2003 Château des Annereaux Lalande de Pomerol

So as I am fond of saying, tonight I've decided to take a different approach and crack open a bottle of Bordeaux from the 2003 vintage.  I bought this bottle a few weeks ago at the World Market on clearance for $20.88, though I'm not entirely convinced that was such a great bargain, but what the heck, I figured I like Bordeaux and this one is old enough that it should be drinking nicely by now. 

Now the Lalande de Pomerol appellation is just north of the Pomerol appellation, to the east of the Gironde, and the wines tend to be dominated by Merlot, which is the case with this wine.  The 2003 Château des Annereaux Lalande de Pomerol is a blend of Merlot (70%), Cabernet Franc (20%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%).

The wine is a fairly bright ruby in the glass, and the nose is unmistakably Bordeaux with aromas of sweet red fruit, tar and a bit of cedar.  The taste has very subdued fruit, with hints of cassis giving way to cola and black pepper flavors midpalate.  The tannins are very well structured, giving this wine a lovely smooth, dry finish that you'd expect from a nice Bordeaux.

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 7.5, as it's a lovely wine but the price is somewhat aggressive, even at a marked down $21.  Tonight I am, yet again, taking a different approach and enjoying this wine with some wonderful Cajun dirty rice, with spicy chicken habanero sausage, green peppers and red onions, a nice spicy dish that plays nicely on the rich, earthiness of this wine.  Bon appetit!