It's acting like winter so for a hearty winter time meal I decided to grab a Bordeaux. From my stockpile I pulled a bottle of Jean-Philippe Janoueix's Chateau Croix Mouton. This Bordeaux Superieur comes from the highly praised 2005 vintage so there were some pretty high expectations. I wasn't overwhelmed but did find it to be an enjoyable food-friendly wine. The wine was dark, almost inky in the glass. The nose was pleasant, big with blackberries, toasted oak, spice, and a hint of coffee. Medium/(+) bodied, the wine had good acid structure and still slightly grippy but not biting tannins that all comes together for a medium-length finish. Went quite well with the ribeye steak I selected for dinner. I don't think the wine will gain much from aging, tannins might relax a bit over the next year but I would say it is mature now and should be fine through 2012.
Number of wines reviewed in 2011: 9
