How to understand Bordeaux wines - part 4 - the Right Bank

On the Right Bank of the Gironde River, Pomerol and St. Emilion are the most elite appellations by far.  And the most expensive Right Bank wines are produced there.  The original list price for the famed 2005 Chateau Petrus (in Pomerol) was $2,600.  Along with virtually all of the most elite Bordeaux wines from the 2005 vintage, this wine has appreciated since it was first released, and it now costs over $3,000 a bottle.  Similarly, a bottle of 2005 Chateau Cheval Blanc (rouge) from St. Emilion costs over $1,000 (the original list price was $800).

However, Pomerol and St. Emilion are very small areas, and there are numerous wine-producing regions throughout the Right Bank.  Among the appellations that produce very good (and much less expensive) wines are the following:

1.  Cotes de Castillon - located inland at the eastern edge of the Right Bank, about 10 miles east of St. Emilion.  Wines include:  St. Colombe, Domaine de l'A, d'Aiguilhe, d'Aiguilhe Querre, Brisson, Joanin Becot, Clos Les Lunelles, Clos Puy Arnaud, Puy Arnaud Maureze, Laussac, Clos l'Eglise, Ampelia, Cap de Faugeres, and l'Estang.

2.  Lalande de Pomerol - located slightly north of Pomerol.  Producers include:  La Fleur de Bouard, Grand Ormeau, La Graviere, Jaugue Blanc, Perron La Fleur, Sargant, De Viaud, and Bertineau St. Vincent.

3.  Premieres Cotes de Blaye - located on the east bank of the Gironde River on the northern edge of the Right Bank.  Wines include:  Confiance de Gerard Depardieu, La Croix de Perenne, Les Grands-Marechaux, St. Genes, Bel-Air La Royere, and Gigault Cuvee Viva.

4.  Cotes de Francs - located inland just to the south of Pomerol and St. Emilion.  Wines include:  Puygueraud, Marsau, Pelan, and La Prade.

5.  Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux - located on the east bank of the Gironde River across from Margaux.  Producers include:  Clos Chaumont, La Doyenne, Grand Moueys, and Plaisance Alix.

6.  Cotes de Bourg - located in the southern part of the Right Bank across from Graves.  Wines include:  Guerry, Guionne, Fougas Maldorer, and Martinot-Epicurea.

7.  Fronsac - located not too far inland northwest of Pomerol.  Producers include:  La Vieille Cure, Les Trois Croix, La Dauphine, Fontenil, Richelieu, Villars, Dalem, Haut-Carles, Haut-Mazeris, and Moulin Haut-Laroque.

Merlot is the predominant grape on the Right Bank.  Many wines are close to 100% Merlot.  Other wines are blends -- usually with more than 50% Merlot and a combination of one or more of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, or Malbec.  Due to the Merlot influence, many wines are approachable early and their prime drinking periods end earlier than Left Bank wines that are dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon.  However, most Right Bank wines are cellar-worthy, and some Right Bank wines age very well and may last 30 or more years (especially the most expensive wines).

Most estates have predominantly clay-based soils that are especially good for Merlot.  The Right Bank wines have softer tannins, mature earlier, have supple texture, and have taste profiles that emphasize plum and berry fruit flavors.

For the rest of this week, we'll discuss a variety of individual wines from the Right Bank.  Once again, we'll use $40 as the upper limit for the list price, with the idea that sales and discounts occur from time to time, and it is sometimes possible to purchase high-QPR wines on sale under $25 -- wines that normally cost $30-40.

The focus will be on (1) the superb 2005 vintage, and (2) the petit chateaux that produce excellent wines at reasonable prices.  The goal of our search is to identify the "sleepers of the vintage" -- those wines that are under-the-radar and represent excellent value.  In 2005, hundreds of these wines were produced in Bordeaux, and only a small sample is discussed in this blog.