WineLovers Discussion Group

Chateau Monpensier 2002 - Entre Deux Mers, Bordeaux, France
If you want a cheap Bordeaux, this it it, but it is clearly a case of 'you get what you pay for'. This is an old-fashioned 'country' style with a faded colour, lots of earthy, muddy flavours, a touch of pepper and little suggestion of actual fruit. It just seemed dirty to me. A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, a second wine of Saujon Vins. (NZ$12).

Carruades de Lafite 2001 - Paulliac, Bordeaux France.
If you want a good Bordeaux without breaking the bank, this is the wine. It has a deep, dark red colour without any evidence of fading, an enticing chocolatey cedary aroma and ripe, juicy, full-bodied flavours of red and black fruits with supple tannins, nuances of violets and cigar box. Firm acidity underpins the wine and gives an impression of jaffa on the finish, while the aftertaste goes on and on. A wine that you can confidently cellar. Made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this is the second label of Chateau Lafite-Rothschild. (NZ$80).

Sue Courtney

Sue, I could swear I had that same Entre Deux Mers--and if I didn't have that one then I had one nonetheless identical--friends who have a fledgling wine store and who are inexperienced wrt better wines in general and European wines in particular gave me a bottle thinking I'd be impressed with their first Bordeaux selection. NOT.

Jaffa...in Kiwi-ese, is a jaffa an orange?

Jaffa's are chocolate balls covered with orange flavouring. In wine it presents as choc-orange, something I often get in high end Spanish wines.
There are also Jafa's - which stands for Just Another Fantastic Aucklander, but sometimes people change the word represented by the F.

Cheers,
Sue