Grand Vins: The Finest Chateaux of Bordeaux and their Wines
Written by Clive Coates, MW
1995 publication, 1st Edition, 813 pgs
This is an older reference book on a group of elite Bordeaux estates, selected by Coates using his own judgement. The author is a well known English wine writer, having penned a number of books, mostly on the collectible French regions, while also writing for his own The Vine, Journal of Fine Wine, as well as other periodicals. He has been involved in the industry for a long time, including as a merchant. At this point I'm unsure whether he is better known for his Burgundy commentary as he lives there now. I should make the point that although there are plenty of tasting notes in this tome, I don't particularly get much from them. Frankly, they are hard to interpret and unless one has been conditioned to his preferences many descriptors seem impenetrable, e.g. Stylish, Not Short, Fine Plus Again, Very Good Though, and so on. But Coates has done conducted extensive primary research, and he writes about the topic in an engaging style, so enthusiasts would be well served keeping a copy on the shelf, even if it might be only referred to rarely.
The preface/introduction run 25+ pages and cover a brief history of the region, varietals, the annual vineyard cycle, and some aspects of wine making. There is ongoing discussion of classification and prices of wines (as a proxy for quality) well before the better known 1855 rankings. Older Cocks & Feret as well as other reference points like Tastet & Lawton are used for that. I suppose that is how the author can occasionally note that estates are finally living up to the breed/reputation they might have held in prior eras.
At this point the book segues into sections on the major communes, beginning with an overview of the geography and the style of the wines, and then individual pages on his favorite properties. The latter usually are a few pages but some high profile properties may be up to a dozen, e.g. Lafite Rothschild. The estate overviews typically start with a summary, then a very early history (as in the 1300's to 1600's time frame) then paragraphs on ownership stages, as well as the vagaries on that. It seems family infighting and inheritance squabbles are a recurring theme across the centuries, leading to estates changing hands. Then there can be discussion of the current vineyards (as of 1995) along with changes, then the physical winery site with some particular attention to the architecture, and then lastly overviews on the wine with notes from a contemporaneous vertical if possible. Coates tends to report when the verticals were conducted, and give credit to famous collectors who organized them (Bipin Desai, Marvin Overton, Jack & Thelma Hewitt, etc.) and when tasting notes were included later (not from the vertical) that is noted as well. Unusually, especially with the very older wines, when bottles were negociant/shipper bottled that is discussed as well, and some famous wines from the 40's and 50's have examples where same vintage / different bottlers are contrasted. Given that off estate bottling has not been allowed for close to a half century it's not germane for modern, mainstream enthusiasts, but it's interesting nevertheless.
For those who care about why there are so many estates with similar sounding names, but different tasting wines, Coates has researched the family histories, as well as the land transactions. It can be fascinating but it's also really only of interest to the most obsessive. Today's consumer probably cares less about why/how Clos Haut Peyraguey came about (from Lafaurie Peyraguey) than whether its making a better Sauternes or not.
The book is now quite dated, so due to natural attrition and cycles, a handful of the estates covered are either now defunct as dedicated brands, or have been merged away. Still, their wines can still be found in deep cellars, or the auction circuit, so some information on them is helpful. Wine markets are so richly valued -- and efficient now -- that I don't think there is a huge edge though in learning about ancient l'Arrosee or similar, however. A couple of decades ago, it felt different.
In total there are 550 pages covering the specific estates, but of that total I'd note that Pomerol gets 65 and Sauternes/Barsac merits 70, which might be high given American collectors cellars holdings. Personally, I loved that focus and attention on favorite areas but could understand why some BWE's might look at the list and be puzzled. And again, not everyone would agree on the highlighted names -- l'Enclos is included in the Pomerol section while La Grave a Pomerol (or Trigant) is excluded despite sister/similar properties like Latour a Pomerol or Trotanoy are included.
At this point, the vintage assessments begin, which cover 1947 to 1993 for the dry reds, a little less for the sweet wines. The white Graves are only covered for the 1980's era, and Coates has a lot of constructive criticism for producers there regarding sulfur, cepage, styles etc. In the vintage horizontal notes, scores are included (which were NOT in the property specific verticals) and one has to read closely to realize that these were different conducted separately. Coates has vast experience tasting the wines of Bordeaux, so sometimes there are throwaway lines, like 'I have not come across the 75 Le Gay since a half dozen examples 20 years ago' and its not gratuitous bragging. This is his trade, and he's been involved in it for 60+ years, well before it was fashionable. Reading the book today does take a little adjustment, given how long ago it was written.
This is a tome, at 800 pages, and despite my affection for Bordeaux, I had purchased this book back in 2016 (secondhand on Amazon for $4.35) ... and only finished it this week. True, the book is well suited for slow consumption, perhaps with a goblet of a profiled estate in hand, but it does take a long time to cut through.
Overall: I enjoyed Grand Vins (slowly!) and will be gathering up more of Coate's books. I disposed of hundreds of books the last few weeks -- some owned since my undergraduate days -- so I don't feel guilty buying more books that take will take some years before I eventually read. It's recommended to BWE who truly get satisfaction from the backstory of a vineyard/family when drinking a glass of Bordeaux. Used copies can be had for $7+ shipped. For those who care about whether a recent release is plummy vs. raspberry, they will be disappointed.
Thanks for making it to the end!
https://www.amazon.com/Grands-Vins-Fine ... 520202201 NOT an affiliate link. Xposted at WB too.
