Wines I'm Drinking: 2006 Château de la Meulière Premieres Côtes de Bordeaux

Last night I opened a bottle of the 2006 Château de la Meulière Premieres Côtes de Bordeaux. This is one of a number of wines I picked up recently on sale at Beverages and More. Premieres Côtes de Bordeaux wines come from a strip of hilly land sandwiched between the east side of the Garonne river and the Entre-Deux-Mers appellation. The area mostly grows Merlot. This wine is a 50-50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasting notes follow.

Deep plummy red. Barnyard scents and leather—rather stinky at first, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Cocoa as well. Initially quite closed on the palate. Tannic, but not at all harsh. Cherries, but rather closed. Mid-palate is very light, followed by a fairly bright, slightly tart finish. Doesn’t seem especially long, although there is a lingering subtle sweetness offset by soft, tannic astringency. Clearly has potential but not in a generous mood at the moment. Bordeaux can be very deceptive; wines that seem like nothing at first can start opening up like flowers after 15-30 minutes in the glass--so I decanted the wine. Going back to it later, I began to get hints of cinnamon, but mostly attractive animal scents--musk and leather. Still, the wine was noticeably sweeter and fuller on the mid-palate and there was more fruit apparent. It continued to evolve slowly, getting better. The tannins that initially masked most of the flavors eventually dropped away to reveal a nice chocolatey element offset by subtle acid and delicate tannins.

Not a powerhouse by any means, but balanced and tasty. This may not appeal to fans of very ripe, alcoholic, California wines, but I can recommend it for everyday drinking if you know and love the little wines of Bordeaux. I believe this would repay cellaring for another two to three years, perhaps a little longer. A good value on sale at $14.99 for two bottles at Beverages and More, but I don't think I'd stock up on this at full price.

[Just opened my second bottle of this today (July 20, 2015). Wow. Perfect. Ripe, round, soft, delicious. What a difference five years has made. Wish I'd bought this by the case.]

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