Wines I'm drinking: 2007 Château Ballan-Larquette Bordeaux

Last night I opened a bottle of the 2007 Château Ballan-Larquette, one of two wines I bought a few weeks ago at Beverages and More during one of their two-for-one sales (actually, during one of their buy-one-get-the-second-one-for-a-nickel sales, but that's much harder to type). I'm just getting around to trying these. Tasting notes follow.

A very attractive red--the color of dark plum skins or Kiwi Brand Cordovan Boot Polish (Hey, I used to dress up to go to work, too). Very full color in the glass. Looks youthful and vibrant. Scents of earth and leather. Closed at first, but a fairly typical if somewhat distant Bordeaux nose. Still cold from the garage, so I decanted it to give it some air and to help it warm up. The wine is already throwing a light deposit. Good body on the palate. Quite tannic at first (perhaps accentuated by the low temperature). Suggestive of plum skins (tart and astringent but fruity at the same time). Good acid. Seems youthful but promising. Good length with lingering fine-grained tannins. Probably best in another 4-5 years. Overall, seemed balanced and tasty, but young and a bit lacking in fruit.

With a little time in the decanter and as the wine warmed up, it began to evolve. The nose became noticeably more complex. I began to get white pepper very distinctly, along with roses and cayenne pepper. The wine kept getting softer and smoother. It gradually knit itself into a harmonious whole. Not a great wine, but a solid food wine. The kind of wine that restauranteurs like--clean, well made, and balanced, with no rough edges; that is, tasty but not so distinctive as to distract from the food. I enjoyed this. I'd call it a good value at the sale price of $19.99 for two bottles. I'm not sure I'd stock up on it at full price. Having said that, I preferred it to the 2006 Château de la Meulière Côtes de Bordeaux I tried a couple of days ago, also on sale at Beverages and More.

[Update: I subsequently tasted a white wine and a rose from the same château.]

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