Origin: France
Grape: Bordeaux
Body: Medium/Bold
Year: 2014
Alcohol: 12%
Price point: $10.00
Year Reviewed: 2017
So for those of you who saw the Grape Bordeaux above….this technically isn’t a grape. Red Bordeaux is a red wine that originates from the blending of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. Various Bordeaux will have different proportions of each grape and some distributers will not list the proportions. Being from old vines and classified as a “reserve,” this wine is a steal for $9.99 and you can impress your guests to believing this could be a $30 bottle of wine. You will see the title “Reserve vieilles vignes” on the bottle representing “old vines.” Reserve wine is a wine that is higher in quality than the usual wine from that producer or a wine that has been aged before being sold, or sometimes both. The term is coined from winemakers who would “reserve” their best wine rather than sell it off immediately. This is a clear, garnet colored wine with a medium body, high acidity, long finish giving some tingling on the back of the throat, yet I pick up a slight gentle sweetness. The aroma (nose) of this wine is the perfect Bordeaux smell and my nose could just live in my glass. It’s the Cab Franc that is creating this joyous smell. Such complexity representative of most reserves, is truly evident. Hints of cranberry, chocolate, pepper, strawberry and bit of vanilla is present. Stays fine in wine refrigerator for several days without loss of character, aroma, and flavor. Be informed that there may be a small amount of sediment in the bottle so you may wish to decant first. I keep coming back to this wine for parties with friends and just for an accompaniment with food. The flavors of the wine interplayed with an antipasto salad of black olives, sweet grape tomatoes, salami and mozzarella in olive oil and spices
I experienced some new enhanced flavors in the wine with this pairing. Wine enthusiast gives it an 86. Personally I love it and would rate it much higher.