Bordeaux Tasting from Gusto Wines by Laurent Belisaire @Shangri-La, Bengaluru

It was a real pleasure to be invited by Gusto Wines for an experiential tasting of their Bordeaux Wines at Shangri-La, Bangalore on 23 November. This session was conducted by the one and only Laurent Belisaire, Sommelier-Andres Lurton in the presence of eminent wine aficionados of the city.

We started with the very smooth Chateau Goumin made from 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Semillion and 10% Muscadelle and compatible with white meat and goat cheese. The refreshing aromas of Citrus with musky notes are its unique identity and you can taste white peach and apricot on the palate as you sip. A light bodied wine for a casual occasion. The next in line was another white -Chateau Bonnet, a more medium-bodied wine with an intense aroma of grapefruit and passion fruit pairing well with seafood and Dana Blu cheese.

It was time for the Reds to make their appearance and the Chateau Gumin comprising of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon was in line. It took our palate by storm with its medium tannins and fruity appeal with hints of cherry and raspberry on the nose. I personally feel this is a more serious dinner wine which would go very well with grilled red meat and smoky cheese like gorgonzola. The next red was the Chateau Bonnet, another medium bodied red with spicy notes and a herby hint on the nose. Enjoyed best with meaty pizzas, it would be a popular choice for casual evening dinners at restaurants.

The final 2 wines revealed for tasting included the Chateau Tour De Segur and the very elegant Cuvee M Margaux. Being on the higher range of the price spectrum, the Chateau Tour De Segur is bottled in 2013 and can be enjoyed till 2021 with a matured hint of strawberry and cherry flavours on the palate. The last in line was the Margaux and is the most full-bodied of the wines served that evening with a distinct taste of red berries to your palate and fresh chilli aromas to the nose. The Margaux is rare to find in retail stores and are usually available on orders placed.

A very insightful evening on the tasting notes and aroma of the wines was delivered by Laurent himself who made sure that all of us were attended to and answered everybody’s queries with great detail. Big thanks to Kadambari for inviting me to this experiential evening.