A burger for Bordeaux. Fine Médoc wine meets home cooking.

Merlot in the northern Médoc

The Médoc is famous for structured, age-worthy reds, and most people think of Cabernet Sauvignon when they hear the name. Matthieu Guyon explains that Rollan de By is mostly Merlot, with just a dash of Cabernet. The reason is the soil: the cooler clay and limestone soils of the northern Médoc suit Merlot better than the warm gravels further south.

The wine in the glass is a 2012 Cru Bourgeois. Andreas calls it a modern Bordeaux: approachable young, yet able to age for ten years. With a decade of bottle age it has softened into the kind of mellow, savory red that loves meat.

A self-taught family

The Guyon story is one of outsiders. Matthieu tells how his father, an interior designer, bought two hectares and simply asked the neighbors how to make wine. If a practice was done only out of tradition, he dropped it; if it made the wine better, he kept it. He kept buying vineyards he found beautiful, and the family now owns eight châteaux.

That spirit shows in the details. They have planted Sauvignon Blanc in the northern Médoc, fermented and aged on lees in a Burgundian way and bottled in a Burgundy bottle, and they are expanding their white plantings. All their wines are also kosher, a project that began when a friend could not find a good kosher wine for his son's wedding. Matthieu explains what that means in the cellar and how flash pasteurization changed the quality of kosher wine.

The perfect Bordeaux burger

Andreas's burger is about simplicity done well. He uses half brisket and half chuck, ground twice for texture, and cooks the patties in duck fat and butter. Instead of raw onion and tomato, which he finds too sharp next to fine wine, he caramelizes onions with beer, a little sugar and soy sauce. Mature Gruyère adds savory depth, and a truffle mayonnaise brings a touch of luxury.

The logic is easy to copy at home. A mature Merlot-based red has soft tannins and earthy, savory notes, so it likes sweet caramelized onions, nutty cheese and the earthiness of truffle. As Andreas says, many people think of burgers as fast food, but for him it is one of his favorite dishes with a fine, mature Bordeaux.

Bordeaux beyond beef

Andreas and Matthieu also swap their favorite matches. Matthieu reaches for duck breast or beef bourguignon with his reds, and oysters cooked in Champagne with his white. Andreas argues that Bordeaux is more versatile than its reputation: he often eats fish with red Bordeaux, such as cod loin with a red wine sauce or a grilled turbot. What matters, he says, is less the fish or meat than what you do with it.

If you want to try this at home, choose a Bordeaux with some bottle age, when the tannins have softened and savory notes of earth, cedar and leather appear. A young, firm Bordeaux is happier with a simple, well-marbled steak. Either way, keep raw onion and sweet sauces off the plate, as they make a fine red taste thin.

Blind bubbles and a fridge full of options

Then Matthieu sets a teaser: a sparkling wine from the fridge, served blind, and a challenge to cook for it. Andreas finds floral notes, roasted hazelnut, ripe pear and a gentle smoke, and builds a plate of seared scallops, summer chanterelles and a Granny Smith purée with no added sugar. Find out what the wine is, how close Andreas gets, and how Matthieu does in the speed and memory challenge.