Château Larose-Trintaudon Cru Bourgeois Bordeaux 2006

I was rather excited when I happened upon Château Larose-Trintaudon Cru Bourgeois Bordeaux 2006 in one of my local wine shops. It’s not too often that I find a Cru Bourgeois Bordeaux in my neighborhood shops; generally I have to online order them from shops in NYC. Cru Bourgeois is a classification given to Chateaus that were not included in the famous, Napoleon requested 1855 Classification in the Médoc region of Bordeaux. It is awarded annually as a mark of quality to wines rather than to a château, on the basis of an assessment of both production methods and the finished product. They tend to be high quality wines that are just a level below Cru Classé, and above the more general Bordeaux classification.

Established in 1719, Domaine Larose-Trintaudon has grown and expanded over the many years. During the phylloxera epidemic in the mid 18^th century, the estate’s vineyards were ruined and lay desolate and unused until 1963 when the Forner family purchased the domaine. In order to preserve and further develop the delicate balance of the soils, the family implemented sustainable viticulture in 1999. Their motto is “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children”.

Dark garnet in colour, after decanting for about an hour aromas of blackberry, cigar box spice and traces of minerally flint rose from the glass.  Fruit flavours of blackberry, red current and cherry were accompanied by hints of sweet vanilla and traces of earthy black olive in the medium body. Spicy black pepper, ginger and warm, toasted oak comprised the lengthy finish.  Although somewhat muddled overall, each sip delivers a pleasant blend of fruit and spice.

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot

Haute-Médoc
France
Mis en Bouteille au Château [Estate Bottled]
13% Alcohol
$16
Enjoy now thru 2015