Bordeaux Blend

This is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec, and 8% Petite Verdot.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, fresh herbs, cedar, leather and char.  Nice texture.  Medium tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is nice.  Good fruit.  Black cherries, cassis, with some earthiness.  Good finish. This seems about at peak but should drink well for another seven to ten years.  Nice on its own, this will work with most (non-seafood) foods.  

While not their "top" wine, this is an ultra premium Cabernet that is on par with Napa or any other Cabernets at this price level.  It is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Petit Verdot.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is open and enticing.  Cassis, black raspberries, cigar box, chocolate, spice and char.

This was a brutally hot vintage and winemakers had to deal with over ripeness from the heat and under ripeness from the vines shutting down.  Yet, some did make wonderful wines and this is one.  Purple in color with some ruby hues, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, chocolate, cigar box, spice and smoke.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good, lively acidity.  On the palate, this is mature and drinking well.  Deep with layers of cassis, tobacco and spice and some char.  Long finish.  This won't get better but should go another ten years.  Great on its own but better with food.  T

Great showing.  This is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Aglianico from Campagna in Italy.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and a bit flat.  The nose has cherries, black cherries, dried cherries, herbal notes, forest floor and spice.  Complex.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is complex.  Lots of fresh cherries and black cherries with some tobacco, leather and spice.  Long finish.  This is close to or at peak.  It drinks nicely on its own and will work well with many foods.  Roasted poultry should work well.  Drink over the ne

This bottle had been purchased at the Chateau on release and well stored.  Decanted for sediment right before serving.  The cork was perfect.  Purple in color, opaque and still mostly bright.  The nose is great with cassis, slight perfumed note, dust and char.  With air some leather and cigar box notes emerged.  Medium to full bodied.  Tannins mostly resolved but still some silky ones.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is still fresh.  Complex with layers of cassis, earth, tobacco and underlying char.  Good finish.  Overall, this bottle is at peak but seems right there.  At age 28, this w

This had been given a long decant (5 hours) and then double decanted back into the bottle.  It was just right.  Really an awesome showing for this wine.  It is a blend of 1/3 Cabernet Sauvignon, 1/3 Cinsault, and 1/3 Carignan.  Purple/ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has just a touch of volatile acidity which really serves to lift the aromas.  There is also some Brettanomyces (barnyard notes) but not really much to speak of.  Also, plenty of cassis, cherries, red currants, dust and spice.  Full bodied.  Light tannins but mostly resolved.  Bright acidity.  On the palate, th

A very nice showing for this wine.  Great vintage and the wine is in a great place.  Purple  in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, dark cherries, cigar box, spice and slight leather.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is fresh, complex and deep.  Flavors of cassis, tobacco, spice and char.  Good finish.  Just about at peak but still has another ten to fifteen years left of great drinking.  Lovely on its own but even better with food.  Lamb chops would work perfectly.  

This is a kosher wine from Israel.  It is an 80/20 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon to Merlot for this vintage.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, some black raspberries, cherries, and slight milk chocolate.  Full bodied.  Light to medium tannins.  Moderate acidity.  On the palate, this drinks easy.  Cherries and black cherries.  OK Finish.  This drinks easy and will work well on its own, for the Seder, or with Chicken or Brisket.  Drink now.  

Another example of what great value there is in Bordeaux once one gets away from the classified growths.  A blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, plums, spice and char.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this has some depth.  Notes of cherries, black cherries and black raspberries with some spice and a bit of earthiness.  Nice finish.  A very pleasant wine that is better with food.  This would work well with roasted fowl or meat or even root vegetables.  Drink over the next

This is a blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot.  One of the great Bordeaux varietal wines.  This is till young, but really drank beautifully.  Purple in color with a ruby rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, tobacco, licorice, spice, thyme and char.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Great, juicy texture.  On the palate, this has some tight complexity.  Flavors of cassis, leather, tobacco, spice and char.  Long finish.  It really needs another five to ten years of cellaring and should drink well for twenty to thirty after that.  Of course, it was fantastic right now.  Great on