Beware of Bordelaise de Lamprey

Beware of Bordelaise de Lamprey. This delicacy is literally eels ( lamprey) in its own blood. Add a bottle Bordeaux Voila. The most disgusting dish ever.

Even the pooch under the table would not partake.

While preparing the dish, one must be careful to first hang the lamprey by the head before cutting its tail, in order to collect the blood. The blood is used in combination with Armagnac and wine sauce, and the lamprey is briefly flambéed in the mixture before being served, usually accompanied with garlic bread croutons and a glass of local red wine.

Voila ! Wine Company is the result of an alliance between Borderac Crus et Vins, a successful negociant based in Bordeaux (France) running from 1997, and a young French man originally from Provence (France) and also passionate about wine. https://voilawineco.com

Bordeaux is the largest fine wine district on earth.

What is Bordeaux wine?

Bordeaux (“Bore-doe”) refers to a wine from Bordeaux, France. Over 90% of Bordeaux wines are red wines made with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Bordeaux wine including tasting notes, food pairing suggestions, and key details to know.

There are so many estates in so many regions and subregions .. no one has mastered them all.

Most people refer to Bordeaux wines as the Left and Right bank, referring to the Gironde ESTUARY. This Gironde splits into two rivers:

• Dordogne RIGHT BANK
• Garonne LEFT BANK

Left Bank broad name is the Medoc. This is the home of the majority of the classifieds first through its 5th growths.

The Classified growths came about because Napoleon Bonaparte held a Worlds fair in 1855.  The sole purpose of this enormous fair was to exhibit Frances’ finest from haut couture to the Haut Medoc. or Bordeaux wine.

This side of the Left Bank, is cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Merlot. Always a blend in  Bordeaux with rare exceptions.

The Mediterranean climate used to be a safety zone against frost, which is deadly to the flowering vines. Recently, in early April a late frost did occur mostly in the northern appellations.  Even Bordeaux experienced the frost.

Luckily very little damage to the budding vines. Generally the maritime location  leads to a moderate & stable climate UNLIKE BURGUNDY, LOIRE, CHAMPAGNE. LOIRE experienced damaging frost but the vintners believe they escaped with little loss to the flowers.

Nowadays, it is not uncommon to see the vineyards at night lined with hand held candles to keep the frost from settling on the vines.

I suggest that it is easier to concentrate on the Left Bank first and absorb the nuances of that region first, training one’s palate in the classifieds.

When pairing food Bordeaux, consider:

Steak frites (steak and duck fat fries) might just be the perfect complement to red Bordeaux. The boldness of Bordeaux compliments the umami in the meat and the wine’s grippy tannins are smoothed out by the dish’s fat content.

Bordeaux wine will taste sweet and fruity against this rich meaty backdrop. The steak frites example shows us that when pairing foods with Bordeaux. Enough fat to counteract tannin. Beyond this, you can get creative with your pairings. Here are some examples:

Meats:

Black Pepper Steak, Roast Pork, Filet Mignon, Beef Brisket, Buffalo Burgers, Chicken Liver, Pot Roast, Venison, Duck, Goose, Dark Meat Turkey

Favorite wines from that region are:

Chateau Batailley, Pauillac – Château Batailley is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced at the estate was classified as one of eighteen Cinquièmes Crus in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.

Chateau Bel Air, Saint Estephe

Chateau Beychevelle,  St Julian

Chateau Brane Cantenac, Margaux

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