Château Tour de Ségur, Lussac-Saint-Emilion, 2005 ~$20US, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon

Black cherries and cream on the nose. Cherries and red currant notes on the palate - not terribly complex but a solid structure with taught tannins, vibrant acidity on the backend and good clean fruit. With time, the nose and palate became more expressive, bringing a softness, but the tannins remained grippy and dusty yet sweet. A medium-bodied wine, offering some elegance at a fair price. A good partner with roasted white meats.

Famille Lignères ‘Le Cabanon de Pascal’ Corbières, 2003 ~$15US, Grenache

This bottle was shared with friends and emptied very quickly, so my notes are scarce. Broad-shouldered and spicy, with cherries, raspberry and garrigue notes. Peppery finish. I touch of clove and orange. Opulent and juicy but fresh and not over-the-top. A taste of Chateauneuf-du-Pape at 1/3 of the price, and more accessible in its youth. At this price, this is the kind of wine everyone should try (and I need to get more of!).

~ $45US Cabernet Blend, St. Emilion, Bordeaux, France

I will put it right out there - I might not be a Bordeaux kind of guy, but I’m always willing to try new things, and this seemed interesting. This wine is opaque dense and inky, with a lively nose of currant, blackberries, tobacco, black tea, and damp soil. Truly a fascinating nose - an outgowing mix of fruit and earth. On the palate, very silky and smooth - too smooth that it was hollow and flabby. The middle seemed to have fallen out or closed up - it just disappeared. I felt myself really waiting for some firmer structure - via tannins or acid to support the promise of the nose. It ended with a nice long herbal finish with a touch of menthol.

This had a lot going for it, but unfortunately there was a strange void in the middle of the wine. I am inexperienced with this wine - it could be too young yet, or perhaps it started it’s life on the riper side and now the fruit is starting to wane. It just went soft, and to some that may be elegant or intriguing, but to me it was kinda boring.