Chateau Citran is a label that I return to year-in year-out, and the estate has released a good wine here in the 2009 vintage, although my second bottle of it tasted more recently was less impressive. It’s a blend of 50% cabernet sauvignon and 50% merlot.
The main problem with this vintage of Bordeaux, I think, is its price. Particularly in Australia. This wine is around 12 pounds in the UK, less in France. Taxes, refrigerated shipping, margins and a small(?) market each play their role. But someone clever is going to solve this arbitrage at some point.
Tasted in 2012, the 2009 Citran had aromatics of cloves, juicy blueberries, blackcurrants, oak, a bit of vanilla and crunchy dried herbs. It had quite grippy but fine grained tannins on the palate, with long length and blackcurrants. A very good wine in short. I will say that the 09 Citran did not show as well on the second day, its length more muted and its flavours a simpler blackcurrant expression. Nonetheless, its showing on day one is sufficient to recommend this wine highly.
I was less happy with the second bottle of this wine tasted in March 2013. Almost a different wine, it had notes of tomato bush and herbs, with more redcurrant than blackcurrant fruits. The acidity was medium-high, and the flavour profile more oak, plums, chalk, and a touch of bitterness evident. The wine showed some complexity with time in the glass, but unexpectedly seemed to lack ripeness for such a strong year.
Overall, I think this averages out to a “good” level of quality rather than anything more. Good
Abv: 13.5%
Price: $44.99
Vendors: Check http://www.wine-searcher.com/
Website: http://www.citran.com/
Tasted: 2012, 2013
Subscribe: Subscribe to benefit from regular, considered and independent wine reviews from Grape Observer. Please enter your email address in the subscription icon on the right of screen to receive updates by email.
Leave a comment