Friday Sips

The essence of Bordeaux's Right Bank will be on display. Come by to taste St-Emilion Grand Cru as well as the other selections listed below, including one that is 10 years old

Chateau La Reverence is a miniature 7.3-acre St-Emilion estate acquired by young winemaker Emile Petit in 2003. Also owner of two other small Chateaux in the Pomerol area, Petit learned his craft at Chateau Petrus and Chateau Vieux Taillefer and it is so very well put to use at all three of his properties.

Situated on the plateau of St-Emilion and about five minutes from places like Cheval Blanc and Figeac, La Reverence is like other Bordeaux we have been touting for the last several years, ones without name recognition but also versions of excellent value and aging capability. It also doesn’t hurt that this St-Emilion comes from a grand-scale vintage like 2010! Very layered aromas with ample plum, violet, savory spices along with an undertow of prominent red raspberry and fine herbs from the use of 50% Cabernet Franc. Hearty, chock full of depth and an almost melting chocolate like texture. Quite chewy and structured on the lavish, drawn-out finish. At age five, this is quite lovely, especially when it is decanted; it will also develop further over the next 7-9 years.

Canon-Fronsac is a hidden gem that lies within lands of greatness. Just southwest of St-Emilion, 5 kilometers from the Pomerol plain this is an area where many small producers excel. The second label of Chateau Mazeris, these wines have been terrific finds. The Chateau epitomizes the term "boutique winery" with a mere 8,300 case production. Across the board, these are definitive Bordeaux wines that are very comfortable in their own skin.

2012 has turned into a vastly underrated vintage, especially on the Right Bank. Tantalizing fragrances of blueberry, floral, mineral, earth and attractive, intertwined, smoky oak notes build from the glass. Mouth-filling, supple, and classic Bordeaux with a nicely balanced finish and typical earthy tones that are dressed up nicely with subtle vanilla and cedar box notes from a gentle smattering of oak. Pound for pound, this wine is one formidable offering for its under 20-buck price. Drink over the next 4-6 years with a cheeseburger smothered with blue cheese or rare roast beef.

We last poured this wine on a Friday back in September of 2013 and wow has it ever morphed into something spectacular for under 20 bucks! Having shed some of its baby fat, this Bordeaux is delicious right now! Château Peyrou is within the boundaries of the Bordeaux region formerly known as Côtes-de-Castillon. Now classified as Côtes-de-Bordeaux Castillon, this estate is owned by St-Émilion goddess, Château Gaillard's Catherine Nouvel-Papon. A mere small roadway separates her vines from those of that famed appellation. From the younger vines (40 years) on this property, the Colombe de Peyrou is aged without the utilization of any new barrels.

A real over-achiever, this opaque, full-scale Bordeaux immediately engages the olfactory senses with freshly ground espresso, prominent raspberry, underlying cedarbox, anise and just a kiss of aromatic herbs. In the mouth, it is dry, palate-coating and possessing plenty of material and backbone. Long and drawn out, this wine follows over to the table quite nicely. Enjoy this one through the end of the decade with duck, lamb chops or perhaps a risotto jacked with ceps.

There is something that is always thrilling about nicely aged Bordeaux and especially when they emerge from such a prolific vintage like 2005. La Croix St-Andre is a Chateau located within the region of Lalande de Pomerol situated just north of Pomerol and defined by two villages, Lalande and Neac. Chateau La Croix St-Andre is located in Neac, an area where the soils are more clay and gravel-driven, which share a commonality with neighboring Pomerol.

Having farmed 36 acres in this area since 1965, the Carayon family produce exquisite Bordeaux from very old vines that are well kept secrets. One insider and big fan was pianist Arthur Rubenstein and the family dedicated the 1982 vintage to his memory. The 2005 shows why we age Bordeaux! Drinking beautifully now, this wine shows beautiful antique Right Bank Bordeaux scents of dried blackberry, perfumed floral tones, incense, subtle tobacco along with a presence of smoky espresso and underlying forest floor aspects that provide complexity and just keeps enticing as it unfurls in the glass. Well-concentrated, deep and now becoming smooth as all hell; debonair, yet the firm austerity that makes it pair well with food never departs. All of these aspects have now folded together and really glide and linger on the top-drawer finish. No problem to enjoy through 2021 and given the backbone here, most likely beyond. Roast a duck or a prime rib and enjoy this stellar, 10 year old value with it, you will not be disappointed!