London - Parliament - Photo by Jurica Koletić on Unsplash
Bordeaux is invariably about the blending art of the winemaker and all about the vineyard location.
"Left Bank" wines, such as #Bernadotte in the Haut-Medoc, (south of the river) are heavily influenced by the pockets of gravel found in all the best properties' vineyards. Grapes are predominately #CabernetSauvignon (with a possible dash of Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Petit Verdot/Malbec), whereas "Right Bank" wines (north of the Garonne), such as the regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, can very often be all #Merlot, but are again dominated by blends; this time using Merlot plus Cabernet Franc etc.
Soils, here, vary between a mix of clay and limestone and famous name chateaux are found on both; each offering their own unique character to the drinker.
It all makes for an infinite variety of styles, qualities and prices that can take years to explore.
It just so happens that one chateau stocked by Frazier's has a familiar percentage blend... 52%/48%
That is: 52% Cabernet Sauvignon & 48% Merlot
No judgement here!
The wine is simply a delicious example of Bordeaux wine-making.
Recently sold to international travel group, King Power, Chateau Bernadotte is a "Cru Bourgeois", Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux and, after 9 years' ageing, the excellent 2010 vintage is now drinking well, so there's no excuse not to stock up on this classic claret in time for Christmas.
Densely planted, 30 year old vines give small volumes of concentrated juice which, in turn, leads to higher quality wine than you might expect from a non "Classed Growth" chateau.
Bernadotte, which used to be owned by renowned Pauillac producer, Pichon Lalande, uses a combination of one third each new, first fill & second fill barrels for the ageing of its wines.
This wine is deep and clearly a sleeper of the vintage, with loads of fruit, glycerin and extract. Its excellent purity and loads of spice box as well as red and black currants make for a delicious, impressively endowed wine to drink over the next 10-12 years (2013-2025).
Bring on the roast turkey and all the trimmings!
Buy some Chateau Bernadotte 2010 online for £32 a bottle, or come and get some from the #WineStudio in #Solihull.