Fine Bordeaux wines can be available at affordable prices despite heavy taxes if the government makes their entry easier by relaxing the high-barrier excise regulations and registration process as Subhash Arora discovered at a tasting organised by the Delhi Wine Club at P’tit Bar Bistro with De Mour Bordeaux wines organised by UbiFrance as the General Manager of the company, Jean-Michel Garcion visited Delhi.

Photos By:: Adil Arora

P’tit Bar is a small French style Bistro near Flavors Restaurant, an Italian casual dining restaurant where one can also enjoy a limited number of wines at affordable prices. The Bistro prides itself as a wine destination with a wide range of tapas styled finger foods that go well with the wine and ambience of the Bistro. It was a perfect choice for tasting five wines from this winery owned by the Belgian family De Schepper-De Mour  which bought their first winery Chateau Tour  Baladoz in 1950.

Jean-Michel Garcion, the General Manager of the group, who is also a winemaker clarified that this group owned the wineries first and then became a Négociant (wine merchant) adding a range of wines to its portfolio, which are still consolidated in Belgium.

He started the tasting with the young daily drinking Rouge-Bordeaux AOC wine of 2009 vintage. Made from 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon it was a medium bodied wine that was quite fresh and fruity with softer tannins, full mouthfeel and medium length. Tarsillo Nataloni, the owner who is also a long time member of the Delhi Wine Club had prepared a wide range of snacks and the cold cuts on canapés were easy match with the wine that would score high on the price-quality chart.

Château Tayet Cuvée prestige 2007, Bordeaux Supérieur was a similar blend from one of their wineries, Chateau Tayet, close to Margaux. Not only was it a great partner for the deliciously prepared tomato, zucchini & cheddar quiche with a creamy texture, it was fuller bodied wine with more concentration, fruitier flavour and longer end. ‘This is quite a seller at the restaurant owned by my wife,’ said Garcion.

Tour Baladoz 2006, Saint-Emilion grand cru was one of the star attractions and certainly did not disappoint. Elegant and balanced wine, with the nose of red fruits continuing into the flavour had good structure and rounded tannins. A serious wine, this would make an excellent restaurant wine since the prices are a fraction of the better known Chateaux as their neighbours, claimed Garcion. Although ready to drink now with some decanting, this wine could be in the cellar for 10years or more.

Haut Breton Larigaudière 2007, Margaux was an interesting wine as this was a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from different parcel and perhaps the first time any estate in this region had tried with a 100% blend of the grape. ‘The vintage was such that we decided this would be the best way of expressing our terroir for this vintage. Before and after this vintage, this Cru Bourgeois wine has had a sprinkling of Merlot and Petit Verdot. The wine has intense ruby red colour and with full extraction and balanced oak that gives it a rounded and fuller taste on the palate with the red fruit flavours and the vanilla in the background making it a rather complex wine which one could enjoy even with the chicken and mutton dishes.

The best was left for the last to be served by Garcion helped by the charming Ophelie Le Goff from UbiFrance, the Trade Section of the French Embassy. La Croizille 2003, Saint Emilion Grand Cru is, as the label suggests, the Chateau wine from the estate known as Chateau La Croizille. Immensely dark colour of this Merlot-Cabernet blend and a thick texture gives the feeling of a very rich and powerful wine though it is quite elegant and harmonious age worthy wine that has years to go before it gives up due to the old age. Slightly spicy and smoked flavours full of fruit, coffee and mocha make it a great possibility for a restaurant wine.

Unfortunately, the regulations are a big barrier for wines like this to enter the market. The registration procedures and laws make the entry costs high and even though it is a terror driven wine that could find many takers for small volumes, the prohibitive costs of registration would make the wine difficult to show its beauty on the shelves in restaurants and in the glass. The importer has to register the labels not only for this and all the other 4 wines tasted but to showcase a long list of wines on their portfolio would be impossibility.

Many members found the event a special one as they were able to openly discuss their favourites and learn a lot about the wines of Medoc and Saint Emilion. It was also a heartening experience to taste balanced wines with alcohol levels at acceptable low levels of 12-13%, rather unheard of levels these days.

Nataloni team had done a very good job of service and setting up a line of unending food for the members- certainly way beyond the calorific count of a regular wine dinner and it was thanks to him and his passion to keep on innovating that made most members to come back soon for a casual evening with their friends over a glass or two of some of the wines on the list.

Subhash Arora