This is a wine that was available through Vintage Cellars; I say was because it may now be pretty hard to find. I discovered this little treasure at a Bordeaux masterclass at the recent Vintage Cellars Wine Fair at Darling Harbour. This was tasted alongside some of the Bordeaux greats including one that retails for around AU$1,000 a bottle. It is drinking beautifully right now but would easily live for another 10 years in your cellar. When purchased at the recent 30% off sale this came in at under AU$20.00 a bottle – do I have your attention?
The notes on the bottle say ‘Intense purple robe. Nose of red fruits and a twinge of vanilla. Fruit driven, concentrated palate with cherry, cedar and boxtree flavours, silky tannins, good structure and nice long finish’. I would agree with all of the above.
Also found the following notes from UK wine merchant Gerrard Seel; ‘What a great bottle for the money. Max de Portales the owner and wine-maker used to be a broker in Frankfurt before falling in love with wine and his passion really shows through in this stunning petit chateau. Deeply flavoured with a firm core of fruit this is a great partner to all red meats and game.’
The wine is 70% merlot and 30% cabernet sauvignon, and Haut-Medoc is in the southern part of the Medoc.
2005 was a stand out year for Bordeaux; I say forget the fuss of the 2008 En Primeur and go all out chasing as many of these bargain 05’s as you can fit in your cellar.