Bordeaux Blend

Another wine to turn to when looking for value in top vintages of Bordeaux.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis and plums and slight leather and char.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, this is firm tannins.  A velvety texture.  Lots of cassis fruit with underlying leather and slight char.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This needs another five to eight years to approach maturity and should drink well for ten to fifteen after that.  This will work well with grilled or roasted meats (or vegetables).  

Always a great value in Bordeaux and especially a nice option in the best years as this is ready to drink sooner than the "big boys".   A blend of 45% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, cassis, tobacco and black pepper.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, cassis and cherry fruit with slight chocolate and a bit of char.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  This drinks well on its own and will work well with Roasted Ch

This is a new one for me.  Apparently, Les Griffons de Pichon Baron is one of the second wines of Pichon Baron.  It hasw been produced since the 2012 vintage.  The grapes come primarily from gravelly plots of land near to the Gironde estuary.  A blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 48% Merlot.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is very tight, but with air, there is cassis, black cherries, spice and a hint of chocolate.  Much more open on the palate.  Medium tannins.  Good acidity.  Cassis and black cherry fruit with some spice.  Nice finish.  This needs another five to eight year

consumed after a few hours in a decanter.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, char, and spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has a silky lush texture.  Very tannic.  Lots of cassis with some smoke/char.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  This needs another seven to ten years to get close to maturity, then it should drink well for ten to fifteen more.  This will need big flavors in food to not get overwhelmed.  Maybe a Bacon, Mushroom, Cheeseburger?  

From the great 2018 vintage, this is one that is drinking quite well at this young age with just a bit of air.   It is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, cinnamon, spice and black cherries.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is showing a nice depth and complexity.  Delicious.  Medium but firm tannins.  Flavors of cassis, leather, spice and slight dry earthiness.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  This will continue to mature over the next five to seven years, but drinks well now and will for the n

This is the second wine of Cos D'Estournel.  It is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc.  Deep purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with dust cassis, cherries, soy sauce, slight tobacco and spice.  A great lush texture.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, cassis, black cherries, with spice and slight tobacco notes.  Long finish.  This needs another seven to ten years to mature and will drink well for ten to fifteen after that.  It will work well with roasted meats such as Roasted Lamb with garlic.  

From Pesac-Leognan in Bordeaux, this is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and the rest 3% Cabernet Franc.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cedar, cassis, black cherries, and asphalt.  Full bodied.  A lovely, plush, velvety texture.  The palate has cassis and cherries with slight leather notes.  Nice acidity.  Firm tannins.  The asphalt note re-emerges on the finish.  This needs another seven to ten years and should drink well for ten to twelve after that.  If drinking now, give it 12 hours of air.  It will work well w

This is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot.   Purple in color, opaque and shimmering bright.  The nose is great with cassis, blueberries, cedar, spice and char.    Lush, velvety texture but lots of vibrancy.  On the palate, cassis and blueberry fruit with underlying tobacco and char.  Long finish.  This is still developing and will be for a decade.  That said it is delicious now and will continue to drink well for another fifteen to twenty years.  It drinks very well on its own and will work with bigger, fattier foods such as prime rib or a roasted veggie pizza.  

 This is the second wine of Château Tour Baladoz.  It is produced made from the youngest vines and consists of 90% Merlot.  Deep ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries, slight milk chocolate and spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, there are light tannins.  The cherries and chocolate come thru with slight earthiness.  Nice finish.  Not profound but tasty and easy drinking.  Drink over the next five to ten years.  This drinks well on its own and would be a nice match with stuffed peppers.  

Very impressive showing and while just a bit tight, this opened nice with air.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  Black currants, plums, baking spices, graphite and char on the nose.  Full bodied with a lush texture.  On the palate, this unwinds in the glass to show depth and layers of fruit (plums and black currants), spice, slight forest floor, and smoke.  Great balance.  Delicious.  Long finish.  This is not yet at peak but well worth opening now and letting it breathe.  Drink over the next twenty years.  It drinks great on its own but will work better with food.  Roasted duck or eggp