2009 Château Tour des Termes Saint-Estephe Cru Bourgeois

Well, tonight is a bit of a retread, but one that I think is worthwhile as I first reviewed the 2009 Château Tour des Termes Saint-Estephe when it was just released back in 2012 (you can see that review here) and back then I mentioned I'd put the remaining bottles in the cellar and see how they matured.  Well tonight I was looking for a nice Bordeaux to enjoy with dinner and I happened upon a bottle and I thought, why not see how the last few years have treated this blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from a classic vintage?

The wine is a lovely deep purple color in the glass, with bright ruby along the edges, belying the Cabernet in the blend.  The nose is a rich display of ripe black fruit with distinctly floral overtones that present an earthy richness so characteristic of a nice left bank Bordeaux.  The taste is refreshingly fruit forward with a burst of black cherry, plum and strawberry that transitions to some spicy pepper notes midpalate.  The tannins have definitely matured in the past 5 years or so, resulting in complex structure on the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Last time I rated this wine based on it's youth, but today I'd rate this wine a solid 8.5 as it's just starting to hit its stride.  This wine would be ideal with a variety of roasts and chop, rich classic French dishes and seafood.  Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a more subdued dinner of oven roasted chicken breast served with mashed potatoes and some grilled asparagus.  Cheers!

2009 Château Tour des Termes Saint-Estephe Cru Bourgeois

So tonight I've decided to open up another young Bordeaux from the super terrific happy hour 2009 vintage!  I've opened a bottle of Château des Termes Saint-Estephe, which depending on my rusty interpretation of the French label is a smaller estate that's been owned and operated by the same family for 5 generations.  Also based on my translation, the wine possesses the structure of a much bigger Saint-Estephe, but with the fruit of a much softer wine - their secret, equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot!  Looks like that four years of high school French is still paying off!

The wine itself has a deep, inky purple color, and the nose is pure Bordeaux!  Smoky aromas of leather, oak and dark chocolate.  The taste is absolutely wonderful, with black pepper and spices surrounding rich ripe plum and black currants, transitioning to a bit of anise and then finishing with some remarkably well structured tannins and a long, dry finish comparable to many, much more highly acclaimed wines.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, which is pretty darn high for a 3-year-old Bordeaux!  It's a good value for what it is, but not for the under-a-sawbuck crowd, I bought this for $25 from Wines Till Sold Out, and plan on cellaring the remaining few bottles as they are likely to improved in a few years.  Tonight I am enjoying this bottle with a wonderful summer dinner of grilled pork chops with lemon pepper marinade, some sweet potato fries and steamed veggies, yum!