Urgent : Baronne Guichard wine dinner in DC this Friday

[DCWINO]

Paul Goldschmidt, one of the nicest guys in Bordeaux and the owner of Chateau Vray Croix de Gay (Pomerol), Chateau Le Prieure (St Emillion) and Chateau Siaurac (Lalande de Pomerol) just emailed me that he will be in DC to visit his daughter. I would love to organize an impromptu dinner to welcome him and also taste through his 2009s and 2011s. I happened to like his wines and would love to introduce the wines to the dc winos. If you have never participated in barrel tasting, this would be a great opportunity and pop that cherry. I figure I need to get at least five confirmation. The dinner will be held at Lavandou or the Connecticut avenue Ruth’s chris. Just a bring a bottle or two to welcome Paul and enjoy his wines. Please post if you can join.

[AlexR]

I regularly buy Siaurac en primeur and confirm that Goldschmidt and his wife are very friendly, open, charming people. Quite different from the usual run of château owners.

Le Prieuré and Vray Croix de Gay deserve to be better known.

I hope you round up your quorum.

Best regards,
Alex R.

[DCWINO]

Alex,
His 2009 and 2010 are very nice.

The dinner is on. It will be a great opportunity to get introduced to Paul's wines and meet a few dcwinos. If interested, please pm.
Regards,

[Winona Chief]

Tonight, I opened a bottle of 2009 Chateau Siaurac (one of the Baronne Guichard wines featured at this wine dinner - and my first introduction to Siaurac). Showing great fruit right now. It's 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. Bought this yesterday at Calvert Woodley in DC for $30. Kind of expensive for a Lalande de Pomerol but it's a really nice wine. I have loved all the 2009 red wines from France that I have tried - Burgundy, Beaujolais, Chateauneuf, Loire and Bordeaux.

Chris Bublitz

[AlexR]

Chris,

Glad you enjoyed.

The question is not necessarily"is it expensive for the appellation", but "is it worth the money".

It is my belief that the better LdP are on the same plane as lower-rung Pomerol.
And much cheaper.

The same wine bought here would be only about 10-15% less expesive.

Best regards,
Alex R.

[AKR]

I had a 2010 Siaurac [Lalande de Pomerol] over the last couple of nights and quite enjoyed it, even with its massive 15% abv. Maybe its the fine 2010 vintage, or the winemaking, but I like this better than Le Prieure's & Vray Croix de Gay's I've had, in other years. There is some ferrous, seaweed, iodine notes here which don't sound great as I type them, but it all fits together with the merlot/cab franc blend, which is actually made in a restrained style it feels to me. Especially if you consider the pumped out LdP's like Chambrun or Fleur de Bouard. This a a French domestic bottle brought in by Costco, but the back label suggests it can keep til 2030, which is a long time for this AOC, although if one observes the color, it looks fairly youthful and a dark ruby, almost purple look still. My view: enjoy now as this is Siaurac is in a good spot. I'd slot this into the B+ zone, but perhaps if one had this blind it would rate higher. (I dislike their all their houses label styles, btw). There is almost no sediment whatsoever despite a decade of aging, perhaps it was fined/filtered.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qApTERDP7CT2z2Lc8

[Winona Chief]

I shared a bottle of 2010 Siaurac with some friends in October - very well received. Nice fruit, a very tasty, merlot dominated wine.

Chris Bublitz