The Wine Stig - Chateau du Seuil
This month I would like to look at wines as a present, something special that will last if the recipient of the gift can resist drinking it for some time.
Wines that will improve with long term cellaring (meaning decades) are only likely to be found at a specialist independent wine merchant, and only then with careful selection, taking advice from the merchant in question if appropriate. Such wines need to be actively sought out, and don't usually come cheap, and I believe these are the reasons why many wines that simply aren't up to the job are laid down instead. Port is an excellent example of this.
Port has an image of ageing well, an image based on the properties of wines from the top "declared" vintages. Many people, even those not generally familiar with wine, are aware that the 'laying down' of Port as a future gift for a child, or godchild, is a well-practiced tradition.
A bottle of LBV Port might cost £8 - £15, and is usually easily available off the shelf, whereas vintage Port from a top vintage now seems to retail at £40 per bottle from release, and is usually (although not exclusively) traded in case quantities. It's not hard to see why many people would choose a bottle or two of the former, rather than a case or two of the latter! Unfortunately, however, they are choosing wines destined to die long before the recipient has any interest in wine. In some cases perhaps before they have even finished primary school!
Trying to coax nearly three decades of cellaring out of an LBV Port from a weak vintage (such as 1974) is a hopeless affair. Trying to do so by storing the wines in the loft, however, is a recipe for disaster. Wines that are purchased with the aim of cellaring for decades must be stored correctly, otherwise they will never achieve what potential they have (if any). Having studied my own loft, I am aware that summer temperatures in this part of my house regularly reach well in excess of 30°C (86°F), even on mildly warm days. Any wine stored in these conditions, such as the LBV Port alluded to above, will be undrinkable within weeks. Very few places in the house are suitable for long term storage of wine - only the cellar in truth, although above ground rooms or buildings can be made suitable with appropriate insulation. Or you can seek out professional storage. Either option requires effort and expenditure, and perhaps a certain amount of wine obsession. Something only a minority of us possess.
However, I would like to introduce you to a wine that fits the bill as a present for a number of reasons. It is a wine that is of good quality, having been well reviewed by wine critics such as Jancis Robinson and priced sensibly at around £20 a bottle. Also, it is not available from off licences or supermarkets, only being sold into the restaurant trade, which means a little effort is involved to obtain it.
So, ok what is this wine?...It comes from Chateau du Seuil (doo-say), situated in the Graves region of Bordeaux in a small area called Cerons (serron). The Bordeaux wine growing region is of course famous for its production of hugely famous clarets, the generic collective name for wines that come from Bordeaux. An added attraction for all you good people of Swansea is that Chateau du Seuil is Welsh owned by Nicola Watts and her husband, her father bought the Chateau in 1988 and Nicola and husband Sean continue the winemaking. To mark the Welsh connection, the Red Dragon is printed on the label of every bottle produced by the Chateau!
The Chateau produces a number of wines including a dessert wine for which the Cerons area is famous, but the wine I am recommending this month is the Chateau du Seuil Graves Red which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc which is typical of the majority of Bordeaux wines, most of which you would pay substantially more for. The wine is fruity, well balanced with integrated oak flavours and firm round tannins. Additionally, in recent years the wine has developed the peppery characteristic of a classic Graves red. The finished wine is aged in oak for up to 18 months prior to bottling. It is pleasing on the palate, fresh and has a complex aftertaste. Delicious to drink now but can be stored for up to 10 years but be very careful how you do store it!
So, how do you get your hands on this classic wine? Contact Matthew Clark, UK distributors on 01275 891400,
e-mail SimonJerrome@matthewclark.co.uk or Google ‘Chateau du Seuil’!