Two Surprising Bordeaux With Pizza

I typically pair pizza with Italian reds. What could be more appropriate with an herbed, zingy, mushroom-laden pie than a fresh, earthy, acid-driven, modestly-priced rosso of the kind found up and down the boot?

Still, there's a world of reds in the world, and no need to turn a good idea into a foolish consistency.

I recently took a risk on two red Bordeaux. I say "risk" because I rarely find red Bordeaux acceptable, let alone interesting. We too often get soupy spoof at the higher end and hollow, industrial plonk at the low end. So I assure you that my expectations were exceeded by the following two wines, in the latter case dramatically so.

Château Lamarche Bordeaux Supérieur 2006
What could you possibly hope from a $16 red Bordeaux? Well, maybe you could hope for, but not expect, a claret — a good, solid, everyday drinker. And yet, here this is: a claret! The '06 Lamarche Bordeaux Supérieur is ripe but dry, soft yet structured, with refreshing acidity and a decent shot of minerality. No excess oak, no apparent spoof. And while the Fronsac-based Lamarche's ripeness and dark color is modern, it clocks in at a relatively old-school 13% abv. I drank this with an American Flatbread pizza and found the experience satisfying.

Chateau Tourte des Graves 2005
The 2005 Tourte des Graves was fantastic. In fact, it was kind of a shame to pair this wine with our ho-hum delivered pizza. This is a classic Bordeaux in the classic sense of the word classic. Its firm, masculine tannins and lovely acidity buttress a core of deep dark fruit, especially blackcurrant, but it's the gravelly minerality that really stands out (yes, this is a true Graves, so go figure). Completing the package are some nice smoke and spice notes that hold on the long finish.

This 2005 Tourte des Graves — 66% merlot, hand-harvested, and though matured in 50% new oak for 15 months, maquillage-free — drinks more like 13.5% than its purported 12.5%, but that's no vice in this lovely, balanced wine, and I expect it'll become still deeper and more complex in the next several years. At $28 I consider this a great value.