Saint Emilion

Once one gets past the classified and top wines, Bordeaux makes a lot of wine and decent pricing that is very good.  This is 100% Merlot from Bordeaux.  Purple in color with ruby hues, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is deep with black cherries, char, and baking spice.  Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  Moderate acidity.  On the palate, black cherry fruit with some spice and a bit of char/smoke.  Good finish.  This drinks nicely on its own but would be better with food.  A nice match might be a Chicken Pot Pie.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  

From Magnum.  Consumed at a friends 60th birthday party.  While this was fun, sadly it was pretty close to being DOA.  Brown in color.  No real fruit left.  It was not vinegar but offered little other than a way cool factor.  It was a hot (for the times) vintage that offered ripe Merlots and at age 60, this bottle anyway had nothing left.

This is 100% Cabernet Franc aged for a year in Amphorae and bottled with a very non-traditional label.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries and some black cherries, with dust, tobacco, and leather.  Medium to full bodied.  Light to medium tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, this has some depth.  Flavors of black cherries, tobacco, cherries, spice and char.  Good finish.  This seems to be just getting to peak but should drink well for another ten years.  Better with food, this went well with Vegan Sausages but real sausages would work, too.  

This is a blend of 66% Merlot and 34% Cabernet Franc.  It is consistently a great value in Right Bank Bordeaux and in good vintages (such as 2008) it often out performs the vintage.  Purple in color with some ruby swirls, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, cherries, coffee, slight chocolate and cigar box.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is approaching peak.  Some complexity and depth.  Flavors of black cherries, cherries, spice, chocolate and char.  Good finish.  This will be better with food.  It should work great with Lamb.  Drink over the next ten years.

Funny, I had just been talking about the 2002 vintage in Bordeaux.  I liked it but it was a "Restaurant" vintage meaning early accessibility and not wines to lay down for thirty years.  But, as they say, great producers make great wines in every vintage.  That is certainly true for this bottle.  Tasted blind, it started out slow, but just kept getting better.  Purple  in color but a bit flat, opaque.  The nose is nice with black cherries, cherries, spice, cigar box and char.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, great balance.  Complex.  Flavors of cherries, spice and char.  Long f

This is a big, plush wine for Bordeaux standards.  It seemed a bit polarizing between those who enjoy those types of wines and those who want a more "traditional" Bordeaux.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has blueberries, cassis, cedar and tobacco.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, a plush, rich texture.  Plenty of depth.  Still quite youthful.  Long finish.  It is slightly over the top but I think with a bit more cellaring it will come together.  Another five years in the cellar will help.  Drink over the next twenty.  A nice choice with BBQ Ribs.  

Deep ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has cigars, cherries and dust.  Full bodied.  Drying tannins.  On the palate, this is past peak but still showing a nice complexity.  Layers of cherry fruit with dried tobacco and slight forest floor.  Moderate finish.  Still plenty to like about this.  It would be better with food although somewhat contemplative on its own.  Lamb stew would be a good match.  drink up.  

My first time trying this winery.  Purple in color, darker at the core, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has cherries and black cherries along with oak and spices.  Medium to full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, black cherries with spice.  Some depth.  Nice finish.  This is drinking quite well at age 19.  One wonder though if the tannins will ever resolve fully before the fruit fades.  Drink over the next five years.  Probably better with some big and/or fatty foods.  A nice wine with Chili.  

It seemed like a bad idea opening such a young Bordeaux, but this was surprisingly still open and drinking well.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, cassis, chocolate and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, black raspberry fruit with black cherries and underlying char.  Plenty of depth.  Complex.  Good finish with some milk chocolate notes.  This is delicious.  It will be interesting to see where this goes from here.  Does it shut down?  Does it develop more with cellaring.  In any event it is excellent right now.