This particular wine is a Sauv Blanc as is typical of a white Bordeaux. Pale in color with a nose of citrus. On the mid pallet this wine is dominated by a tart grapefruit flavor. The wine is medium in length with this tartness gripping the tongue and holding on for a bit. To my tastes this is a rough, poorly made wine that I found fought in the mouth. Not well balanced at all. I would give it maybe an 87. Which for the price is by no means a good deal. If I had any I would take it back. Given the number of terrific Sauv Blanc’s I’ve reviewed here I would definitely recommend you look elsewhere.

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Dark in color with red berries on the nose. A blend of Cab Sauv and Merlot. On the mid pallet are red and dark berries with some of the dried fruit tastes coming through. On the finish the wine is medium in length with some tannins and some oak. This is a smooth well made wine but nothing exceptional. I would give it an 88-89. For the money I would look elsewhere.

From the LCBO web site:
CHATEAU PEY LA TOUR LCBO 264986 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 14.45
Wine, Red Wine 12.5% Alcohol/Vol. Sugar Content : 1

Made in: Bordeaux, France By: Dourthe Freres

Tasting Note
Deep ruby colour; cedar, earth, red liquorice, cassis, fresh cherry aromas with mushroom and spice notes; dry, medium to light bodied with cherry-tinged and plum fruit flavours, well balanced.
Copyright John Galea for CanadianWineGuy.com

It was my second favorite of the night. Dark in color with nice red berries coming through on the nose. On the mid pallet the wine has some nice red berries to go with the bouquet. It is medium in body and medium on the finish. The tannins are subtle, fine as they say in the LCBO description below. The tannins build nicely in the mouth as you continue to sip (assuming your not drinking it with food). I would give it an 89. Not a bad deal given the price.

From the LCBO web site:
CALVET SAINT-EMILION LCBO 31898 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 18.95
Wine, Red Wine 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Made in: Bordeaux, France By: J. Calvet & Cie – Bordeaux

Tasting Note
Deep ruby purple colour, almost opaque; cassis, vanilla and mint aromas; full bodied with dried black cherry flavours and oak spice; fine tannins on the finish.

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Copyright John Galea for CanadianWineGuy.com

This wine is a Sauv blanc. As usual the French do a great job of controlling the laws but a terrible job of labeling wines that the average person can understand

The wine is light in color with a strong nose of lemon and grass. On the mid pallet the wine has some strong acidity and a hint of sweetness. Some zest comes through as well. The finish is long dominated by citrus. It builds very nicely in the mouth. This is a complex wine with lots going on. I would give this a strong 89-90.

From the LCBO web site:
CHÂTEAU FERRAN BLANC 2007 VINTAGES 100867 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 21.00
Wine, White Wine 13.0% Alcohol/Vol. Sugar Content : XD

Made in: Bordeaux, France By: Famille H. Béraud-Sudreau, Prop.
Release Date: Jul 9, 2011

Description
Robert Parker Jr. gave this wine a score of 90, but did not provide a tasting note. (eroberparker.com, April 2010)

Tasting Note
A very pretty and layered nose that presents ripe orchard fruit, grapefruit zest and garden herbs with subtle toast, butter and coconut oil notes. Dry and medium bodied, it’s crisp with a vibrant acidity. A green apple note emerges on the palate; well handled oak adds complexity. Zippy, refreshing, medium-long finish. Enjoy with baked sole or lemon chicken. (VINTAGES panel, May 2011)

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Copyright John Galea for CanadianWineGuy.com

The wine is a combination of Cab Sauv and Merlot. 2005 was a great year for Bordeaux. Even average wineries were turning out above average wines for this year! This wine was dark in color with a red berry nose and some earthy notes coming through. On the mid pallet this wine is dominated by the cab but not in a fruit forward California style. It has some nice acidity and a long finish. The tannins build in the mouth leaving a nice chalky pallet coating dryness. This is a lovely complex wine. I would give it a solid 90. For the money this wine is a deal! Grab some while there are ANY left in Ontario of the 2005 vintage!

