La Vielle Cure 2005

The Bordeaux 2005 vintage was hot and heavy, one of the best in 50 years. This of course means that if you look at any of the main names for Bordeaux reds you might get stick shock. At times like this it pays to look at some of the satellite regions around the better known ones. What we have here is an excellent wine from a lesser known (or at least lesser publicized) region of Fronsac. This appellation lies just to the west of the more celebrated areas of Pomerol and Saint Emilion. Being a "Right Bank" Bordeaux we would expect a higher concentration of Merlot and that is what we get here with this wine being around 80% Merlot. This lovely wine was inky/ruby in color with a loaded, layered nose of black cherry, cassis, blackberries, mocha, and a touch of minerality and spice. The wine is medium/(+) bodied, concentrated with still strong but not overly powerful tannins and a balanced acidity leading me to think we have a wine that is just now entering its real drinkability and should evolve more the next 5 years. We get nice black and red fruits blending with the tannins and acid to give a lovely long finish. If you want to experience a solid wine from a legendary region produced during a historically proclaimed year at a price that won't break the bank give this lovely wine a try. Pair it was a lovely cut of beef and you'll have a fabulous experience.

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 137