Wines I'm Drinking: 2005 Château Franc Grace-Dieu, St. Emilion

I recently tasted the 2005 Château Franc Grace-Dieu, a wine from St. Emilion that I bought a year or so ago at the Wine Spectrum Bar and Shop here in Santa Rosa. I tasted it only briefly at the store, but liked it well enough to buy nine bottles on the spot. This is the first one I've opened and taken the time to linger over. If I'd had the name in my head last month, I might have stopped by the winery when I was in the neighborhood, but I didn't think of it. Brief tasting notes follow.

The wine was a deep blackish-red. Very nice color. Looks vibrant. Looks almost like berry juice. A fresh, young-looking wine. Quite closed on the nose. Hints of rose water, and a little citrus, but not a lot more. Perhaps going through a dumb phase? On the palate seemed similarly closed at first, but velvety, with cloaked, soft, delicate tannins. Good length, but not very generous at the moment. Clearly needs more time in bottle. I let it sit for about an hour and came back to it, which opened things up considerably. The tannins had gained a little bite and the flavor profile was noticeably more expansive, suggestive of blueberries, coffee, and graham crackers. Still quite tight--and likely to be misunderstood at this stage--but a clean, well-made, poised wine that promises to improve. I look forward to opening another bottle in a couple of years. I would expect this to be at its peak from 2015-2020 or beyond. I paid $17.99/bottle in 2008. Recommended--but don't buy this if you're the impatient type. If you must drink it now, decant it and give it plenty of time.