Today is your lucky day. Pack your bags and let's get ready to travel because today we are going to take a very long trip to the country of France. Today we are going to check out a Bordeaux which consists of 75% Merlot & 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Before I begin this review I wanted to help clear up a possible problem that many of you might have, I also have a somewhat embarrassing confession to make. Okay so, here I go with the rather embarrassing part. Dear readers, it took me a long time to actually discover what was meant by the word or term, "Bordeaux". There, I said it. For a while guys.......I actually thought that "Bordeaux" was a specific varietal of wine. Now, if there are some of you guys out there who fall into the same arena I have good news for you, there is hope :) I would like to also remind you that part of my mission is to educate the average wine lover (me included obviously) on wine and the industry in general. With that being said, please allow me to educate you a little more about a "Bordeaux". Bordeaux is actually a City in the country of France. Bordeaux is also the world's major wine industry capital. Bordeaux wine is simply a wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France. In order for a wine to be called a Bordeaux it must come from the
Bordeaux region just as in order for a sparkling wine to be called Champagne it must come from the Champagne region of
France. Wow, that was so simple huh? Basically we are talking about a wine that is simply.....a blend. Here is another little something that I learned. Most Bordeaux wines produced in the region are Red and that is what everyone seems to focus on BUT did you know that they do also produce both sweet white wines as well as dry white wines? Yeah, me neither. Bordeaux is broken down into two different sections, one of which (left bank) uses mostly 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Merlot. This is also known as the "Bordeaux Blend". On the right bank of Bordeaux, where the grapes for this wine were grown and the wine was made, the major varietal used in their reds is Merlot. I hope this sheds some light on the subject for you concerning your knowledge of Bordeaux wine. If you would like to know more on the wines here (
https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-topics/bordeaux-wine-buying-guide-tasting-notes-ratings/bordeaux-wine-tasting-notes-ratings-reviews-buying-guide/bordeaux-101-complete-beginner-guide-everything-bordeaux-wine/) is a very informative link.
Folks, we are now going to begin with a short discussion of the actual label on the bottle of this wine. To begin with, I will freely admit to you that I bought this wine mostly based on the Label. Go ahead, make fun all you want but at least do me a favor and look at the label before you pass judgment. In my opinion this wine is using the Label to scream for us to try it, it needs to be tasted. The wine also happened to be in the section of the big box liquor warehouse store that I bought it from that was dedicated to employee picks. Using these two professional criterion's :) I decided this was my review wine for today. The wine also costs a mere $11 which I find more then reasonable. The wine comes in at 13.5% Alcohol and is 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon (being Right Bank). I am very excited to see what the wine looks like in my glass right now so let's get to the main part of this review.
On the Pour I need to tell you what a simply beautiful Crimson Red liquid is sitting in my glass right now. What came to mind was the word "serious'. The color remains consistent throughout the glass from the edges all the way to the middle of the glass. While sitting there appreciating the color of the wine I understood that the wine was trying to tell me that it is the real deal. Speaking of the color yes, if you looked hard you could see the bottom of the glass but the shade of red that is presented is outstandingly beautiful and promises as well some really nice depth to the wine. If the lights were low and the Fireplace were on, this would be all you would need other then the right company and oh yeah, some New Zealand rack of Lamb in order to have the perfect night. But I think I am getting a little ahead of myself as I also wish to mention that as I Observed the sides of my glass there are numerous thin legs (Marangoni Effect) now running down the sides of it. Visually both the bottles Label and the wines appearance in my glass are both inviting and intriguing.
So, we are now at the Bouquet section of this review, basically how does this wine smell, to me? What notes are my nose picking up when it comes up from the glass? Well, let's check that out now. A semi-moderate note of high quality Chocolate wanders on up to my nose followed by a note of Pine that seems to hide itself deep on the back end of the Bouquet. A Tannic Cherry type note escapes my glass as well and tops off the rather simple yet pleasent Bouquet.
Guys, I am so far liking what I am seeing and smelling right now. If anything, this wine is begging to at least be tasted and to give it the chance to impress me (and you). How will the wine present itself once we give into it's demands and actually taste it? Let's find that out right now.
Buttery. How does that sound when it comes to a description of a red wine? I don't believe that I have ever used that word in my reviews when it comes to a red wine. Now admittedly of course I am not referring to the term "buttery" in a red as I would a white wine. In this red it presents itself as a Mid-Palette bit of soft silkiness that certainly does not go un-noticed and of course positively effects this wine in an outstanding way. Next up is a rather deep & dark Cherry that brings with it a dark, black spiciness that is just as outstanding as the silkiness! While this black spice is indeed a Peppery spice that might be common in a few varietals of red wine, this one presents as if it were actually grown into the Cherry itself, that is how pure and native it seems. Let me deal with something for a minute. Is this a fruit forward wine? It is but it isn't. Yes, the wine is slightly on the rich side but it is also a complete and "all bases covered" wine as well. Adding to this wines presentation on the Palette is a slight (yet once again) effectively presented note of Oak that is present but is in reality barely noticeable on one hand but on the other hand definitely does stand out enough to leave its mark on the overall Palette. Folks, this is a super well balanced wine that simply loves to show itself off and is not shy or afraid of competition, bring it on it screams because it displays itself with confidence that it is ready for the battle ahead. Adding to all this are super nice Tannins and while they not exactly soft they do not dominate either and on the finish they find a way to wrap this wine up into outstandingness. Before you think that I am done describing this wine, hold on because there is certainly more to add. Overall I must tell you that a dark Tobacco note to me is the most dominate note on the Palette here. It's almost like they extracted the juice from the Leaf itself and dropped some in here. Nope, not over powering, nope, not overdone, yes, just right. Let's discuss a pretty awesome Plum note that presents with it a slight sugar note. The Plum certainly dominates over the Sugar as it should in my book and helps add to that sense of smoothness to the wine. Now, before I wrap this wine please understand that after time, this wine does develop a sort of richness to it but it does indeed manage to maintain almost all of what I loved about it. Two bottles of this wine will make it to my Cellar for future enjoyment.
Let me repeat one thing in this closing Paragraph that I said in the third paragraph and that will have you thanking me forever. Lamb. There, I said it, Lamb. Go to your local Costco and buy the rack of New Zealand Lamb that they have for $15-20. Defrost the Lamb. Open and Decant this wine for about 1 hour. Smoke the Lamb for around 15-20 minutes. If I need to say anymore then you might think about opening a bottle of Soda or something else and making a quick run to Burger King because that might probably best suite your taste buds. This is an outstanding Bordeaux and one that deserves recognition as such. On The Desert Wine Guy rating scale I give this wine an amazing 96 points.
UPDATE - As of today October 26, 2018 I now have two bottles of this wine sitting in my wine cellar and aging.
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