2009 Chateau La Tour de Bessan Margaux

Well, a year or so ago I had a blog post on this wine, but it was just a tease, as when I took delivery of my futures order the wine was much too young to enjoy, but now that we are nearly five years along, it's time to open up a bottle and see how the wine as developed!  The 2009 Chateau La Tour de Bessan Margaux is a lovely blend of Cabernet Saivignon (54%) and Merlot (46%) by esteemed winemaker Marie Laure Lurton.

The wine is a lovely bright ruby color in the glass with great clarity. The nose is very earthy with great fruit, an array of cherries, blackberries and cassis envelope a base of oak, leather, Asian spice and just a hint of smokiness. The taste is still rather tightly wound, with a burst of tart cherry that transitions to some wonderful earthy mineral notes of dusty limestone and forest floor. The tannins are still a bit young, but supportive of a long, smooth, exceptionally dry finish. 

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8 with ample potential to improve with a little time in the cellar. I'm enjoying Thai first glass with a bit of aged Italian cheese and some olives as I prepared my dinner of wild Alaskan coho salmon baked with shallots and capers with a lemon dill cream sauce on the side, along with a baked potato and some steamed asparagus. Bon appetit!