Château Lamothe de Haux Premières Côtes de Bordeaux 2006

The 2006 Château Lamothe de Haux Premières Côtes de Bordeaux sports a bright ruby robe, soft scented bouquet, and friendly up front flavors, which make it one very pleasing, easy drinking claret for here and now. If you are expecting a tannic monster whose attributes lie in the distant future, you would do well to look elsewhere. Instead, the 2006 Château Lamothe de Haux Premières Côtes de Bordeaux is all about fine, every day drinking – right now. This is the style of red Bordeaux that the Néel-Chombard family and the best châteaux of the Premières Côtes de Bordeaux do best. It offers a pleasing aromatic profile of crushed berries, cedar, loam, and mulberry. Is this the kind of red wine that made Bordeaux famous centuries ago for good old-fashioned drinking? We suggest serving this claret at cool room temperature (at no more than 60º -65º F), after just a few minutes of aeration.

Light, savory dishes of chicken, pork, or veal accompanied by a medley of finely diced carrots, celery, haricots verts, olive oil, and spices offer superb accompaniments to the 2006 Château Lamothe de Haux Premières Côtes de Bordeaux. A plain or lightly grilled veal chop provides another excellent complement to the sprightly Château Lamothe de Haux Premières Côtes de Bordeaux. Spit or rotisserie roasted chicken makes for good company as well. Fusilli pasta, topped with grilled chicken or tuna, fresh cherry tomatoes, and a light cream sauce, highlights the attributes of this classy claret, too. Light to medium flavored cow’s milk cheeses will also provide satisfying company, so sit back, pop the cork, pour a glass, and enjoy authentic claret. Salut!

Château Lamothe de Haux is a splendid wine estate and country manor whose origins date to the 17th century. It is one of the most impressive, poetic pieces of the picturesque Premières Côtes of Bordeaux. Château Lamothe was renovated in the 19th century and is now the charming home of the Néel-Chombard family who own and manage this property along with neighboring Château Sauvage and nearby Château Manos. The splendor of Château Lamothe de Haux begins with its imposing position. It sits atop a rocky spur that is surrounded by vines. When viewed from the vineyard, the Château and nearly two hundred acres of surrounding vines appear as a ship, plying the open waters of the sea. Situated in an undulating sea of vines, Château Lamothe is caressed by the light of the rising and setting sun – the perfect Bordeaux terroir for the cultivation of the vine. Although Château Lamothe itself dates only to the 17th century, the vine and the spirit of wine have thrived in the picturesque part of the Premières Côtes de Bordeaux where Château Lamothe now sits since Gallo-Roman times. This area was also once an important stop-over for the annual throng of pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostella, one of medieval Christendom’s greatest pilgrimage sites. Today, the fusion of sun and earth produce the alchemy that draws visitors to its caves and render the wines of Château Lamothe so endearing. The Néel-Chombard family and their trained winegrowers and enologists fashion wonderful white and red Bordeaux at Château Lamothe. As with many family owned Bordeaux estates, there is equal attention paid to white and red wine here and both are made in considerable quantity. The Château Lamothe Blanc is a traditional blend of three white Bordeaux grape varieties: Sauvignon Blanc (40%), Sémillon (40%), and Muscadelle (20%). The latter varietal is an authentic Bordeaux variety from which dry white wine is fashioned; it bears no relation to Moscatel, the sweet insipid wine of old. Similarly, the Château Lamothe Rouge combines the three long-established red Bordeaux grape varieties into an artful meritage. The red Bordeaux is a traditional cuvee comprised of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc.