Francs Côtes de Bordeaux
Regular price $59.99
Sale Price $45.99
There are only handful of truly great wines in the world; and most of them are nearly impossible to find. It’s not because of their expense or the minuscule amount that is produced (although those are factors, for sure), but because the truly great wines are indescribable, inscrutable and unheralded. The critics don’t review them; as the producer never seeks the approval of critics, the wines are not made available. They are never found in tasting rooms or on wine trails; the producers of the truly great wines sell all they make without the assistance of wine tourists. The great wines are not made by flying wine consultants who follow a recipe regardless of where the grapes are grown; rather they are made by individuals and families that are closely connected to chateau and the soil. They grow the grapes that their ancestors grew, on land that their ancestors were born and died on. The great wines are made from the vine and the soil and the climate and the grower in an intricate and beautifully choreographed dance that changes ever so slightly and yet not at all with each vintage.
This is truly a great wine.
Bordeaux is never my first choice in choosing a wine; I find them mostly over-priced and over-hyped. They are ubiquitous but rarely inspiring; to me, they are the wines of the establishment, of the smoke-filled room, of the individuals who love their acquisitions more than their accomplishments. I want a wine with verve, a wine that shocks, a wine that leaves me in awe. I have found wines like that made from Nebbiolo and Riesling and Pinot Noir and Chenin Blanc and Syrah and Viognier and Marsanne and Sangiovese but I have never been shocked or awed by those closest of cousins; Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
This wine, however, has changed my mind about Bordeaux, or at least about this particular Bordeaux. The wine is absolutely electric; bright fruit, vibrant acidity, and lots of savory notes in the mid-palate. Rich, but not heavy. Full, but not ponderous. It tastes young and reticent (because it is) but not incomplete or underdeveloped. It’s likely to age very well, because the 400 year history of this winery implies that it will, but the wine is so delicious that you’ll be hard pressed to wait.