2009 Chateau Guillou Montagne Saint-Emilion

So tonight I've decided to go on a bit of a culinary adventure, what with it being the start of the weekend and all.  In any case I've decided to try my hand at a bit of French cooking, and what better to go with French food than a nice French wine?  So tonight I've opened a bottle of the 2009 Chateau Guillou Montagne Saint-Emilion, from a great Bordeaux vintage.

The wine is a lovely ruby color in the glass with great clarity. The nose is very nice with a bit of ripe fruit, pomegranate, ripe plum, and a good bit of barnyard around a base of oak and smoke. The taste is very interesting with a bit of sweet cherry and a hint of cotton candy up front that effortlessly transitions to some oak, leather and dusty limestone mid palate. The finish is quite nice with a bit of pepper and lovely tannins supporting a long, dry finish. 

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8 as it's a great example of the wine and the vintage that I found at a value price of just $18!  Tonight I'm enjoying this with some Moules Marinieres, a delicious dish of mussels in a white wine sauce seasoned with shallots, tarragon and thyme, along with some wonderful croutons to maximize your enjoyment of the sauce!  So warm and delicious for such a bitter cold evening!