St. Émilion Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend

We met & visited a number of Bordeaux producers while 2005 was still in the tank or just into barrel.

In talking with Winemaker-Owners about the 2005 vintage, you could see the twinkle in their eye as they were asked questions. They knew they had Bordeaux magic for the first time in five years.

We tasted this at what was deemed an “Affordable Bordeaux Tasting.” This was on the higher end of that tasting at $35. It is delivering a little better than its young expectation and the jewel to date from that tasting.

With and without protein, the 05 Chateau de Candale moved between 92-93.

The nose reveals; warm alcohol, immersed fruits of; black raspberries, blackberries, mulberries, dark cherries, poached/slightly baked, dark cherries, dark spices, purple fruit, cola mix, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, dark, rich, candied, forest floor, fresh & dry tobacco, graphite, slight, moist clay, stones, dry, crushed rock chunks, whiff of bay leaf & sage, dry stems, pepper quality with candied, dark, dark red, purple, blue with violets & lavender.

This is a very good first look at this 2005. God willing, I have another look in on bottle two of three in another five years. This 05 has another 15 plus years of good drinking ahead with proper storage.

The body is full, tarry with big, sticky, chewy tannins. Baked/poached, floral fruits of; black raspberries, blackberries, mulberries, dark cherries, black plum, pomegranate, dark spices with a heavy, heated presence, purple fruit, cola mix, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, dark, rich, candied, forest floor, fresh & dry tobacco, loads of graphite, slight, moist clay, stones, dry, crushed rock chunks, dry top soils, whiff of bay leaf & sage, dry stems, muted eucalyptus, pepper quality with candied, dark, dark red, purple, blue with violets & lavender. The acidity is round & full just holding, for me, the slightly higher ABV in check. The long, heavy, dark, well knitted, more earth/spice dominated finish is showing the quality of the vintage. Yet, it still needs more time to be its best.

Photos of; Chateau de Candale, harvested Merlot fruit, recent buyers of Chateau de Candale - Thibaut Decoster and Magali Decoster and their barrel room.

Had this yesterday at Dirty Water in San Francisco. What a bargain! Smooth and elegant, with nice structure. We all savored the bottle (2008) with the duck and shirt ribs. Loved it!

Im really enjoying the 2008s from the right bank. They are in such a great place right now that i would argue that you do not need to wait. However, there is still enough tension in this wine that it would be as good or better in 10+ years.

Made a meal of leftover veal stew into something fantastic.

Cork shattered, had to decant it. Well aged to say the least. Over 20 years in the bottle. Blend of Merlot 80% and Cab Franc 20%. Still has excellent color. Just a little hint of rust on edge. Aroma is very interesting. Savory and kinda minty. Some horehound maybe. Hint of soy sauce too. It’s a crazy melange in the nose. Fruit too. Flavors are French with lots of bittersweet stuff. Full of cassis. Little espresso. Complexity in spades and dense flavors. This has aged into a beaut. A great Saint-Emillion. Kinda has it all going on.

We visited the winery when we were on vacation in 2018. Had a wonderful one on one experience followed with a wine paired dinner that was amazing! Opened the 2015 vintage for a Sunday dinner. Needed a bit to open, was able to get subtle hints of blackberries. On its own, it’s pretty flat. Paired with Manhattan strip roast and potatoes, it was pretty good. Wondering if we waited too long to open.

Very complex, deep with cocoa, blackberries and minerals. Tasting the alcohol

light, berries, smooth, nice balance between tangents, acidity and fruits.

Metropole Hotel, Hanoi, Feb 17, 2018

Smooth finish, but sharp tannins. Two years more could round the tannins.