In France’s brutally hot summer of 2003, at least 15,000 people died from the heat. But the word was that the vines fared better than the people. So there was more than the usual curiosity when the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux – 79 properties strong – poured their 2003 vintage wines two weeks ago at the Waldorf-Astoria. Just what kind of wines were produced in the hottest vintage since 1893? Would they be ruled by baked or burnt flavors and flabby textures? There was surprisingly little of that at the tasting, although some white wines from Graves and red wines from Pomerol had a harder go of it. The reds from the northerly Medocain communes of Saint Estephe, Pauillac, and Saint Julien seemed actually to thrive while humans sweltered.

By Bordeaux’s modest standards, these 2003 wines tend to be high in alcohol, which will make them tasty and richlytextured from early on. Prices aren’t low for “establishment” wines, but as happens in every vintage, bargains are tucked away in Bordeaux’s unsung appellations that were unrepresented at the Waldorf. From the Cotes de Castillon, try, for example, Cap de Faugeres 2003 ($22.50 at Morrell) or, from Fronsac, Chateau Fontenil 2003 ($19.99 at Zachys) owned by famed flying winemaker Michel Rolland. Despite astronomical prices of Bordeaux darlings, like the $750 tag on Chateau Ausone 2003 (that’s for a bottle, not a case!), the region is in a deep funk. In the first half of 2005, Bordeaux wine exports dropped in value by 18%, continuing a long decline. Last year, too, as an ocean of unsold wine grew ever deeper, desperate cooperatives and other growers swallowed their pride and for the first time began selling off their wine for a pittance to industrial distillers. Call it vinocide. The plight of even well-known but modest properties was brought home to me at the Waldorf as I sipped an old favorite, Chateau Chantegrive, a reliable and well-priced Graves that showed well in 2003. But I won’t be sipping it much longer because the owner told me that his importer, Chateau & Estates, has dropped the wine. There are other solid wines to take its place, but the loss of Chantegrive, expressing Bordeaux modestly but honorably,makes me sad.

The wines recommended below represent neither the greatest nor the most obscure properties. They are simply wines that over the centuries the Bordelais have taught to behave well at the dinner table.

Recommended 2003 Vintage Bordeaux

CHATEAU SMITH-HAUT-LAFITTE 2003 (WHITE), Pessac-Leognan. An unusual spice note jumped out of the glass when I tried this lively wine. “It’s my husband’s secret weapon – a touch of Sauvignon Gris,” co-owner Florence Cathiard said. It’s rare, indeed for Sauvignon Gris to be added to the white Bordeaux standards of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. In fact, it’s just plain rare. The grape isn’t even listed in “Jancis Robinson’s Guide to Wine Grapes.” It does add luster to a fine and refreshing sipper rich enough to partner a heady bouillabaisse.

CHATEAU HAUT-BAILLY 2003, Pessac-Leognan. Classic Bordeaux balance and finesse meld with “modern” fruit-forward aromas and flavors in the red wine of this exemplary property. A touch of pipe tobacco underlies plummy and dark berry flavors. Veronique Sanders, who directs this property for an American owner, gets it just right in 2003.

CHATEAU BATAILLEY 2003, Pauillac In Bordeaux’s (and the world’s) toniest wine commune with its three First Growths, this property has long been down many rungs. So it was a surprise to taste this 2003: spicy blackcurrant nose and meaty flavor with the cedary note typical of the commune. Hats off to the Casteja family, owners of Batailley, for this maximum effort.

CHATEAU BRANAIRE-DUCRU 2003, Saint Julien. Sweet aromas, then a gentle fullness in the mouth with flavors of dark fruit and an enriching touch of cocoa powder. Grape yields have been slashed over recent years at this property, and the stricter regimen shows in the ample body of this wine.

CHATEAU DAUZAC 2003, Margaux. Delicately but intensely perfumed and streamlined rather than muscular, this wine is a template of classic Margaux style. It seems full of coltish energy. Dauzac, going from strength to strength in recent years, is an unsung hero of Margaux.

CLOS FOURTET 2003, Saint Emilion. There are smells of smoke and leather here, with rich and gamey flavors verging on funky – thanks to a wallop of Cabernet Franc. A wine that is plush and very deep but sneaks up on your gums with potent tannins. Let it mellow out for a couple of years.

CHATEAU LA TOUR BLANCHE 2003, Sauternes. Intense, lively, and ripe, this wine’s essence of nectarine sweetness is countered by a fine current of acidity. For me, this was the star of the sweet side of the tasting. How satisfying it is to sip this pale golden elixer with a Comice pear and Rocquefort cheese.