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+--- Thread: Quebec, SAQ Signature, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac (/thread-15347.html)
- TheEngineer - 10-27-2006
Quebec City really is a Charming place to walk around. I had not been there in over a decade I think....but definitely enjoyed it this time even more. Beautiful slightly crisp day yesterday so I put on my walking shoes. I was in the lower city so wanted to trek up to the upper city to the Fairmont Chateaux Frontenac, another of the former CN hotels that now are under the high end Fairmont chain. Nice place. I walked by an SAQ Signature store (the Quebec provincial liquor store but with higher end stuff). I was blown away. The first table at the front door was a bunch of Banyols from 1947 to 1949. The front also a tremendous brunch of spirits and ports from 1850 on up. The "specials" table had both Climen and yquem on sale....
The wines were in great shape. First and second growth bordeaux in 375 up to pretty much anything you want were there. Great selection of Burgs, Yquems from pretty much any great vintage and any size..... A section on italian wines that included just about any Gaja, Conterno Giacomo, Bruno Giacosa, and others. Californian wines were limited to a few selections but they were Ridge, Phelps, Montelena, etc, again in various bottle sizes.
My only complaint is that this is definitely trophy hunting territory and my budget does not allow for much of that. Also these wines cover only really the high end spectrum from very few regions so there was very little that was umm... "interesting". Having said that the wine cellar probably looks something like what President Chirac amassed in his Paris Cellar but with much more large formats and many more vintages.....good grief Charlie Brown, 1961 Bordeauxs by the case.....
The only sad news is that this store is horribly located in a tourist area. Tourists generally do not spend $1000s on wine in a wine store, but the locals do so the SAQ is currently looking for another location for this significant stash of wines. I'd offer to hold it for them if they need help! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]
- wondersofwine - 10-31-2006
Sounds like it would be tantalizing--temptation without the funds to turn the daydream into reality.
Speaking of 1961 Bordeaux, I tasted one two nights ago at a very special wine dinner--a 1961 Beycheville. I didn't take detailed notes on any of the wines but will report on the dinner and wines later today under the wine events thread.