US Wine Retailer of the Year 2012, Ed Sands and his son Michael Sands put on again a fantastic evening with an amazing selection of ultra-premium Bordeaux wines and the food of Executive Chef Troy Knapp at the 2017 Fete du Bordeaux Dinner in downtown Washington DC, USA. This year's Fête de Bordeaux introduced the soon-to-be-released 2015 vintage, an excellent vintage in Bordeaux, but also featured wines from 2000, 2010 and others.
For more on Ed Sands: Calvert and Woodley’s Ed Sands 2012 Wine Retailer of the Year in the USA
3 Special Guests: Damien Barton-Sartorius, Kinou Cazes-Hachemian and Cécile Loqmane
As usual, the Fête du Bordeaux of Calvert and Woodley took place at the Park Hyatt in Washington DC - this year with 3 special guests:
Damien Barton-Sartorius - Châteaux Léoville Barton, Langoa Barton and Mauvesin Barton
Damien Barton-Sartorius - Châteaux Léoville Barton, Langoa Barton and Mauvesin Barton
Cécile Loqmane - Château Figeac
Menu
Champagne Reception
Hors d'Oeuvres and Champagne
Chef's Selection of Passed Hors d'Oeuvres
Krug Grande Cuvée Champagne
Dinner
First Course
Smoked Swordfish
Sea Island Red Peas, Tomato Confit, Candied Meyer Lemon
Blanc de Lynch-Bages 2016
Second Course
Oxtail Ravioli
Sea Asparagus, Crispy Leeks, Mushroom Consommé
Petit Figeac 2015
Château Figeac 2015
Château Mauvesin Barton 2015
Château Ormes de Pez 2015
Château Langoa Barton 2015
Château Lynch-Bages 2015
Château Léoville Barton 2015
Third Course
Suckling Pig
Smoked Sweet Potato, Pickled Persimmons, Bourbon Jus
Château Figeac 2010
Château Langoa Barton 2006
Château Lynch-Bages 2008
Fourth Course
Roasted Rack of Lamb
Parsnip Purée, Braised Kale, Pomegranate, Black Pepper Gastrique
Château Figeac 2006 (in magnum)
Château Lynch-Bages 2000
Château Léoville Barton 2006
Dessert
Triple Cream Panna Cotta
Caramelized Fig, Pistachio Sponge, Concord Grape Espuma
Château Suduiraut 2009
Coffee
Executive Chef Troy Knapp, Park Hyatt Washington DC and Blue Duck Tavern
Executive Chef Troy Knapp joined Park Hyatt Washington, D.C. in February 2017. Chef Knapp brings more than 20 years of experience to the hotel’s culinary program, and is focused on creating menus that celebrate local and seasonal ingredients. Prior to joining Park Hyatt Washington Chef Knapp served as the executive chef at the legendary hotel, The Driskill in Austin, Texas, for three years. Chef Knapp was previously the executive chef at Hyatt Westlake Plaza, Hyatt Regency Phoenix, as well as Hyatt Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio. Troy has been with the Hyatt family since 1998 and was recognized as the company's “Chef of the Year” in 2008 and 2015.
He is a certified sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and was an author of a wine column which was selected as one of the three "must read" blogs by San Antonio Magazine. Knapp also has a great appreciation for tea and has received a Level 2 certificate from the Specialty Tea Institute (STI).
Named one of the finest restaurants in Washington, DC by Zagat, The Washington Post, and Washingtonian, Blue Duck Tavern features creative American cuisine crafted from the region’s seasonal ingredients. The centerpiece of the open restaurant is a wood-burning. Touches of dark oak, blue burlap, handcrafted furnishings and rustic wood tables create a warm atmosphere. The restaurant also features a private Chef’s Ttable seating up to 18 guests. Blue Duck Tavern has 1 star in the Michelin Guide.
Ombiasy WineTours
Annette Schiller visits Bordeaux once a year with a group of not more than 12 people on her ombiasy tour of Bordeaux. For the most recent Bordeaux Tour see: Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France
During the past ombiasy tours to Bordeaux, we visited Château Figeac several times, the last time in 2016. See here: Tour and Tasting at Château Figeac, Premier Grand Cru Classé B, in Saint-Émilion– Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
We visited Château Lynch-Bages and Ormes de Pez and met owner Jean-Charles Cazes on the ombiasy WineTours to Bordeaux in 2013. See here: Tour and Tasting at Château Lynch-Bages in Bages, Bordeaux, France
We have not yet visited Châteaux Léoville Barton and Langoa Barton but visited several times one of the two other Léoville châteaux, Château Leoville Poyferre.
