I’m not going to give you the full background of this particular wine, since the importers of this French wine do a fine job themselves.
What I will tell you is that despite the somewhat steep price tag, this wine certainly sits in a category higher than some of the wines we’ve reviewed here before. It’s dry, strong, bold, and really really good.
Unlike some wines that are sweeter and easier to drink in quantity, this particular wine presents strong from the beginning and continues to do so long after you’ve actually swallowed it. I’m not sure how best to describe what I taste when drinking this wine, but it’s almost as if it was interred in an old scotch barrel for some time before being bottled and sent to the States. It warms you as you drink it – perhaps better during the winter than these warm summer months.
Initially, it presents strong – a word I’ve overused and abused in a few short paragraphs, but I’m not sure how else to describe it. I found myself surprised by it’s introduction – having been drinking fruitier wines for some time, I didn’t expect such a bold aroma.
The taste doesn’t do any disservice to the smell that hits you pre-sip. It almost dries your tounge as it touches it. The warmth of a good scotch presents right along with the wine, and it totally makes the flavor. I’m reminded of the smell of wood as it burns in a camp fire, the flavor of meat cooked over an open flame – this wine almost demands a hearty meal as an accompanyment, and it’s brilliant with a thick steak or other red meat.
It’s a great wine, but if you only enjoy a lighter, frutier red, this may not be for you. It’s bold, it’s striking, and I recommend it highly. However, at around $30, I recommend it for a special occasion, not a daily drinker. If this wine came down in price, it would find itself on my shelf on a consistent basis. Since it does demand a higher price, however, it won’t grace my table as often as I would like.
