Wine Splash!

Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Red Blend

This is a wonderful wine to experience from the Saint-Emilion region of France. It is 80% Merlot and it really shows it on the palate. We decanted the wine for 30 minutes prior to tasting and also used a wine aerator on the pour. Deep garnet color with ruby edges. On the nose, pomegranate, smoke, and wild spices! The mouthfeel was full bodied, silky, with a firm tannin structure. Flavors of red plum, blueberry, earth, and smoke on the first taste. As the flavors lingered, notes of mushroom, cranberry, and more smoke became pronounced on the long finish. Very nice and a good balance between fruit, smoke, and earth. A great wine to drink with food and we paired this wine with a seared chicken breast with a spicy tomato sauce base. We also think it would pair well with strong cheeses, grilled red meats, tomato based pastas, or a spicy eggplant dish.

We really enjoyed the 2005 Chateau Cantenac Climat from Saint-Emilion. We bought this wine almost 4 years ago and were patient by keeping it in the cellar. We rate this wine 91 points and feel it is a great representation of a Merlot blend from Saint-Emilion. If you have a 2005 vintage, we feel it will be at its best from now through 2014. WineSplashing!!