2010 Esprit de Pavie Bordeaux

What a chilly day!  I woke up this morning and it was 0 degrees outside, and despite working and shoveling snow and going to the gym, I'm happy to be home in the warmth with a nice glass of wine.  Tonight's wine was a gift from an old boss, who shares similar tastes in wine with me, the 2010 Esprit de Pavie Bordeaux.  Now this is a real Bordeaux as I had to exercise my high school French to read the label, which the easiest part to read was that this wine contains mainly Merlot (65%) along with Cabernet Franc (20%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (15%), so this is clearly a right bank Bordeaux.  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a deep, inky indigo with bright ruby along the edges as you'd expect from a Merlot dominant blend.  The nose is not so much a classic Bordeaux, but chock full of leather, light floral notes, blackberry and some lovely mineral notes.  The taste is somewhat subdued fruit up front, with some cherry and plum with a hint of mint that transition to some earthy notes of dusty limestone, iron and a classic hint of barnyard at the end.  The tannins are robust, providing for a wonderfully smooth and very dry finish that lasts a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a wonderfully drinking Bordeaux from a very strong vintage.  This wine would pair well with classic steaks and chops, but would also do well with aged cheeses and Mediterranean fare.  Tonight I am taking a bit of a departure and enjoying this wine with some seared sea scallops, couscous and some haricots verts almondine.  Cheers!