2016 Château Magnan-Figeac Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Well today was interesting as we started with clouds, then thunderstorms, then sun.  So I took advantage of the sunny afternoon and raked the back yard and dug up two buckets of dandelions from the front and back yards, getting the lawn ready for spring (which after a return of winter last week is sorely needed).  As I thought about what wine to open tonight, I haven't had a nice Bordeaux in a while and I recently ordered a few bottles from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2016 Château Magnan-Figeac Saint-Émilion Grand Cru is a classic Merlot focused wine of the right bank, with this wine a blend of Merlot (80%) and Cabernet Franc (20%), so let's see how this young Bordeaux is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, as you might expect from the varietal.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of leather, black cherry, charcoal and wonderful white floral notes.  Tale a sip and you're greeted with some fresh ripe fruit, cherry, plum and red currant intermingled with some wonderfully earthy mineral notes of basalt and graphite midpalate.  The tannins are classically Bordeaux, with a dry finish that almost makes you forget you're drinking red wine.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a great example of a Saint-Émilion that is just stepping into its prime drinking years.  This wine would be great with lamb, a hearty afternoon of charcuterie or a classic ratatouille.  Tonight I am taking a bit of a different tack, enjoying this wine with a rare grilled bone-in bison ribeye along with some maple bacon roasted Brussels sprouts and some potato casserole.  The minerality of this wine is ideal with the earthiness of bison.  Cheers!