Varietal: Â 80% Merlot; 15% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5% Cabernet Franc
Region: Â Bordeaux, France
Cost: Â $15 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Â The wine presents a complex bouquet with aromas of candied fruit, old leather, subtly combined with pleasing touches of woodiness. It is elegant and refined on the palate with silky tannins. For the finish, fragrances of dark fruit and roasted coffee.
My Review: Â The last of my bottles of Bordeaux. A moment of silence. Ok, now on to the good stuff – the review. With the wife out of town that could mean only one thing, it was time to throw a steak on the grill and open a bottle of red wine for dinner.
In the glass the wine was a light, garnet color, and I picked up aromas of oak and leather on the nose. In the mouth the oak and leather continued, but were joined by fruit notes to add a splash of brightness to the palate. The finish was incredibly smooth with just a hint of tannins, making it enjoyable for just sipping on.
The wine paired well with the steak, though it’s light enough that if you heavily seasoned the steak it could be a bit overpowered (I didn’t in this case, but keep that in mind). Of the two red Bordeaux wines that I’ve tried recently I think I liked the 2009 Chateau La Bastide Dauzac better with food, but the 2009 Chateau Paillet-Quancard presents an arguably better value – there’s not such a great disparity in the quality of the wines to make it worth spending nearly twice as much for the La Bastide.
Editor’s Note: I received this wine as a free sample for review.