Château Léoville-Barton and Château Langoa Barton
The Barton family, the current owners of Château Léoville-Barton and Château Langoa Barton, are able to trace their Bordeaux roots all the way back to 1722. That was the year that Thomas Barton left Ireland for Bordeaux. Like many successful owners, Barton started out as a Bordeaux negociant.
The first foray into ownership for the Barton family was in St. Estephe, with Chateau Le Boscq in 1745, which was awarded Cru Bourgeois status in 1932. In 1995, the Barton family sold it to Dourthe.
Also in 1745, the Barton family partnered with another powerful Bordeaux family to form a Bordeaux wine negociant company, Barton and Guestier. It was controlled by the Barton family until the Seagram Group got control in 1986. Today, Barton and Guestier is part of the international wine and spirit company Diageo.
The next major purchase for the Barton family took place in 1821. That was the year they bought Chateau Langoa Barton. Following the purchase of Langoa Barton, they bought a second St. Julien estate: Culled from the vineyards of Château Leoville Las Cases, that estate became Chateau Leoville Barton, a deuxième cru en 1855. Interestingly, because no wine making facilities came with the purchase, they were forced to make the wines at Château Langoa Barton. Until today, production of both wines takes place at Langoa Barton.
When Ronald Barton, who had inherited the family’s property from his father, who was tragically killed in a hunting accident in the 1920's, died without an heir in 1986, his nephew Anthony took control of the family properties. Anthony had already moved from Ireland - where the family maintains a home - to Bordeaux in 1951.
Château Léoville-Barton
Château Léoville-Barton is a Deuxième Cru en 1855 in the Saint-Julien appellation.
There are now 47 hectares of vineyards at Château Léoville-Barton, planted with 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. Vinification is performed in the cellar at Langoa-Barton, as there is in fact no château at Léoville-Barton.
The grand vin is Château Léoville-Barton, the second wine is La Reserve de Léoville-Barton. Total production is 20.000 cases.
Château Langoa-Barton
Château Langoa-Barton is a Troisième Cru en 1855 in the Saint-Julien appellation.
Located along the banks of the Gironde river, Langoa-Barton has 15 hectares under vine: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot.
About 7,000 cases of Château Langoa-Barton are produced.
In September, 2011, the Barton family purchased an additional Bordeaux estate, Château Mauvesin in Moulis.
Chateau Lynch Bages
Chateau Lynch Bages is a Fifth Growth in the village of Bages, just southwest of Pauillac. Jean-Charles Cazes was able to purchase Lynch Bages in 1939.
The vineyards total 90 hectares, with 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The white wine vineyard, planted on 6 hectares, is located to the west, with vines 20 years old on average, it’s composed of 53% Sauvignon Blanc, 32% Semillon and 15% Muscadelle.
Lynch Bages produces 3 wines:
Chateau Lynch Bages, AOC Pauillac, 5th Grand Cru Classe, 25,000 cases.
Echo de Lynch Bages, AOC Pauillac, 10,000 cases, often a blend of 50 to 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25 to 30% Merlot and 15 to 20% Cabernet Franc.
Blanc de Lynch Bages, AOC Bordeaux Blanc 4,000 cases. They begun making white wine in 1990.
Chateau Ormes-de-Pez
Château Les Ormes-de-Pez is in the Saint-Estèphe appellation. In the 2003 listing that was later annulled, Château Les Ormes-de-Pez was classified as one of 9 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels. It belongs to the group of six former Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel (Château Chasse Spleen, Château Les Ormes de Pez, Château de Pez, Château Potensac, Château Poujeaux and Château Siran) that have decided to remain outside the Cru Bourgeois Classification.
The vineyard area, divided into two blocks north and south of the village of Saint-Estèphe, extends over 33 hectares, with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot. The annual production is 15,000 cases.
Ormes de Pez was purchased by Jean Charles Cazes in 1927.
Château Lynch Bages and Château Ormes de Pez
Jean-Charles Cazes, the grandfather of the Jean-Charles we met, purchased Château Lynch Bages and Château Ormes de Pez in St. Estèphe on the eve of the Second World War. Lynch Bages and Ormes de Pez have been run by the Cazes family ever since.
Until Jean-Charles Cazes took over in 2006, his father, Jean Michel Cazes, was at the helm of the family empire. He was a very influential personality in Bordeaux. Before returning to Pauillac in 1973 to take over the family's insurance and wine interests, Jean-Charles was for 10 years a manager, based in Paris.
