2015 Château Faugères St.-Émilion Grand Cru Classé

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's the first Saturday of a new month, so it's time to raid the cellar and find a bottle that's at least a decade in the making!  Tonight, I've gone back to the genesis of my love of red wine, a classic Bordeaux, in this case, the 2015 Château Faugères St.-Émilion Grand Cru Classé that I purchased a few years ago from Wines Till Sold Out.  This particular vintage is a blend of Merlot (80%), Cabernet Franc (15%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%), so let's see how this wine has matured!

The wine seems to be as fresh as the day it was bottled, with deep ruby color throughout.  The nose presents aromas of blackberry, charred oak and tawny herbaceousness that will leave you with a firm impression of classic Bordeaux funk.  The first sip is a surprising rush of ripe fruit, tart cherry, raspberry and currant that wash over your palate before easing into some notes of dusty limestone midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat subdued, but still an ideal foundation for the long, smooth dry finish that reminds me of springtime in Paris.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a classically formed St.-Émilion with plenty of fruit, structure and funk to have Bordeaux fans standing at attention.  This wine would pair well with a range of classic French dishes, from Coq au Vin to braised lamb shank.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rather unconventional dinner of an oven roasted stuffed pork chop, steamed sugar snap peas and mashed potatoes and gravy.  Cheers!

2018 Château Palais Cardinal Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Happy Sunday!  I finally had at least a few hours to relax this afternoon, but then laundry, rehearsals and other chores broke into my day.  At least now I am ready for a nice glass of wine and a good Sunday dinner!  Tonight I've opened a nice Bordeaux, the 2018 Château Palais Cardinal Saint-Émilion Grand Cru that I bought from Wines Till Sold Out.  This wine is a blend of Merlot (73%), Cabernet Sauvignon (23%) and Cabernet Franc (4%), so let's see how it's tasting.

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass with great clarity, just as you'd expect from this Bordeaux appellation.  The nose presents aromas of black cherry, sage and undertones of lavender and oak.  The taste is a subdued affair, with some calming red berry fruit of raspberry and currant up front that transition easily to some notes of baking spice and tart cherry midpalate.  The tannins are well suited for this classic Bordeaux, providing for a finish that's so dry you hardly notice it before reaching for another sip.

I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a pleasant drinking classic Bordeaux at a terrific price of just $23.  This wine would pair well with classic hearty dishes, from steaks and chops to braised lamb shank or moules frites.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a lovely wild mushroom risotto topped with some fresh pea tendrils.  Cheers!

2019 Château Lalande de Gravet Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Happy Sunday!  Well, since it's the last Sunday of the month, it's time for Dinner in the Diner, where I explore a recipe that once graced the dining cars of some of the classic trains of the 20th Century.  Tonight, I've once again decided to go with a nice Bordeaux with my dinner and I've opened a bottle of 2019 Château Lalande de Gravet Saint-Émilion Grand Cru that I purchased from Wines Till Sold Out.  This wine is a blend of Merlot (65%), Cabernet Franc (20%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) hand harvested from 45-year-old vines.  Let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you'd expect from a nice Merlot heavy blend.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of blackberry, cherry and plum, with undertones of espresso, cedar and classic Bordeaux funk.  Take a sip and you are immediately awash in tart cherry fruit that quickly eases into some sweeter notes of plum and blackberry, before transitioning to some notes of dusty limestone and green cedar midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured to provide the base for a long, smooth dry finish that is classic old world.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a pleasant tasting Bordeaux that hits all the right notes at a value price of just $20.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a comfort food Sunday dinner of Corn Bread Pie using the recipe from the B&O Railroad (posted below), which is simple to prepare and has a sweet and spicy filling, with a hearty cornbread crust.  I took a few liberties with the recipe and topped it with come shredded cheese and jalapenos to add just a little more zip. Cheers!

