Chateau Petit Courret 2009 Bordeaux

i have to admit it is difficult for me to not open a bordeaux when i only pay about $10 for the bottle. no sense laying it down for several years when i can go pick up another bottle if i like it well enough. this one falls into that zone. the nose was a not too over the top with nice red and black cherry notes, some cocoa and earth notes. the palate was a nice black cherry, slightly dusty earth and some spice notes. potential on this one is very much there if you have the patience to wait several years for this one to improve. because of the soft tannins, this is good with most red meat dishes.

Chateau La Croix du Duc 2009 Bordeaux

2009 bordeaux's are getting rave reviews for good reason. sometimes it pays to let them get some bottle time, like this one. this is mostly merlot, about 90%, with the rest split between cab and cab franc. selling for about $10-12, la croix du duc has some really nice aromas of earth, blackberry, and some chocolate. the palate was not yet fully developed, perhaps a little too young to drink it. there were hints of what is to come, with black currant and coffee, and subtle earth and some cedar. but mostly it was just not as pronounced as it probably will be in a few years. so if you have a place to store wine, pick up a couple of bottles of this and wait patiently. i think you will reap the benefits with time.

Chateau Montlun Bordeaux 2009

i normally would wait to open up a bordeaux that is this new, but the meal the comely brunette and i were having begged for something french and earthy. and with this one selling for about $9, it was a no-brainer. a blend of merlot, cab and cab franc, it has a nose of earth, smoke and black fruit. the palate is beautifully subtle with flavors of blackberry and black cherry, mixed with earthy tones and cedar notes. nice smokey undertones and a long finish. excellent with the steak, mushroom and smashed potato dish we enjoyed. this is a really nice wine at this price and worth getting a few extra bottles to lay down for a few years.

1995 Chateau Tour St. Bonnet Médoc

a gift from a friend, this bordeaux has been laying for about 6 months in my cellar, much longer in my friends cellar. special occasions should warrant special wines. with a move to a new city in the near future, i wanted to celebrate. this was purchased a long time ago for about $6-10. a bargain at the time. 1995 was one of those banner years for bordeaux. i was honored to receive this as a gift. the nose was fruity, floral, earthy mushroom and cedar. the fruit aromas came forth further as the wine opened up. on the palate, raspberry flavors came through followed by some very nice earthy notes. this was a beautifully delicate wine with subtle characteristics that changed a grew as the wine opened. very firm tannins softened nicely with air and the fruit flavors burst through. mushroom and damp forest floor notes also came through. exceptional alone or with food (we had pork ribs and corn on the cob), this was a beautiful wine. not sure if this can be found today, and you would be paying a premium for it. but the 2000 and 2005 bottles are available and the '05 can be purchased for a reasonable $20-25.

2006 Chateau de Chantegrive Blanc

this is my first venture into white bordeaux. a blend of sauvignon blanc and semillion, and i was not disappointed. a nose of citrus and apples, this was another great warm weather wine. a little acidity on the palate gave this wine a nice crispness. refreshing taste of apples and a hint of lime maybe? stony notes as well. this would pair well with all seafood and white meat. priced at about $16.

Harmony Hill Rhapsody 2005

we will keep it local with this bordeaux style (65% cab franc, 35% cab) wine from bethel, ohio. most people would turn their noses up at a wine from ohio, but not this wine geek. this is actually a very nice wine. nose of earth (wet forest floor), plum and black currant, and a mesquite aroma. taste is very fruit forward with plum and black currant, and a beautiful earthy finish that was long and supple. i think this still could have stayed in the bottle a while longer and easily held up and developed further. at $12-14, a nice price. the winery is also well worth the visit. a really peaceful setting with several nice wines to taste.

Bordeaux comparison

had the pleasure of sharing company and wine with my friend the crabby grape this weekend. we did a 1995 vs 2005 bordeaux comparison. the '95 was a chateau poujeaux, moulis en médoc ($29.00 in 2000) and the '05 was chateau recougne, bordeaux supérieur ($12.99 in 2008). the 95 color was much more subtle and faded out than the 05. very different noses on each as you might expect. the 05 had a more floral, cherry nose throughout the several hours the wine was open, the 95 was immediately fruity and herbal, with hints of eucalyptus, then developed and softened into an asparagus-like aroma and finally earthy mushroom smells.
on the palate, the 05 was not bad but really didn't have the depth you expect from a decent bordeaux. the tannins were soft, and you got the impression that this wine would not hold up to laying for any length of time. it had ripe fruit and floral flavors and just a hint of a gamey flavor that never really developed further.
the 95 was extremely pleasant, developing in taste as we drank over the course of the evening. ripe cherry and cedar flavors that developed earthy tastes with time. full tannins that were a bit overpowering at first, but softened with time. flavors began to fade a bit as the wine opened up. an enjoyable experience. fun comparison. have to try that again in the future.

Château La Pierre Levée 2005

this cotes de castillon bordeaux is the first french wine on my blog. i haven't been much of a french wine drinker until recently, so i am starting to expand my horizons. i have had a few folks tell me to try some bordeaux's and burgundies, so i will give them a try. on to the tasting… this wine exhibited plums and a cedar note on the nose as well as an interesting clay or gravel note. there was even a bit of a cheesy note on the nose. on the palate, spicy black cherries, plum and menthol, followed by firm tannins and gravel. interesting wine that i will revisit again in the next day or so to see how it opens up. it could be that it just needed more time in the bottle. at about $12, it would be worth buying another bottle and laying it for a year or so to see the difference.