In addition to the Cazes family wine interests, from 1987 to 2000, Jean-Michel Cazes developed AXA Millésimes, the wine properties department of the insurance company AXA. French insurance companies are required to invest in French property. Their assets in Bordeaux include Château Pichon Longueville Baron, Château Suduiraut, Cantenac Brown (recently sold) and Chateau Petit Village Abroad they own Quinta do Noval, a Port producer in the Douro Valley in Portugal, and the Tokay producing Disznókő estate in Hungary.
In 2006, after 33 years in charge of the Cazes family interests, Jean-Michel Cazes stepped down, handing over management of the family interests to his son Jean-Charles Cazes. Born in 1974, Jean Charles grew up at Lynch Bages, the last of four children, and the only son.
Jean-Charles Cazes assumed overall responsibility for management of the renowned Cazes family estates and winemaking operations, extending from Bordeaux to southern France and including joint ventures in Portugal and Australia, including the Bordeaux chateaux of Lynch-Bages, Ormes de Pez and Villa Bel-Air; the Michel Lynch brand of Bordeaux varietals; L'Ostal Cazes and the Circus line of wines from the Languedoc; a distribution company, JM Cazes-Selection; Xisto, a joint venture with the Roquette family in Portugal's Douro Valley; and Tapanappa, a joint venture in South Australia undertaken with the Bollinger family of Champagne fame and pioneering Australian winemaker, Brian Croser.
Jean-Michel Cazes continues to lead the wine and tourism division of the family’s activities, notably Château Cordeillan-Bages in Pauillac converted into a hotel and a restaurant of two Michelin stars.
Château Figeac
Château de Figeac is one of the 15 Premier Grand Cru Classé B Châteaux in Saint-Emilion. Its prominent neighbor is Château Cheval Blanc. The vineyards of Château de Figeac border the Pomerol appellation vineyards and thus the vines grow on a very different terroir than the rest of the Saint-Emilion vines. The Figeac wines show a more “Left Bank” character than the rest of the Saint-Emilion wines.
Because of its fine gravel based soil (which is uncommon in the Right Bank), Merlot accounts only for 30 % of the plantings (which is very low by Saint Emilion standards). The Château Figeac Grand Vin is dominated (70%) by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in equal parts. Château Figeac is known as the most Médoc of the Saint Emilion chateaux.
Château Figeac is an old estate. It takes its name from a Roman called Figeacus who built a villa here. Today, one can still see a water-supply system dating from the Gallo-Roman period, foundations of buildings from the Middle Ages and defensive walls along with the remains of a Renaissance chateau incorporated into its structure.
Until the late 18th century, Château Figeac had been in the hands of one family for almost 500 years. With almost 200 hectares, Château Figeac was one of the largest wine estates at the time, but parts were sold and the estate was subdivided several times until 1892, when the Manoncourt family purchased Château Figeac. (A sizable chunk which was purchased by the Ducasse family in 1832 formed the nucleus of what would eventually become Cheval Blanc.)
For most of the past 70 years, Château Figeac was been associated with Thierry Manoncourt, who took over the management of the property in 1946, and his wife Marie-France; Thierry Manacourt passed away in 2010. It was under his leadership that Château Figeac rose to the front ranks of Saint-Émilion estates. In 1992, Thierry Manacourt divided the business between his 4 daughters, bestowing the larger share on his eldest daughter, Laure.
Château Figeac tends to harvest early with a view of retaining freshness. After Haut Brion and Latour, Château Figeac was the third estate in Bordeaux to introduce stainless steel tanks; there are now 20 temperature controlled vats, 10 in oak and 10 stainless steel. Since the mid-1970s, Figeac has been aged in 100% new oak. The time spent in new oak varies according to the vintage character. The 1997 vintage was aged 12 months, while the 2009 vintage saw new oak for 18 months.
The following wines are produced: Château Figeac (Saint-Emilion - Premier Grand Cru Classé B), La Grange-Neuve de Figeac (second wine) and Chateau Petit-Figeac (bought in 2002 as most of the vineyard was in the middle of their Château Figeac vineyard. The wine is now made at Château Figeac). In total, the Figeac estate amounts to 54 hectares of which 40 are planted with vines. Annual production is 10 000 cases.
The family also owns two other wineries: the nearby Château La Fleur-Pourret (4, 5 hectares, Château La Fleur Pourret was part of Château Figeac many years ago, also bought in 2002), and Château de Millery (just over 1 hectare), in the southern sector of St.-Emilion known as St.-Christophe des Bardes.
