Bordeaux Blend

Tasted blind, I guessed 2004 Bordeaux (St.

My first time trying this.  It seems to be associated with Ghost Block wines.  This is a blend of 56% Malbec and 44% Petite Verdot.  Inky purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has plums, cedar, clay and spice.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, plums with a bit of black raspberries.  More one dimensional with out a lot going on.  It drinks very easy.  Nice on its own, this would be a nice mid week burger wine.  drink over the next five years.  

This is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is lovely with cassis, cedar, black cherries, slight dried tobacco, spice and an interesting menthol note.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Cassis, black cherries, spices and graphite.  Lovely texture.  Long finish.  This is young but drinking well.  It is great on its own and would work well with roasted meats and/or root vegetables.  It will still improve.  Drink over the next twenty years.  

This is a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc.  It is a beautiful wine.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is lovely with cassis, slight black cherries, cedar and char.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, young, firm and deep.  This needs time to open but still provides a lot now.  Cassis, and cedar with underlying char.  Long finish.  This is great on its own and would work with a steak right now.  Still, cellar for five years then drink for fifteen after that.  

This is a proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot from Mendocino, California.  The wine is made from organic grapes.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, plums, black cherries, and slight spice.

This is a blend of  54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 14% Syrah, 3% Petite Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec from Washington State.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice; dusty with black raspberries, plums, spice, slight black cherries and a hint of vanilla.  Soft texture with medium tannins.  On the palate, black raspberries, cassis with underlying spice and slight char.  Long finish.  This is an easy drinking red that has some backbone and depth.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  Very nice on its own, this will work great with a brisket out

What a treat to drink.  This is a fascinating vintage.  After some less than great years, this looked like it could possibly be exceptional and the Bordeaux hype train got into gear.  Despite many fans who kept saying just be patient, it never took those last few steps.  That said, it also has so much to offer.  The wines can be austere, but they also are complex and fascinating.  Which brings us to the Lafite.  Is it a great Lafite?  No.  Is it a great wine, certainly close.  Ruby in color with browning, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries, graphite, and slight cigar box.  Med

Don't get me wrong, vintages matter, but there is often some distinctions in sub-appellations.  Case in point, for me, 1983 Margaux is often better than the more heralded 1982 vintage.  If nothing else, this wine is a testament to the 1983 vintage in Margaux.  Ruby in color with some browning, mostly opaque and flat.  The nose is classic with cherries, black cherries, cigar box and a funk/earthiness.  Medium bodied.  Tart acidity.  On the palate, black cherries with some underlying funk.  Depth and complexity.  Moderate finish.  While certainly past prime, there was a lot to offer here.  Se

We were told that this is 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon (which is very different from today's wines).  I am not sure that at age 42 that matters so much.  Ruby/brown in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, dried currents, dust and slight earthiness.  On the palate, light cherries and slight milk chocolate notes.  Some depth.  This wine is alive nd has some interest, but, to paraphrase the Princess Bride, "It is mostly dead".  Still this was pleasant enough and fun to drink.  

This is a producer that I am not familiar with although I believe they still produce wine today. That said, this was a very good showing for a 41 year old Medoc wine.  Purple/ruby/brown in color, mostly opaque and flat.  The nose is nice; earthy with black cherry fruit.  Medium bodied. Good balance.  On the palate, the fruit seems ripe/sweet.  Cherries, slight tobacco notes.  Deep-ish complexity.  Moderate finish.  This worked well with a Truffle Risotto.