Château la Bergère 2005

Well, last night I passed my exam on French wine, the first step in earning the right to add two more letters after my name (AW, Aficionado of Wine from Robert Parker). In celebration I headed to Ocean Beach's newest award winner (and a personal favorite of mine) The Vine. Since I had been immersed in the arcana that is French wine I selected a glass of the 2005 Château la Bergère. As this wine is from Montagne-Saint-Emilion (the Libournais, that is the "right bank" in Bordeaux) I expected a Merlot heavy blend with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc and I got what I expected. It was a very pleasant wine, deep red, inky center with well formed legs on the swirl. The nose delivered a bit of alcohol that I was not prepared for but it carried with it the mouth-watering scent of red berries. The tannins were soft, not abrasive at all with a good balance of alcohol and fruit and a mid-length finish making it a very approachable wine. All in all a good experience, and with the happy hour pricing all the better!

Ocean Beach Award Winner!

Congratulations to one of my favorite OB haunts, The Vine for earning a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.

Chateau Sansey 2006

Today I decided to get serious about my wine certification and thought the best way to kick start the process was to sip some wine while reading about the various growing regions in France. After work I hit the closest wine bar and restaurant to my domicile, The Vine. While there I sampled the 2006 Chateau Sansey, a white Bordeaux from the Graves region. The wine is a mix of the three whites allowed by the laws covering AOC: Semillion, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. The wine is clean and light yellow reflecting the wine in general with simple legs. The nose has an interesting blend of pine and peach (Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion) and while refreshing was a touch sweeter than the glass of 100% Sauvignon Blanc varietal I had just moments before (from the Muscadelle) with a touch of that Old World minerality from the gravely soil. The mouthfeel was nice but not a completely round feeling in the mouth, OK acidity and I thought the finish a little short. It wasn't bad, but I've had better. I am thinking I should give it a later second chance to prove it's worth.