Bordeaux Legends - Basic BDX

There is perhaps no name that is more connected with wine from Bordeaux as the name Rothschild.  The Domaines Barons de Rothschild have for years been benchmarks of French wine, a bar to which other winemakers are compared - and one to which they aspire.

DBR (Lafite) has a line of wines, Les Légendes, a line which they say displays that Bordeaux has been in their roots for generations.  The aim of Les Légendes is to let individual appellations in Bordeaux speak for themselves, hopefully bringing a better understanding of the diversity of the Bordeaux region to consumers.

A recent virtual tasting event, hosted by DBR winemaker Diane Flamand, explored five Bordeaux wines from various notable regions - Saint-Émilion, Médoc, and Pauillac and Entre-Deux-Mers.  The wines were made under Flamand's supervision, as they have been since 2004.  

The grapes for the Saint-Émilion, Pauillac and Médoc wines came from DBR (Lafite)'s own vineyards, while the Bordeaux red and white blends were sourced from partner growers in the Entre-Deux-Mers region.  Flamand said during the tasting event that she purchases the Entre-Deux-Mers bottlings as finished wines, from trusted partners.  

Flamand noted that the Les Légendes wines were made to be immediately drinkable and easy to understand.  She did not want anyone to think that these wines had to be cellared for a decade or two before enjoying them.

Les Légendes R Bordeaux Blanc 2020 

The wine is composed of 80% Sauvignon Blanc grapes and 20% Sémillon.  Alcohol is low, at 12% abv and the wine retails for $19.

This white Bordeaux wine is tinted yellow and offers a nose of lemons, limes, tropical fruit and loads of minerality.  The grassiness which is present in Sauvignons from other areas is extremely muted here.  The palate is as crisp and fresh as it gets, with juicy fruit and savory minerals working together with a bracing acidity.

Les Légendes Bordeaux Rouge 2018  

This red blend was made from an equal mixture of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.  Forty percent of the wine was aged in oak for nine months, keeping the wood effect to a minimum.  Alcohol is fairly standard at 14.5% abv and the retail price is only $19.

This is an extremely dark wine, and the nose jumps out of the glass so forcefully you don't really need to get too close to smell it.  When the smell reaches your nose, it is dark and savory, with the red and blue berries joined by aromas of cigar box, leather, earth and a hint of oak spice.  The palate replicates the nose, with dark berry flavors and savory streaks of earth and minerals.  The tannins are fairly firm, but they soften a bit with some time in the glass or decanted.  The finish is lengthy and features the savory side of the flavor profile. 

The next post will cover the Les Légendes wines from Saint-Émilion, Pauillac and Médoc. 

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