I confess I was meant to be at the supermarket, when instead I was examining new Bordeaux arrivals at Vintage Cellars. At $40 for a St Emilion Grand Cru from an outstanding year (2009), I thought it worth a shot. A word of warning though – the term “St Emilion Grand Cru” is an appellation, not a designation of quality. For the latter, it is a “St Emilion Grand Cru Classé“. The latter classification appears to be a French litigation magnet. The former a trap only for generalising minds.
The wine? Pretty good, though probably not more than that. Purple in colour, it has aromatics of dried thyme, prunes, blackcurrant and old oak. The palate is dry, with fine grained tannins, flavours of green peppercorns and extracted blackcurrants, a little bitterness, short-medium length and a loose knit form. This is the sort of wine I’d be happy to drink any day of the week, but is not one that I would seek out. Acceptable
Abv: 13.5%
Price: $40
Vendors: https://www.vintagecellars.com.au
Website: n/a
Tasted: 2012
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