Château du Retout

Cru Bourgeois Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend

8.9212 ratings
8.811 pro ratings
Haut-Médoc, Médoc, Bordeaux, France
Red Bordeaux Blend
Chili & Hot Spicy, Potato, White Rice, Mushrooms, Pasta, Pork, Salami & Prosciutto, Pungent Cheese, Lamb, Tomato-Based, Onion, Shallot, Garlic, Beef, Hard Cheese, Venison
Top Notes For
Ken Z
8.9

Drank 10\20\20. Nice with Lamb Kebabs.

Reidel vs Zalto Bordeaux glass tasting.

Reidel Vinum (approx $15\stem)

Graphite, black fruit, and earthy scents. Plum, black cherry, and earth flavors are backed by medium tannins. More red and black cherry, with a bit of oak on the finish.
3\21\8\4\3 +50 =89 pts.

Zalto Bordeaux Glass (approx $60\stem)

Nose a bit more floral, with violets, plum, and graphite. Plums, blackcherry, red cherry, oak, and earth on the palate. Seems to have a bit more lift. Finish similar to the Reidel.

3\21\8\4\3+50 = 89 pts.

Same score, but perhaps slightly preferable from the Zalto, and easier to pick out individual notes. Reidel seems a bit heavier. This wine was better a couple of years ago, and seemed to fade a bit after a couple of hours as well. Drink now.

Drank 10\20\20. Nice with Lamb Kebabs.

Reidel vs Zalto Bordeaux glass tasting.

Reidel Vinum (approx $15\stem)

Graphite, black fruit, and earthy scents. Plum, black cherry, and earth flavors are backed by medium tannins. More red and black cherry, with a bit of oak on the finish.
3\21\8\4\3 +50 =89 pts.

Zalto Bordeaux Glass (approx $60\stem)

Nose a bit more floral, with violets, plum, and graphite. Plums, blackcherry, red cherry, oak, and earth on the palate. Seems to have a bit more lift. Finish similar to the Reidel.

3\21\8\4\3+50 = 89 pts.

Same score, but perhaps slightly preferable from the Zalto, and easier to pick out individual notes. Reidel seems a bit heavier. This wine was better a couple of years ago, and seemed to fade a bit after a couple of hours as well. Drink now.

Oct 21st, 2020
Sipping Fine Wine

Dark purple color, high proportion of Cab Sauv. Aromas of black fruit and spice. Palate displays blackberries, firm tannins, with some oak and earthy notes on a medium finish ending with a bit of mineral notes. Drink now.

Dark purple color, high proportion of Cab Sauv. Aromas of black fruit and spice. Palate displays blackberries, firm tannins, with some oak and earthy notes on a medium finish ending with a bit of mineral notes. Drink now.

Aug 31st, 2019
Ken Z
9.0

Drank 9/1/18. Paired with red wine marinated lamb chops

Pleasant nose of red fruits, plumbs, and some earth and peppercorn. Plum and sour cherry flavors mix with some medium tannins. Well balanced. Long finish

3/21/8/4/4 +50 = 90 pts.

Drinking well now. May improve marginally. Will probably hold another 5-8 years.

Drank 9/1/18. Paired with red wine marinated lamb chops

Pleasant nose of red fruits, plumbs, and some earth and peppercorn. Plum and sour cherry flavors mix with some medium tannins. Well balanced. Long finish

3/21/8/4/4 +50 = 90 pts.

Drinking well now. May improve marginally. Will probably hold another 5-8 years.

Sep 1st, 2018
Chris MacLean

Too sweet and oaky for a Bordeaux. Otherwise decently made.

Too sweet and oaky for a Bordeaux. Otherwise decently made.

Dec 16th, 2017
Saman Hosseini

Writer Maison Abattoir

8.9

Pours a dense purple hue. Brooding and structured but with generous black fruit, spice, and vanilla, with a lively finish.

Pours a dense purple hue. Brooding and structured but with generous black fruit, spice, and vanilla, with a lively finish.

2 people found it helpfulMar 31st, 2013
Matt Trader

Really a fantastic wine for $20. Brooding - needs some time to open - after which reveals a meaty and gravely wine. Tobacco, Spanish cedarwood, mushroom, and bell pepper, with lush, dark fruit on the pallet, and a lingering finish of pepper and dark plum skin. I think that this is an OK vintage for these guys, nothing like the 2012's I had of recent, but none the less, still a fantastic wine that would make a great stock up Bordeaux wine for frequent consumption.

Really a fantastic wine for $20. Brooding - needs some time to open - after which reveals a meaty and gravely wine. Tobacco, Spanish cedarwood, mushroom, and bell pepper, with lush, dark fruit on the pallet, and a lingering finish of pepper and dark plum skin. I think that this is an OK vintage for these guys, nothing like the 2012's I had of recent, but none the less, still a fantastic wine that would make a great stock up Bordeaux wine for frequent consumption.

Feb 17th, 2017
Saman Hosseini

Writer Maison Abattoir

8.6

One of my favorite cru-bourgeois. there is thorough vineyard management at this estate. Vines are 30 years old on avg, and only organic fertilizers are used. 12 months in about 30% new oak. 84% cab 16% merlot. The result is a brooding wine, certainly not elegant, and perhaps murky. But with ripe black fruit and no excess of new oak, and well textured. worth seeing how this will age in the next year or two.

One of my favorite cru-bourgeois. there is thorough vineyard management at this estate. Vines are 30 years old on avg, and only organic fertilizers are used. 12 months in about 30% new oak. 84% cab 16% merlot. The result is a brooding wine, certainly not elegant, and perhaps murky. But with ripe black fruit and no excess of new oak, and well textured. worth seeing how this will age in the next year or two.

Sep 2nd, 2013
David Denham

Amazing value.

Amazing value.

Jun 29th, 2013
Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

2018 vintage. Solid, sub-$20 Haut-Medoc rouge. Could do a lot worse. 3.27.24.

2018 vintage. Solid, sub-$20 Haut-Medoc rouge. Could do a lot worse. 3.27.24.

Mar 27th, 2024
Chris A

Smooth, stately and wonderful. Big yet approachable Bordeaux. Mature red fruit in the back, earthy notes on the finish. Bliss!

Smooth, stately and wonderful. Big yet approachable Bordeaux. Mature red fruit in the back, earthy notes on the finish. Bliss!

Mar 13th, 2023