Bordeaux Blend

A First Growth in a top vintage?  Yes, please.  This is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc.  Purple in color with some ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, leather, perfume, slight cigar box and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is tight and young but delicious.  Cassis, black cherries, spice and slight chocolate.  Great balance.  Long finish.  This is drinking well but will get better with further cellaring (or air).  Drink over the next twenty to thirty years.  For now, it will be a t

Very nice showing for this second label of a First Growth Chateau Lafite.  It has about 40% Merlot in it (according to an early Robert Parker review).  The nose is earthy, with tobacco, cigar box, dust but also vibrant dark cherries and some cassis.  Full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, black cherries, earthiness and some spice.  Good finish.  Well stored bottles should have a few more years out of this.  Nice on its own, but better with food.  Roasted duck or chicken would work well.  

This is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 9% Merlot.  On release, this seemed to be a bit of a disappointment for a First Growth form a great vintage.  At this stage, 33 years later, it has closed the gap somewhat and while perhaps not as good as a 1989 tasted side by side, it was till good.  Ruby/brown in color.  A very earthy nose but also some cassis and dried cherries.  Also some cigar box/tobacco.  Medium to full bodied.  Tannins all resolved.  Nice texture.  On the palate, much livelier.  Cassis, cherries, dried cherries and spice.  Moderate finish.  These nee

What a treat to drink.  Ruby/brown in color, mostly opaque and bright.  This is apparently a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc.  Georg Baselitz is the artist who did the label.  Perfectly mature if even slightly past, this bottle was singing.  The nose has cassis, dried fruits, cigar box, dust and spice.  Full bodied.  Tannins pretty much resolved.  Good balance.  On the palate, there is cassis, coffee, spice and some cherries.  A bit of anise on the finish.  These probably should be consumed as they take the slow ride down.  Very nice on its own, but a bit of

This is one of our favorite value plays in Bordeaux.  It is 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc.  Purple in color with ruby hues, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose features cherries, slight black cherries, spice, slight graphite and cedar.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this drinks easy.  Cherries, black cherries, slight chocolate and slight char.  Good  balance.  Nice finish.  At almost nine years old, this seems to be mature but with plenty of life left.  A nice level of complexity.  This is nice on its own but even better with food.  A great choice for a mid day m

Way back at the end of the prior century, the 1996 version was the Wine Spectator Wine of the Year.  Now, 25 years later and no one really seems to care anymore.  The truth is this is an excellent wine.  A proprietary blend, I am told this is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot.  Purple in color with some ruby hues, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, tobacco, soy sauce and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, cassis with some forest floor and spice.  This is a "cooler" climate wine that got per

Realm is one of our favorite wineries and The Bard may be our favorite (so hard to choose) especially considering price.  This is an expensive wine, but for the quality, this is a great wine.  It is a Cabernet based blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, and 2% Petite Sirah .  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, tobacco, chocolate, coffee and baking spices.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Great energy and balance.  On the palate, this is young and tight but also showing complexity and depth.  Flavo

Cheval des Andes is a joint project between Château Cheval Blanc, of Saint Emilion, Bordeaux and Terrazas de los Andes, of Argentina.  It is a blend of 60% Malbec and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, coffee and sandalwood.  Lovely texture.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, cassis, plums, milk chocolate with some char.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This is young and could use so more time in the cellar although it is drinking well today.  Hold for a few more and then drink for ten to fifteen after that.  Great on its own, it needs so

My first time trying this winery.  Purple in color, darker at the core, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has cherries and black cherries along with oak and spices.  Medium to full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, black cherries with spice.  Some depth.  Nice finish.  This is drinking quite well at age 19.  One wonder though if the tannins will ever resolve fully before the fruit fades.  Drink over the next five years.  Probably better with some big and/or fatty foods.  A nice wine with Chili.  

For those who say that Bordeaux has  gotten crazy over priced, look no further than this wine which is a great value.  It is a blend of 49% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and shimmering bright in the glass.  The nose has black cherries, some chocolate and slight cigar box.  Medium bodied.  Wispy tannins.  On the palate, this is tasty.  Black cherries, some black raspberries with some underlying char and a bit of chocolate.  Good finish but there is some heat.  This is drinking well but still could use a bit of air.  Drink over the next