2018 Château Le Conte Marquey Puisseguin St-Émilion

Happy Sunday!  Tonight I am embarking on a new adventure for 2024, this time on the Food side of this blog.  Last year I bought an interesting cookbook, called "Dinner in the Diner" which is a compilation of 300 recipes from the dining cars of famous railroads and trains of the 20th century.  For this year, I am devoting the last Sunday of each month to exploring the recipes in the book and pairing them with a nice wine.  Tonight, the wine is a 2018 Château Le Conte Marquey Puisseguin St-Émilion that I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out.  This wine is a blend of Merlot (95%) and Cabernet Franc (5%) from an appellation located to the northeast of the village of Saint-Emilion.  Let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, with bright color on the edges, just as you might expect from a heavy Merlot blend.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of blackberry, leather and a bit of tawny port, amid undertones of violet and forest floor.  The first sip is a rush of black fruit, with woody undertones, blackberry, plum and cedar with hints of peppery spice as the tannins seem to sing in harmony with the earthy flavors.  With the well-structured tannins, the wine ends with a lovely dry finish that lingers on the palate with just a subtle reprise of Bordeaux funk.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it is an easy drinking and well structured wine that's also a terrific value, as this wine was part of the WTSO case sale at just $12.49 a bottle!  This wine would pair well with wonderfully rich French dishes, or beautifully sauced dishes, from Italian to Moroccan to Thai.  Tonight, however, I am enjoying this wine with a Curry chicken recipe from the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, a dish which may have been served on such classic trains as the Capitol Limited, along with some steamed rice and oven roasted carrots.  The recipe is reprinted below.  Cheers!

2019 Château de l'Annonciation Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Happy Saturday!  I spent a good portion of the day practicing lines for the upcoming play that I'm a part of, then I went to the thrift store and found a new addition to the thrift store art collection for only $7.50 and now I am ready to enjoy dinner with a nice bottle of wine.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of 2019 Château de l'Annonciation Saint-Émilion Grand Cru that I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out.  I'm  a big Bordeaux fan, so I couldn't resist this wine, which is a blend of Merlot (80%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) and Cabernet Franc (5%).  So, let's see how it's tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you might expect from the heavy Merlot concentration.  A swirl of the glass reveals aromas of lavender, black cherry and toasted oak.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of black fruit, cherry, blackberry and plum, which transition easily to some earthy notes of oak, vanilla bean and graphite midpalate.  The tannins are in your face, yet still provide for a smooth but exceptionally dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's still developing, but will likely improve a bit with some time in the cellar.  This wine was also a terrific value at just $18.  This would pair well with steaks, roasted game, braised short ribs, or hearty cheeses.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled New York strip, with some blistered cherry tomatoes and asparagus with hollandaise.  Cheers!

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!

2010 Chateau Brun Saint-Emilion

Wow, it's been a while since I've had a nice Bordeaux that was actually from Bordeaux!  Tonight I've opened a wine that I bought recently from Wines Till Sold Out, a Saint-Emilion from a small, 25-acre vineyard that's been planted with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and owned by the same family since 1571.  Fortunately for me, the 2010 vintage was such a nice one that shortly after release the Chateau achieved Grand Cru status, which is kind of a big deal!  This particular wine is a classic Saint-Emilion blend of Merlot (80%) and Cabernet Saugivnon (20%).

The wine is a perfect deep ruby color in the glass, with very nice clarity and just a hind of blackness at the heart.  The nose evokes springtime in Paris, lovely bright berry aromas of black currant and cherry over some earthy notes of anise and cedar.  The taste is just divine, everything a nice Bordeaux should be, with some lovely ripe black fruit up front that transitions nicely to mineral elements of basalt and green cedar midpalate.  The finish brings out the still rather tightly wound tannins supporting a long, smooth and very dry finish that's so classic.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's drinking quite nicely now but will certainly improve over the next decade.  It was also a terrific value at just $20!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare bacon-wrapped filet with some sweet potato mash and haricots verts almondine, an ideal wine for steak, but it would also pair nicely with a variety of hearty autumn dishes like cassolet or wild mushroom risotto.  Bon appetit!