11th century to protect the region from Viking invasions. Later, during the reign of Britain's Henry V, the Duke of Gloucester took up residence at the castle but, when the French regained the lands in the 15th century, after the "Hundred Years' War", vineyards were established, ushering in the chateau's long association with wine production.
From the 16th century (until the early 1800s) the Fumel side of the family were owners of Chateau Haut-Brion, Chateau Margaux and Chateau Brane-Mouton (later Mouton Rothschild), so they definitely were in the know when it came to picking out excellent properties in Bordeaux!
The current family, Pierre-Gilles and Marie-Hélène Gromand d'Evry, are the 25th generation at the chateau and their wines are highly critically acclaimed around the world. Read the full chateau history here.
Estate: Château de Lamarque is an Haut-Médoc property situated on the left bank of the Gironde estaury, to the north of Margaux, on the south of Pauillac and Saint-Julien. The vineyards cover 35 ha, planted on alluvial gravel with a sub-soil of clay, sandstone and red gravels, deep and well-drained. The Château's vineyards lie in three distinctive plots each on a gravel mound. One parcel lies within Lamarque village, just behind the church. A second is opposite Château Malescasse, further south, and then there is a sizeable parcel to the west of the road north. This part of Château de Lamarque borders Moulis and counts Châteaux Poujeaux, Maucaillou and Chasse-Spleen amongs its neighbours. Since 1983 the chateau has been a member of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux.
Grapes: The varietal planting is 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, but the proportion of each in the finished wine will vary every vintage, dependent both on the conditions of the harvest and on the percentage of vin de presse used. Viticulture is done using a method close to organic principles with minimal treatments used. The vines are healthier, more resistant to disease without recourse to chemicals, and better able to await later harvests so that full phenolic maturation can be achieved. Cabernet Franc is gradually being phased out at the estate with a corresponding increase in Cabenet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The vineyards are trained usung the Double Guyot trellising method (with three buds per cane ), and planted to a density of 7,000 vines per hectare.
Winemaking: For many years the vinification process st Lamarque was under the control of the renowned consultabt oenologist, Professor Emile Peynaud, who also worked at illustrious properties including Lafite, Margaux, Cheval Blanc, Léoville-Las-Cases, Pichon Lalande, and Lynch-Bages. Currently, the winemaking duties are undertaken by Dr. Eric Boissenot. For full details of the Lamarque winemaking process, click here. Find out more about the use of optical sorting machines, plot-by-plot vinification, submerged caps, Allier oak barrels and everything of interest to the "wine nerd".
The professor would be proud of his students!
