Hello Wineworld!

All living is meeting. So said Martin Buber. We have it written on the chalkboard in the tasting room here in Blaye Bordeaux. If all living is meeting, then meeting with wine is living well.

Here in the midst of the many unsung heroes of Blaye vineyards,we are lucky to live very well indeed. It seems that  many experts out there,have for some or other reason,passed by the magnificent offerings of Cote de Blaye and neighbouring Cote de Bourg, to seek more expensive and less value for money wines ,elsewhere.

Of course there are wiser ones,including actor Gerard Depardiu who has three hectares in Blaye where he produces the superb “Confiance” although at around E40 it is clearly not one of Blayes best bargains,altho certainly one of it’s best wines. Only around 3000 bottles of this wine are produced each year,hence it’s higher than usual price for a Cote de Blaye.

It is perhaps not so well known that wines on the right bank of the Gironde, were produced as early as the 12th C, while the commencement of production of wine in the Medoc began in the 17thC. So here in Blaye,and neighbouring Bourg,and Fronsac, St Emilion and Graves, the art of making wine is a very old tradition, not always reflected in the prices of some of our little beauties.

2005 is possibly the best vintage in this area for around 50 years, 2006 is not that far behind, for those of you who invest as well as drink,percentage appreciation of Cote de Blaye and Cote de Bourg wines bought “in primeur” should way exceed even the first growths of the Medoc.

Names to look for?

In Blaye:

Chateau Bellevue Gazan                  Chateau Cantinot                        Chateau Raz Caman 

Chateau Chasserat                            Chateau Neuve                           Chateau Monconseil

In Bourg:

Chateau Rouselle                                Chateau Civrac                           Chateau  Nodoz

Well made organic wines are also to be found in this region, but more about these another time.

The Guru