Description
This one was built to age! Tannic, powerful and reserved, it should just be coming out of it’s shell now but the estate felt they had the raw material to make a 20 year plus wine. If you want to drink it now, give it plenty of air and some roasted red meat as a partner.
This 50 hectare estate is located North of St-Estephe. Left derelict until 1969, the Chateau is unclassified but has carved out a reputation for classic Bordeaux that ages well and is amazing value. If you can find old Sociando you have found a treasure.
Haut Medoc – A catch all appellation that is about 60km long on the left bank of Bordeaux. There are few classified vineyards in this generic appellation and no discernible regional style. There are however, a handful of wonderful wines that are often overlooked, are great value and ultimately are great Bordeaux.
Cabernet Sauvignon – The noble variety of Bordeaux’s left bank. Firm tannins, a streak of acidity and punctuated by flavours of cassis, violets, spice and leather. The best examples can age for the long term. Although Cabernet does often require blending with Merlot, Cabernet Franc or Shiraz to fix the hole it has in its middle palate.
Merlot – It gets a tough time most of the places it is grown. But in Pomerol and Saint-Emilion Merlot not only dominates but makes some of the best wines in the world. Perfume, silky and plush. Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon season the wines with structure and acid but in some places, like Petrus they are almost not needed.
Cabernet Franc – Is actually one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon… along with Sauvignon Blanc (oh! The name makes sense now!). It is most famous for being the third most important grape in quality Bordeaux but also excels in the Loire Valley (where it lived before it went to Bordeaux), especially Chinon and Saumur. The wines are bright red in colour, highlight aromatic with raspberries, rose petals, violets along with tobacco, cassis and some herbal elements. The best examples can live as long as any great wine.
2009 – Having tasted a few vintages of Bordeaux in my time I have no doubt that this will be one of the best in the modern era. I feel that 2010 is on a par for different reasons and 2005 exceeds them both, but it is a small margin.
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