Chateau Du Tertre 2000 Margaux

Grape                              : Cabernet Sauv (32%), Merlot (33%),
Cabernet Franc (30%), Petit Verdot (5%)
Country of Origin : France
Region                           : Bordeaux
Sub-Region                : Medoc
Vintage                          : 2000 (Grand Cru Classe)
Alcoholic Content : 13.0%
Appellation                : Margaux

Damage to my purse : ZERO.  A gift from a friend who bought this at the HK-DFS at HK$800.

Characteristic :
Dusty purple (in colour) and medium bodied.  On the nose, it has elegant floral; pleasant aroma.   It was pretty tannin, of some acidity, quite smooth but rather simplistic on the palate.  I could be the odd one out, I found its flavours a tad too mild.

MY TAKE: “Bordeaux”, “Margaux”, “Grand Cru Classe”; call it for all you want.  This wine lacked the structure and finesse.  It was no doubt a decent drinking wine but nothing to applaud for at that price (luckily I didn’t have to pay for it).

Chateau Les Grands Chenes, Cru Bourgeois, Medoc 2009

Grape                              : Blends of Merlot (51%), Cabernet Sauv (43%), and Cabernet Franc (6%)
Country of Origin : France
Region                           : Bordeaux
Appellation               : Medoc Controlee
Vintage                          : 2009
Alcoholic Content : 14%
Producer                 : Chateau Les Grands Chenes

Damage to my purse : Bought this from a wine distributor at S$49 each for a half dozen order.

Characteristic :
Deep purple and almost opaque (in colour).  Powerful (yet pleasant) nose of black cherry, with hints of vanilla and mild spices.  This can pass off as a full bodied wine.  It was smooth with structured tannins, lingering intense flavours of dark fruits and cherry, and with slightly spicy after taste.

MY TAKE: This was a nice wine but lacked the complexity of a Bordeaux wine.  Again (like the Goulee Medoc 2009), this wine will also taste better if you allow it to age for a few more years.

Goulee -Medoc 2009

Grape                              : Blends of Merlot (20%), and Cabernet Sauv (80%)
Country of Origin : France
Region                           : Bordeaux
Appellation               : Medoc Controlee
Vintage                          : 2009
Alcoholic Content : 14.5%
Producer                 : Chateau Goulee

Damage to my purse : Bought this from a wine distributor at S$49 each for a half dozen order .

Characteristic :
Stain-like dark raspberry (in colour).  On the nose, it has bold and confident aromas of blackberries, cherries, licorice, and minerals.  A medium to full bodied wine.  It was very smooth and big on the palate with firm tannins and dark cherries.

MY TAKE: A very bold Bordeaux wine and was more like a Barossa Valley (AU) Shiraz (but less heavy).  This wine will go well with red meat.  This wine will also taste better (as it is still rather young and simple) if you allow it to age for a few more years.

Chateau La Branne 2008

Grape                              : Blends of Merlot, Cabernet Sauv, & Petit Verdot
Country of Origin : France
Region                           : Bordeaux (Cru Bourgeois)
Appellation               : Medoc
Vintage                          : 2008
Alcoholic Content : 13%

Damage to my purse : Bought this at the Wine Connection (wine retailer) at S$39.

Characteristic :
Pale chalky purple (in colour).  On the nose, it has got charming aroma of plums, elegant oak, and vanilla.  A medium bodied wine with fine tannin structure, consistent dark cherry flavour and with undertone of spice and oak.

MY TAKE: Decided to buy this wine because I had tried the 2007 vintage a couple years’ back.  Though this is a reasonably tasting wine, I prefer the 2007 vintage.

Chateau La Branne 2007