Score: 91/100
This wine was selected by Francois Chartier who received the Best Sommelier in the World Grand Prix Sopexa in 1994.
It was assembled and aged by Sélections Chartier Inc., but elaborated with the help of oenologist Pascal Chatonnet and bottled at the Château by Dionysal in the French Bordeaux region.
Although labeled as ‘Merlot’, it is a blend of about 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grown on the Bordeaux right bank in the Fronsac area.
It was aged for about 12 months in barrels (30% new).
Tasting Notes
The nose is very intense on cherry and blackberry notes, but more importantly it’s coated in oaky notes of roasted cocoa, coffee, caramel, clove and black pepper. It’s dark, roasted and fruity, almost jammy on the smell, more than on the color.
Putting the wine in my mouth, I was stroke by the sheer density and weight. I suppose the nose gave clues about the level of ripeness and concentration, thinking about it afterwards. But I wasn’t expecting such depth and tannic structure.
The tannins are dense, fine overall, with a bit of a metallic grip to the finish. It’s full-bodied for a Bordeaux, and fruitily-sweet (it feels fruity from the rich dark fruit and dark berries flavors without being actually sweet). The dominant proportion of ripe Merlot most probably…
Overall
A very good ripe Bordeaux, combining elegance with bold flavors and concentration.
Food pairing
I’m certainly not going to contradict the expert Francois Chartier here and the pairings clearly suggested on the wine’s label.
Roasted chicken, or more generally tasty dark roasted meats will work wonders with this dark-tasting flavorsome red.
I would just add: Don’t’ be deceived by the label that (to me at least, at first) makes the wine look a bit trivial. This is serious wine for seriously enjoyable occasions!!
As the creator of this wine, here is what Sommelier Francois Chartier suggests to match this Bordeaux wine: “Pair this merlot to your favorite recipes containing one or more of the following ingredients: mushrooms, roasted peppers, black tea, grilled beef, raspberries, wild rice, roasted duck, chicken and turkey, coffee, nori algae, roasted sesame oil, roasted asparagus, mint, blackberries, and many more.”
We particularly recommend you try this perfect matching recipe developped by Francois Chartier himself: Poached pork belly, coconut and black pudding vinaigrette, black pudding crumble
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