WW or anyone else...

[quijote]

Know anything about Chateau de Montval? On pure whim, I bought a 2000 Ch. de Montval at a local store today. It only set me back $10, so it's not likely to be the next Lafite, but is there any scoop or buzz or dirt on this brand? I hope it's not "le plonk."

[winoweenie]

Quijote, Montval was not on my futures buy and I know nothing about the estate. What area of Bordeaux is it from? WW

[Tastevin]

Hello Quijote.
I haven't tasted Chateau de Montval 2000, but I think I know a little about it. If it's the one I'm thinking of, it's appellation is 'Bordeaux Superieure' (should be on label). It's a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. No it is not "le plonk", and 10 dollars sounds pretty good to me, that's only just over 5 of our pounds. If memory serves me correctly it's won a couple of silver medals at pretty important wine fairs, but sorry, I can't remember which. When to drink it? If I were to be asked when that should be, as I haven't tasted it I can only hazard a guess - as it's of an excellent year, but as it's only a Bordeaux Superieure, I would say hold off for another 12 months. Don't expect it to be top quality or anything like, but I'm sure you will enjoy it when you open it. Perhaps someone at the store from which you bought it will have a better idea than I as to when best to pop its cork. Having said that, I wouldn't mind betting that another member has tasted it. So I suggest waiting for some more posts. T.

[This message has been edited by Tastevin (edited 02-28-2004).]

[quijote]

Tastevin, The wine you described is the very same! It is indeed a Bordeaux Supérieur, and one of these days I'm gonna sit down and figure out the different levels that Bordeaux can fall into. A circular blue sticker on the bottle proclaims the silver medal won by this wine in 2002 at the Concours de Bordeaux.

WW, I'm not sure where the estate is, but if Tastevin's idea is right (Cab with Merlot), then it's probably from the left bank? On the label is a section that reads "33670 Saint-Genes de Lombaud"--that's probably the main clue right there, and sometime today I'll see if I can locate this in a wine atlas somewhere.

Though I'm very much a novice with all wine, the Bordeaux presents unusual challenges to me. There are thousands of chateaux, most of which produce more than one wine, so the selections found in the stores almost seem kind of random. It doesn't help, I guess, that the labels and branding are all pretty similar from bottle to bottle, so there's little visual cue to help in making identity distinctions based on packaging. Maybe I'll just go and buy a "French Wines for Dummies" or something like that to help clear up some of the confusion.

[Innkeeper]

Bordeaux at that price point are usually ready to go on release. Recommend airing it out in a widemouth decanter for a couple of hours to be on the safe side.

[quijote]

Just looked through my second-hand copy of the World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson (love that name), and St. Genes de Lombaud seems to be a village in Entre-Deux-Mers, near the right banks of the Garonne. (I'm sure most of youse knew that....)

From what I've been reading, that area of Bordeaux is more acclaimed for its white wines, but what would the standard Cab Sauv and Merlot mix be? Is it typically mostly Cab or mostly Merlot?

[Thomas]

I believe I tasted this wine at an industry event a few weeks back. If memory serves, and it often does not, the wine was light but well made. I did not make note of it, which in my case means I was not interested in it for the shop--but that could mean little except I felt there were better bargains of "superieure."

[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 02-28-2004).]