Bordeaux: revisiting a classic

A barrel at Ch. d’Yquem, “the definition of a wine made in the vineyard”

It’s time to change the narrative on Bordeaux, says Nick Kemball from our Events team. Life as a sommelier almost turned Nick away from the region, though a recent trip there reminded him what he was missing.  

My iPhone’s Memories function recently presented me with a picture of a 1982 Château La Mission Haut-Brion. I often take pictures of food, so I’m usually asked to reminisce over sandwiches of days gone by, but this photo was momentous. It was one of those particularly impactful bottles, demonstrating that wine could be much more than a drink; it could be an experience. And eight years later, I still remember exactly how it tasted. 

Wine enthusiasts will usually be very happy to tell you about their “gateway” wine, the one pivotal bottle that hooked them. It doesn’t have to be Bordeaux, of course, but very often, it is. Mature Bordeaux, when it really gets it right, hits every Pavlovian receptor with precision. This bottle was no exception: dense black fruit, defined aromas of cedar and graphite, all framed nicely in assertive but sensible oak. It was served at a harvest dinner by a friend of mine, a Canadian winemaker. In that magical way that wine sometimes does, it perfectly fit the occasion, lifting not only the food but the entire afternoon into something unforgettable. Wine sometimes resonates at its perfect frequency. 

Shunning Bordeaux

In my career progression from