Sheila & Bennet Bodenstein
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Has It Finally Happened?
Has it finally happened? Has the wine industry gone full circle? It was about 150 years ago when vintners in this country began to import French vines, French winemakers and French wine techniques in order to create a viable wine industry in this country. We know the results of these efforts. Today, the United States is one of the top wine producers of the world.
During the late 1970’s, in recognition of the quality of the fruit grown in the United States, many French winemakers created or bought wineries in California or sought joint ventures with American producers. A result of this joint cooperation was the classic and incredible wine called Opus 1, a joint venture of the great American Winemaker Robert Mondavi and the legendary Baron Philippe de Rothschild, proprietor of Château Mouton-Rothschild of Pauillac France; a winery/vineyard that is universally acknowledged as among the top five in the world.
And now, in the 21st century, enter Jess Jackson, owner of a vast empire of many vineyards in California. Jackson has turned his eyes from California to France and joined in partnership with Barbera Ban Pierre & Monique Seillan who are successful French vintners familiar with the Bordeaux style of winemaking to purchase Chateau Lassegue, a grand cru winery with two excellent offerings, Chateau Lassegue and Chateau Vignot. These vineyards are located in the Saint Emilion district of France; a district known for its exceptional wines made from merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon grapes. Grand Cru indicates that the French government has declared this vineyard among the best of the best. For the team of Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke, this means that along with their extensive holdings in California they now have wine interests in Italy, Australia, Chile and France.
The results of this French joint venture are now on our shores for us to enjoy. Very often the joining of vintners from several countries to produce a wine results in failure. One of the winemakers wants to do it his way and so does the other, usually resulting in turmoil and eventually failure. In this case, the American, Jess Jackson, has stepped aside to allow the French winemakers do their thing in there way. These French winemakers know how to handle their grapes to get the best results out of them.
Just as a side note, we do believe that Mr. Jackson stepped in to the picture during the design of the label. The labels in no way resembles the usually very, very, low key labels that the French love for their wines. These labels are more like a typical California wine label, large bold and colorful. But the label does not make or break a wine; it is what is in the bottle that counts.
Chateau Lassegue 2003 Saint Emilion Grand Cru ($50). Chateau Lassegue is a deeply colored, full bodied wine that epitomizes the Saint Emilion tradition and winemaking style. The wine is heavily perfumed and reflects the aromas of blackberry, vanilla and mushroom with a faint hint of oak in the background. The flavor mirrors the aroma with the addition of the sensation of blueberries. The finish is exceptionally long and lingers in the mouth well after the wine has been swallowed. This is a very typical French Saint Emilion wine with all of the glorious attributes that made these wines famous through the centuries. If you love French Bordeaux wines, if you are unfamiliar with Bordeaux wines or if you just love wines, this is the one to try: it is great.
Chateau Vignot 2003 Saint Emilion Grand Crew ($35). Saint Emilion wines are considered the most robust of the Bordeaux wines. They are generous, very deeply colored, and reach their maturity quicker than other red Bordeaux. Chateau Vignot is a fine example of the style and the quality of a Bordeaux wine and most specifically those of the Saint Emilion district. This wine is not a lesser version of the Chateau Lassegue. It is a wine made from grapes grown in a different section of the vineyard. What this actually means is that there is a difference in the soil in that part of the vineyard and thus there are different flavor and aroma attributes imparted to the grapes and finally to the wine. The wine is also slightly different in its blend of grape varieties. Chateau Vignot is a powerful wine that shares the same flavor and aroma characteristics, as does its "big brother" and is a beautiful melding of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. This is definitely a wine to try.