2010 Alienor Cellars Grand Vin

Happy Superbowl Sunday!  It's been snowing most of the day here, so I really haven't ventured out, opting instead to stay indoors and do laundry.  So now with the last load in the dryer, I figured it was time to prepare dinner and open a bottle of wine.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle that I bought recently from Wines Till Sold Out, the 2010 Alienor Cellars Grand Vin, a tribute to the classic Bordeaux blend, this one containing Merlot (51%), Cabernet Franc (48%) and Petit Verdot (1%) all from Lake County, in the North Coast AVA of California.  So let's see what this wine has to offer.

The wine has a wonderful deep ruby color in the glass, classic for a right bank Bordeaux style blend.  The nose evokes a sense of luxurious richness, with notes of leather, ripe black fruit and a hint of violets perfumed in the background.  The taste is a rush of decadent fruit, with ripe plum, blackberry and fig that transition quite effortlessly to notes of dark chocolate and licorice midpalate.  The finish is just lovely, with integrated tannins for backbone on the long, velevety smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a very pleasant drinking right bank style blend, and it was a terrific value as this wine was just $18 at Wines Till Sold Out (I should have bought more!).  This wine would pair well with a variety of cheeses, roasts, chops and wild game, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prim ribcap over a bed of grilled leeks, with some grilled asparagus and romanesco and a big ol' baked potato.  Cheers!