As I get older and seek more subtlety, I am increasingly starting to appreciate the wines from the Graves. Let's take the most prominent wine from the region: the venerable first growth Chateau Haut-Brion. This wine has never been about power or intensity, even in very ripe years such as 1982, 1990, 2005 or 2009. Its aristocratic personality favours nuances and longevity, and it has a certain reserve in its youth.
I tasted the 2009 Haut-Brion in 2010 when it was not yet bottled, and I gave it nearly perfect points. Recently, I tried it in bottle, and the flavours were dormant, the potential locked up behind its firm tannins. But there is no denying that the 2009 Haut-Brion has the complexity to make it one of the chateau's best vintages of the past few decades.
These wines are not for the impatient, demanding marketplace. They are not for flashy blind tastings of trophy wines, either. Because they refuse to shout or intrude, they will probably not do well. The best wines from the region, especially Pessac-Léognan, are for enjoying over a meal, where the wine does not try to compete with the chef's creation, or scream for attention.
When I was asked which region in Bordeaux most often gives me drinking pleasure, I replied Graves. The diversity here is unrivalled - there are wonderful reds, as well as great white wines and sweet wines.
There is no question that Pessac-Léognan, within the Graves region, reigns supreme among the dry white wines from Bordeaux. The complex whites from sauvignon blanc-semillon blends can be found here. These include Haut-Brion Blanc, La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc, Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, and Pape Clement Blanc.
This year is the 60th anniversary of the official classification of the Cru Classes de Graves. To mark this sixth decade, the 16 chateaux of the classified growths, all located in the appellation of Pessac-Léognan, will be showcasing their wines in major cities around the world. They will be holding a tasting in Hong Kong on March 1. The group will be presenting two wonderful vintages: their 2010 whites and their 2009 reds.