For many years, Madame Manancourt's son-in-law, Comte Eric d'Aramon, was the DG of Château Figeac, but he was removed in 2013, when the Manoncourt family appointed Jean-Valmy Nicolas as Joint Managing Director and Frédéric Faye as Manager of Château Figeac.
Jean-Valmy Nicolas (a graduate of France’s HEC business school) is a co-owner of Chateau La Conseillante in Pomerol and a professional at an investment company in Paris.
Frédéric Faye (an engineering graduate of Bordeaux’s ENITA), has been at Château Figeac since 2002, when he began as Vineyard Manager before being promoted to the post of Technical Manager. He now has overall management of the vineyard and the wine-making, as well as the sales of the wines.
As part of these changes, in March 2013, Michel Rolland signed a consulting contract with Château Figeac, with the aim of bringing it up to Premier Grand Cru Classé A.
Bye-bye
Again, an unforgettable Bordeaux Feast!
schiller-wine: Postings on the Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
Bordeaux Wines and their Classifications: The Basics
Bordeaux - En Primeur, Negociants, Courtiers, the Quai de Chartons and the Place de Bordeaux– A Short Introduction
How Does the Negociant System in Bordeaux Work? Tour and Tasting at Millésima - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Dining and Wining on Boulevard Montparnasse in Paris: La Rotonde, Le Dôme and La Coupole, France – Pre-Bordeaux Wine Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Tour and Tasting from Barrel at Domaine de Chevalier, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé, with Owner Adrien Bernard - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Dinner with a View: At Restaurant L’Estacade in Bordeaux City - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City - An Update
Schiller’s Favorite Seafood Places in Bordeaux City, France - An Update
Saint Emilion Wines and their Classification, Bordeaux, France
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France
The Wine Empire of the von Neipperg Family in France, Bulgaria and Germany
Tour and Tasting at Château Canon La Gaffelière, Appellation Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Tour and Wine Pairing Lunch at Château Beauséjour, Appellation Puisseguin Saint-Emilion, with Owner/ Winemaker Gérard Dupuis - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Tour and Tasting at Château Figeac, Premier Grand Cru Classé B, in Saint-Émilion– Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Tour and Tasting at Château Beauregard, Appellation Pomerol– Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Tour with Dany Rolland: Château Le Bon Pasteur in Pomerol– Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Wine-pairing Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol, with Dany Rolland– Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Tasting were it all Started: At the "Garage" of Jean-Luc Thunevin, Owner and Winermaker of Château Valandraud, Premier Grand Cru Classé since 2012 - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Charcuterie and Fromage at Chez Pascal in Saint Emilion - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Tour and Tasting at Château de Fargues, Sauternes, with Prince Eudes d’Orléans - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Wine-pairing Lunch at the 1-star Michelin Restaurant Claude Darroze, with Marie-Hélène Lévêque, Owner of Châteaux Chantegrive - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Visit: Château de Chantegrive, Appellation Grave, with Owner Marie-Hélène Lévêque - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Visit and Tasting: Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé– Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France
Lunch at the Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte Restaurant La Grand’ Vigne (Chef: Nicolas Masse, 2 Stars Michelin) - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Visit of La Cité du Vin - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Lunch at Pinasse Café, Cap Ferret - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Visiting an Oyster Farm at Arcachon Bay, Bordeaux: Raphael Doerfler at Earl Ostrea Chanca - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
The 5 Premiers Grands Crus Chateaux en 1855 of Bordeaux, France
What is a Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois? France
Tour and Tasting at Château Palmer, Margaux, 3ième Grand Cru Classé - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Tour and Tasting at Château Pichon-Longueville Baron in Pauillac - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Lunch at Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron with Chef à Domicile Bernadet Damien - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet with Owner Michel Tesseron – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
At the Invitation of Owner Michel Tesseron: Private Dinner at Château Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, 4ième Grand Cru Classé– Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Tour and Tasting at Château Sociando Mallet, Appellation Haut-Médoc– Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
How a Barrel is Made: Visit of the Cooperage Berger & Fils in Vertheuil – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Lunch were the Locals Eat: At Restaurant Le Peyrat in Saint-Estèphe– Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Tour and Tasting at Château Cos d’Estournel, Appellation Saint-Estèphe, 2ième Grand Cru Classé, with Managing Director Aymeric de Gironde - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Tour and Tasting at Château Léoville Poyferré, Saint-Julien, 2ième Grand Cru Classé, with Anne Cuvelier - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Tour and Tasting at Château Margaux, Appellation Margaux, 1ière Grand Cru Classé– Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Château Kirwan, Appellation Margaux, 3ième Grand Cru Classé, with Owner Natalie Schyler - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France