Wine of the Month - August 2021

Laguna Cellar Wine of the Month Selection for August 2021

• Château de Fieuzal Blanc 2014, Pessac-Léognan, rated 91-93 (Neal Martin) - Those who love thirst-quenching, fresh, zesty wines should look no further than the offerings of Château de Fieuzal Blanc.  This bright wine with beautifully balanced acidity is the perfect Summer wine and Laguna Cellar’s answer to beating the heat.  Château de Fieuzal is one of the lucky Graves Crus Classés within the prestigious Pessac-Léognan carveout in the area formerly known as the Graves region of the Left Bank.  This sprawling 70-hectare vineyard has a mere 10 hectares devoted to production of white wines and is planted with a mixture of crisp Sauvignon Blanc and the richly honeyed varietal, Semillon.  The team is consulted by the legendary Hubert de Boüard of the Saint-Émilion Grand Crus Classés Class A Estate, Château Angélus.  The vines are approximately 35 years old on average, picked diligently by hand in the finely graveled vineyards, and vinified with just the slightest kiss of oak.  The word, “subtlety” epitomizes the elegance of this particular vintage, and it has had just enough time for the racing core of acidity to mellow, allowing this stunning wine to express itself fully.  One can expect beautiful aromas of green apple, white florals, peach and some spices with the perfect amount of body to this beautifully pure wine.
• Odyssée 2017, Vin de France, rated: 93 (Jane Anson) -Odyssée invites oenophiles the opportunity to step back in time and experience the best Bordeaux and Rhône have to offer, when combined.  Imagine the elegance of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Médoc, coupled with the rustic charm of Grenache from Gigondas and other Rhône varieties such as Syrah and old vine Counoise.  Though blending the varietals from two appellations that couldn’t appear to be more different  seems like a wild idea – especially with all the viticultural laws in France -  it was a surprisingly common practice before the advent of winemaking technology. In the early 1900s, vignerons from Bordeaux often used percentages of Syrah from the Northern Rhône to add concentration and power to their blends.  Odyssée is a passion project from two great vignerons – Pierre Graffeuille of legendary Second Growth Léoville Las Cases and Matthieu Dumarcher.  Matthieu brings his extensive knowledge as a natural wine producer in the Rhône Valley, creating some of the most interesting low intervention wines.  Both talented vignerons were friends since high school, and united by a passion for crafting beautiful wines.  This terroir driven wine showcases the best of the 2017 vintage from two distinctly different appellations, culminating in a blend of structured tannic power and charm.  It is without a doubt, a match made in heaven.
• Château d'Issan 2014, Margaux, rated 92 (Jeb Dunnuck) -The historic grounds of Château d’Issan are unquestionably some of the most resplendent and breathtaking in the Médoc.  With its gothic towers and moats, visiting Château d’Issan is a bit like traveling back in time.  Château d’Issan is one of the oldest châteaux in Bordeaux, and its history is as rich and powerful as its wine.  Since the 1990s, this Third Growth Margaux estate has experienced a meteoric rise in quality due to innovations at the estate and a series of strategic investments.  There is a specific freshness that is associated with the wines of Château d’Issan and the gorgeous, femininely floral traits synonymous with a Margaux. Their wines are elegant and a bit more restrained with a medium body and not too heavy tannins.  Many critics often laud the wines of Château d’Issan for delivering great quality for value.  Robert Parker Jr, the famed wine critic has stated that when Château d’Issan produces good vintages, their wines are undoubtedly some of the greatest in all of Bordeaux.  It is no surprise that the motto of this estate is, “for the tables of kings and altars of the gods.”
• Echo de Lynch Bages 2015, Pauillac, rated 90 (Jane Anson) -Château Lynch Bages is one of the best-known estates in all of Bordeaux.  Last month, we featured its 2015 vintage grand vin.  Echo de Lynch Bages is the property’s second wine, and it has the same impressive versatility. Echo de Lynch Bages was initially called Château Haut-Bages Averous, after the former Pauillac estate that Andre Cazes acquired in 1976.  The wine would be the estate’s second wine.  It was renamed Echo de Lynch Bages in 2008 after the legendary Greek myth of the wood nymph Echo, who was deprived of speech by the goddess Hera as punishment for distracting her when Zeus wanted to consort with mortals.  The team at Lynch Bages chose the name Echo de Lynch Bages because it is not the first wine to speak, but it shares the elegance and character of the grand vin. The vines used for Echo de Lynch Bages are cultivated the same way as the vines that go into the grand vin. The vinification process is the same and the wine is vinified in a 100% gravity flow facility, with impressive vat rooms that house 80 stainless steel vats in various sizes for parcel-by-parcel vinification. The resulting wine can be enjoyed young but unfolds beautifully with time.  The vintages have continued to dazzle and impress with their deep color, tannic structure, fruitiness, controlled concentration and impressive sophistication. 

   

Château de Fieuzal Blanc 2014 - "The Château de Fieuzal Blanc 2014 has an attractive nose: lime mixed with citrus fruit and touches of grilled walnut coming through with aeration. The palate is quite shrill on the entry with attacking lime and citrus scents. The acidity is quite strong here, but there is plenty of fruit and a lovely sense of tension on the finish. This is an excellent Pessac-Léognan from this rejuvenated estate." - Neal Martin, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/29/2015, Issue 218),Ratings: 91-93, Drink: 2017-2030

Oddysée 2017 - "Sweet black fruits, cinnamon and a kick of fig and garrigue make this a deliciously approachable wine. The tannins of Grenache and Cabernet are a good match for each other, and the addition of Cournoise in this vintage is welcome in adding an extra level of freshness and distinction. 2017 was also a more successful vintage in the Rhône than Bordeaux, and the rich fruit and depth of the wine overall is clear. 3.56pH. From the winemaking pairing of Pierre Graffeuille of Léoville Las Cases and Matthieu Dumarcher, organic Côtes du Rhône specialist." Jane Anson, The September Releases From Italy And France (08/2020) Rating: 93

Château d'Issan 2014 - "The 2014 Château d’Issan is a step back from the 2015 yet is still a beautiful and elegant wine from this estate. Its ruby/purple-tinged color is followed by a gorgeous set of aromatics including currants, cedar, lead pencil, and flowers. With an herbal edge, medium to full-bodied richness, terrific concentration, and a focused, chiseled finish, this is pure class all the way. It’s already approachable but should be at its best from 2020-2040." Jeb Dunnuck, Let The Good TImes Roll: 2015 Bordeaux From Bottle (11/30/2017) Rating: 92 Drink: 2020-2040

Echo de Lynch Bages 2015 - "One of the second wines in this line up that challenges some of the main estate bottlings. It doesn't live up to the quality of the Echo in 2016, particularly in terms of its persistency, but it has silky tannins, dark fruits and good freshness. It is tight right now but shouldn't need more than another two or three years before being ready to drink. One-third malolactic fermentation in vat, two-thirds in oak, but no new oak was used. There’s a lot to enjoy here." Jane Anson, Bordeaux (November 13 ,2018) Ratings: 90, Drink: 2020-2034