And for my second official Cellar Saturday, I've decided to open up a wine that has only been in my cellar for less than a month! Tonight it's a more than decade old Grand Cru Bordeaux, the 2001 Château Les Gravières Saint Emilion. Now unlike many Bordeaux blends, this one is 100% Merlot, though I'll admit I've always found something about French Merlot that seems to make it better than anywhere else.
The wine itself has a lovely deep purple to ruby coloration. The nose is a wonderful blend of rich red fruit, leather and smoke. The taste is remarkably fruit forward, with wonderful ripe plum, red berries and cassis that creates a seeming jolt of sweet fruit flavor that quickly transitions to black pepper and musty oak. The tannins are quite supple, offering a very smooth, dry finish. Given it's age, this wine is probably now entering its prime years for drinking, so it's a good thing I opened it!
Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, mainly since I love classic Bordeaux and this is definitely in that realm. The nose, the color, the taste, all remind me of the wonderful wines I drank the last time I was in France. Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled ribeye, haricots vert almondine and some roasted red potatoes. I bought this wine recently from Wines Till Sold Out for only $30, and I am just amazed sometimes at what wonderful wines they can find for bargain prices that really give you a chance to taste something out of the ordinary!
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