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Château Villa Bel-Air, Red Bordeaux Blend, Graves

Bordeaux, France 2012 (750mL)
$26.00
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Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Château Villa Bel-Air, Red Bordeaux Blend, Graves


The picturesque Villa Bel-Air lies just 15 kilometers south of Bordeaux in the heart of Graves, which was first made famous by the celebrated Grand Cru Classe, Château Haut-Brion. The Italian-inspired “Chartreuse” house on the Villa Bel-Air estate was crafted in the 18th century and has since been designated a historical monument. Today, Villa Bel-Air’s wine is equally as stunning as the architectural beauty that surrounds it thanks to the tireless efforts of Jean-Michel Cazes and his team. Easily one of the kindest and most thoughtful men I have met in my wine travels, Jean-Michel hails from a line of Bordelaise producers who weathered World War II with a story fit for the annals of history. The family has owned and operated the famous Château Lynch-Bages since 1939; in 1988, they purchased Villa Bel-Air and have continually uplifted the level of quality at the estate, which now performs at the top level of modern winemaking. Villa Bel-Air crafts its wines traditionally, without manipulation or heavy-handed usage of new oak, which results in a wine of incredible charm, elegance and an undeniable footprint of terroir.
 
This under-the-radar gem rests on a gentle slope blessed with signature Garonne gravel over a bed of clay and limestone, with an ideal aspect. Vines are tended and green harvested by hand, then harvested manually. The pristine fruit is twice sorted, then fermented in climate-controlled stainless steel for a long maceration (20-25 days) during which the color and tannins are extracted as gently as possible. The wine is aged with judicious use of new oak barrels for twelve months prior to bottling. The result is an expression of left bank Bordeaux at its most classic. With one quick examination of the nose, there is no question where this wine comes from.
 
The 2012 Graves Bordeaux Rouge displays a dark garnet red core with light garnet and slight purple reflections throughout the glass. Classic aromas of redcurrant, dried black cherry, red plum and wet violets are laced with fine, terroir-driven aromatics of pencil lead, wet gravel, dried black mushroom, licorice and wet tobacco leaf. The medium-bodied palate reveals precisely what we all search for in a traditional bottle of Graves Bordeaux with soft tannins, beautiful freshness, lithe tension and that unmistakable flavor profile of leather, tobacco, pencil lead and gravel that propels us back to this famed region again and again. This wine is delightfully approachable now, but should begin to peak in the next 2-3 years; it will be in its prime between its 7th and 15th birthday. The sheer elegance of this wine will charm with veal or even duck, but we personally recommend this recipe for filet mignon with Bordelaise sauce. For a sensory journey to Bordeaux on a cool winter night, decant for one hour then serve at 60-65 degrees in Bordeaux stems alongside this classic recipe.
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Country
France
Region
Bordeaux
Sub-Region
FranceGraves
Soil
Gravel and Clay
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc.
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
Mostly Neutral French

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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