Varietal: Blended Red Wine – Bordeaux Blend
Region: France
Cost: $12
Medium dark red in the glass with aromas of currant and cherry. Â Crushed red berries in the mouth with a subtle finish that pairs well with meat dishes.
Recommendations: As you know, I’ve been trying to expand my knowledge of French wines. Â Because of this, whenever I go and visit my local wine shop I’ve been asking for suggestions on French wine as the owner knows far more about French wine than I do (I can admit my shortcomings). Â On a recent trip there he suggested the Chateau Grimard Bordeaux and I, like a good wine writer, took him up on his suggestion.
In a rare move, I drank this wine over two days, opening the bottle one night to drink with my dinner, and then finishing it the following evening by itself. Â The dinner on the first night of tasting consisted of nothing more than some wheat pasta in a chunky red sauce. Â While it would have been great to do some French cuisine with my French wine, I a) know how to cook, but French cooking isn’t really where my strength lies, and b) wasn’t motivated to do much more than boil water. Â
That being said, the Chateau Grimard was a nice compliment to the dinner. Â The currant and cherry on the nose carried over to the flavors, and while it wasn’t a big tannic finish, the flavor of the wine was bold enough to not be buried by the tomato sauce I used. Â Sticking a vacuum seal cork in it and putting it in the fridge, I drank the rest the next day.
By itself, I actually didn’t like the Chateau Grimard as well. Â That’s not to say that it was bad, but I preferred it with food as to without, which isn’t a bad thing I suppose as I did start drinking it with food. Â All in all, the Chateau Grimard was another nice step into the world of French wine for me. Â The pasta dish I paired it with probably wasn’t the best thing to eat with the wine – a coq a vin, lamb dish, or boeuf Bourguignon probably would have been a better pairing, but as I said, boiling water was a trial that day.
I think if I was cooking something more traditionally French I would give this wine another shot, but until that time, I’ll keep trying other French wines.
You can find the 2008 Chateau Grimard Bordeaux here if it’s not available near you.
