4/5

Lezongars

With all the mystique, madness and massive prices that go along with the iconic wines of Bordeaux, there is a great opportunity to pick up some really great wines which slip under the radar. Wines which may not be from the perfect terroir, wine’s equivalent to the wrong side of the tracks but nonetheless are of excellent quality and great value too.

The  L’Enclos de Lezongars is one such wine and is the second wine in the Château Lezongars stable, behind the . Let’s take a brief look at what this actually means.

The best grapes from the best plot of land from the estate are sorted and go into the making of a Chateau’s premier wine. Where there is a large production, there may be plenty of grapes left and in the second pass, grapes which didn’t make the cut go into the second batch of wine made by the Chateau and so on until there are no grapes are left (or the remainder are sold to another winemaker).

The “B+” grapes may be blended differently or be put in less valuable oak for less time, but they can still make terrific wines – and the L’Enclos de Lezongars certainly falls into this category.

Field of dreams

Château Lezongars is situated in the appellation of Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, in the village of Villenave-de-Rions, overlooking the River Garonne and the flatter, better known Graves appellation across the river.

The Château Lezongars story is the stuff of dreams. In 1998, couple Philip and Sarah Iles moved from the London restaurant and bar scene, where I’m sure they sold plenty of wine, to Bordeaux where they decided to make the stuff. 

Looking at the details from the Château Lezongars website, it’s clear they’ve put an awful lot of work into the vineyard since acquiring it in 1998.

Fast forward 10 years and it’s clear all their hard work has paid off. 

L’Enclos de Lezongars 2002

If you’re puzzled as to what all the fuss is about with Bordeaux, then this is a wine that could enlighten and delight. 

  • Made from: a blend of 52% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc.
  • Smells like: Dark fruit on the nose, plummy Merlot coming through with a bit of soft leather in there too.
  • Tastes like: Soft, creamy smooth texture with a slightly dusty finish, plums and prunes again with a little black pepper and a nice long finish. Gorgeous stuff
  • Available: The Corkscrew, Dublin around €20
Rated 4/5 on May 22 2009
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