All big name and highly rated 2005
Bordeaux have been delivered to cellars
for the long, slow, wonderful life of great
vintage Bordeaux.
But what about tonight? Great vintages make
great wine at all price levels, and that is
where Chateau La Roncheraie in the Cotes de Castillon (neighbor to St Emilion) comes in.
La Roncheraie is a pure, rich, fruit-driven
Bordeaux experience that is ready to drink
now - oh it will improve and mature for a few
years but today, this weekend, it is
delicious. After all it is a 2005, from a
very talented winemaker and from what is
maybe the best-value area in Bordeaux
And, I am speaking of both of the Roncheraie
cuvees - the Sereine with its
bright, popping, deep Merlot driven fruit and the
Prestige with its smooth, rounded
structure. Franck and Laetitia Toquereau are
making some magnificent wines. There is just
no denying it!
We all are waiting for our famous Bordeaux
2005 classified growths to mature and mellow.
Bordeaux 2005 has been called "The Best
Vintage Ever" by critics (and is now
priced to prove it). Believe me these are
worth the wait but right now it is time to
start enjoying the best-made, smaller estate
2005s. They are much more ready to drink now
and priced for everyday drinking. La
Roncheraie (as low as $17.99 a bottle), made
by Franck Toquereau is one of the best
examples of these wonderful petit
chateau wines.
On the day of my first visit to ChaTeau La Roncheraie. I had read about
the wine in La Revue du Vin de France,
the French The Wine Advocate, but had
stopped for the obligatory, fortifying
two-hour lunch before the tasting. There on
the menu among the Bordeaux Greats was La
Roncheraie.
I ordered the Cuvee Sereine. The
sommelier confirmed that Franck Toquereau was
doing everything right at Chateau La
Roncheraie. This was quite an endorsement.
Believe me, it's hard to snag a spot for your
wine on the carte du vin at La
Plaisance, which is virtually dead center in
Right Bank Bordeaux. I couldn't wait to meet
him.
Tonight, as I settle back into my globe of
Roncheraie, I am realizing all over again how
lucky I was to have connected with Franck and
Laetitia Toquereau.
Cotes de Castillon. Remember that name
because you will be hearing it more and more.
Cotes de Castillon is, quite simply, my
favorite place to avenge big Bordeaux prices.
The wines are aromatic and soft and have all
the great material that very expensive
Bordeaux have.
Cotes de Castillon is very beautiful with
green rolling hills. The chateaux are more
modest than in the Medoc. The owners wear the
rubber boots and work in the fields and make
the wine. The region is on the cusp of
becoming well known because the area has all
the same agricultural conditions of
Saint-Emilion, its very famous neighbor just
to the west. It's got the great
clay-limestone soil and the fabulous
exposures. THIS
PLACE HAS IT ALL, and it shows in the wines.
Many of the most famous growers in
Saint-Emilion like Nicolas Thienpont (Le Pin)
and Comte Neipperg (Canon Gaffeliere and Clos
de l'Oratoire) and Gerard Perse (Pavie, Pavie
Decesse, Monbousquet) realized the potential
of the area many years back and bought
properties in Cotes de Castillon. Stephane
Derenoncourt, Bordeaux's top tier wine
consultant chose to create his personal
Domaine here (Domaine de l'A). The list is
long and growing of smart vineyard owners
buying up Cotes de Castillon terroir.
Chateau La Roncheraie is a small
domaine of 7 hectares (about 15 acres).
Franck's total production is about 3,000
cases. The soil is that dream combination of
clay and limestone (limestone on the top for
drainage and clay near the roots for water
retention). This is the perfect insurance in
case of drought. The cepage of the
wines is about 80% Merlot and 10% Cabernet
Sauvignon and some Cabernet Franc for a
beautiful aroma. The average age of the vines
is 20 years.
Franck makes two cuvees:
Sereine which is aged in 20% new oak
and 60% one-year-old wood and 20%
two-year-old wood. The aroma is that of wild
red fruits with a dash of vanilla, smoke, and
leather.
Prestige is the other cuvee. It is
aged in 100% new oak. Prestige is a
powerful, structured wine with aromas of wild
red and black grilled fruits. It is
full-flavored with a hint of licorice. Both
wines have long finishes and are reminders
that there are no better sources for
affordable wines than the nooks and crannies
of Bordeaux where the standards of winemaking
are higher than anywhere in the world.
Cynthia Hurley
