French Wine...?

Question

I'm having a French wine tasting party. In what order should I try these wines?

Louis Bernard 2006 Cotes du Rhone

Chateau les Graves de Barrau 2005 Bordeaux

Bouchard Aine & Fils 2005 Bourgogne Pinot Noir

Answer 1

You can write a book on the differences on your 3 wines of choice for a tasting.  If you are comparing against each, then it does not matter what order.

Answer 2

You will want to go from lighter-bodied to full-bodied. With your wines I would start with the Bordeaux (unless it is Cru Classe which it will say on the label), then to the Cotes du Rhone and finish with the Burgundian Pinot Noir. Bordeaux wines (except the Cru Classe) and Cotes du Rhone wines tend to be more medium-bodied while Burgundian Pinots (especially the Premier and Grand Cru) tend to be more assertive or powerful.

Answer 3

I would suggest going from lighter to heavier wines.  Start with pinot noir.  I have a feeling the bordeaux will be heavier than the Cotes du Rhone (not sure, though).  I'd do the bordeaux last.

Answer 4

Cotes du Rhone

Pinot Noir

Bordeaux

You want to taste light to heavy.  May I suggest a white bordeaux?  Most people are familiar with red bordeaux.  Augey is a good inexpensive brand.

Answer 5

I disagree with go avs! and joe s; and I agree with the other two answerers.

The reason you want to put wines in the optimal order is that your taste will change with each wine, so it is traditional (for the right reason) to drink lighter wines first then heavier wines.  Once you have drunk a big wine with lots of taste and tannin, your taste bud will not able to detect the intricate taste of the wine.  That is the reason why, in a wine tasting, many time they will pour white then red, from light Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Pinot to Merlot and abernet, sometimes with the very same glass.  The big flavor of the big wine will cover the lighter wines.  That is the reason the order of wine is very important.  In my own tasting, we don't every go back on lighter wine - once we move to red, we stop all white.

In general, French Burgundy is made of Pinot Noir and is a lighter wine with earthy tone.  It is a good wine to start out so you will not ruin your palate.

As for the next wine, it is a toss up.  Both Cotes de  Rhone and Bordeaux are blend.  Rhone style wines usually contains Syrah and Grenache, so there is spiciness as well as mineral tones.  Bordeaux is primarily Merlot based except in Paulliac, which is Cabernet based, so I assume your Graves is more Merlot based.  It is a fairly big wine with some gamey taste.  Both are fairly equal in strength.  I would probably go with Rhone rather than Bordeaux first, but honestly I would actually try it myself before lining up.

Also, be sure to get some decanters to decant your wine.  French wines sometimes will take a long time to develop, so open early and decant.  2005 Bordeaux is a big year with big wine, and it may not be ready to drink yet.  As for me, I have not opened any of my 2005 Bordeaux aside from trying it at wine store or tasting dinner.