You’ll be pleased to hear that my 2008 resolution is going well, and I have been steadily gathering a whole boatload of information about my most-favorite of subjects: WINE.
For my first recommendation, I’d like to present a very moderately-priced ($10 here in Philly) red wine from France.
Chateau La Grange de Grenet, 2005 Bordeaux, 12.5 % Alc./Vol., 750 ml
For such an inexpensive wine, this one is a real treasure. Dark cherry color, bouquet hints of cherry, raspberry and plum. Well balanced. Good acidity, light clean finish with a subtle aftertaste of oak and ripe berries. All-in-all, a very lovely, highly drinkable wine. AND CHEAP.
Highly recommended!
A-
Oak, huh. I just don’t get ‘oak’ as a wine flavor. How does that work??
Welll.. from what I gather from my research so far, the wood flavors tend to develop when the wine is stored in casks during the aging process. However as this Bordeaux was “mis en bouteille” or made/aged in the bottle (as clearly stated on the label), I’m at a loss as to where it gets its oak-y flavor, though it’s most definitely there. Would love to hear from any wine experts out there.
Mis en Bouteille au Chateau means it was bottled at the Chateau (what we would call an estaste bottled wine). This has nothing to do with whether the wine was aged in wood previously. This is in distinction to (usually) cheap wine that is sourced from all over and bottled by a negociant (wine broker).