From the LCBO Web site:
CHÂTEAU DE PANIGON 2005 VINTAGES 230367 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 16.95
Wine, Red Wine 12.4% Alcohol/Vol. Sugar Content : XD

Made in: Bordeaux, France By: Dwl France
Release Date: Aug 20, 2011

Tasting Note
A wonderful value from a great Bordeaux vintage. Ruby coloured in the glass with inviting notes of cassis, cedar, plum, minerality and florals on the nose. The palate is dry and medium bodied with a crisp acidity, a good tannic hold and a ripe fruit core. Well balanced; the fruit, cedar, herbs and spice all play beautifully. There is a lovely earthy, cassis focus. Marvelous. Enjoy this with grilled steak, or aged hard smoked cheeses. (VINTAGES panel, Oct. 2010)

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Copyright John Galea for CanadianWineGuy.com

From the LCBO web site:
CHÂTEAU TOUR D’HORABLE 2005 VINTAGES 174656 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 14.95
Wine, Red Wine 14.6% Alcohol/Vol. Sugar Content : XD

Made in: Bordeaux, France By: J. A. Faytout, Prop.
Release Date: Sep 18, 2010

Tasting Note
A plummy, rich red that’s balanced and full-bodied with delicious dark berries and cassis and smoky long finish. Decant for 1-2 hours. Pair with: beef rib roast. Drink: 2010-2016. Score – 89. (Natalie MacLean, www.nataliemaclean.com, Oct. 2, 2009)

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From Winecurrent.com:
On the nose its ripe spiced black and red berry fruit plum tobacco and vanilla. Medium-full bodied the fruit flavours replay strongly on the palate with a hint of black pepper. The balance created by perceptible tannin and appropriate acidity along with a warm fruity peppery finish make this gold-medal winner very appealing. A great discovery it gets an extra half star for value. Drinkable now its also a candidate for short-term cellaring. (Susan Desjardins) (92536) $14.95 Rating 4.5/5

From the LBCO web site:
CHÃTEAU LARROQUE 2006 VINTAGES 92536 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 14.95
Wine, Red Wine 13.0% Alcohol/Vol. Sugar Content : XD

Made in: Bordeaux, France By: M.C. Boyer de la Giroday/Ducourt, Prop.
Release Date: Oct 16, 2010

Tasting Note
Vibrant and fresh AC Bordeaux that is a terrific value to boot. Filled with raspberry, plum and cherry aromas, with hints of vanilla and black pepper. Dry with pretty, sweet fruit at the fore supported by firm tannins for some cellaring (2-4+ years). It will also match veal medallions in a red wine sauce if you want to enjoy it tonight. (VINTAGES panel, May 2010)

From the LBCO web site:
CHÂTEAU SAINT-NICOLAS 2006 VINTAGES 138602 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 18.95
Wine, Red Wine, 12.5% Alcohol/Vol.

Sugar Content : XD

Made in: Bordeaux, France By: Diva Sarl

Release Date: Jan 23, 2010

Description
A Gold Medal winner at the 2008 Concours de Bordeaux – Vins d’Aquitaine.

Tasting Note
This is principally Merlot, and the aromas and flavours ably bear that out. Cherry, plum, oak and berries dominate. Dry and rather lush with supple tannins for balance. This medium-bodied wine will please both admirers of the European or New World style of wine. Enjoy it with roast beef or veal tenderloin. (VINTAGES panel, May 2009)

Young and lively, those are the first impressions! After a couple of years on it’s side the sediment was visible and required decanting producing a solid nose of deep cherry and caramel with a ruby red colour. The first few swirls and slurps led to vanilla taking over from the caramel and cherry remaining evident with hints of plum. As the wine opened up the cherry yielded entirely to plum, tabacco and cedar, quite a change from the initial spectrum. The wine is decently balanced, may weighed a tad heavier on the front end, and with a shorter finish then was expected. Overall the wine is a professional offering that does not detract from a meal or hinder drinking it on it’s own. On the other hand it is by no stretch of the imagination anything more then a run of the mill Grand Vin. You get what you pay for in this bottle, decent French winemaking but not outstanding or memorable.

The CWGSR is 84 out of 100

From the LCBO web site:
CHATEAU HAUCHAT 2005 AC Fronsac (Vignobles Jean-Bernard Saby & Fils) TASTING NOTE: What a lovely Fronsac for drinking now or for mid-term cellaring and what a great price. It’s rare to find a Bordeaux that’s not a blend but this 100% merlot hits all the points through the palate very effectively. The well-defined flavours are concentrated and restrained and they’re well balanced by a seam of acidity that adds a refreshing dimension to the texture. The tannins are supple and manageable. It’s drinking now (try it with roast beef) and it will easily hold another seven or eight years. Cheers! Score – 4 1/2 Stars (out of 5). (Rod Phillips Winepointer Newsletter Feb. 11 2009) 123489 $15

Winecurrent.com’s thoughts:
Chateau Hauchat 2006 AOC Fronsac
13.0% alcohol Theres a compelling argument for this wine and it starts with the dense deep color. Layers of aromas sweet berries, cassis, cedar, and caramel lead you to a well-structured wine with ripe fruit hints of vanilla and spice and slightly chalky tannins. The finish is lingering and offers wonderful notes of dark chocolate and char. Certainly a good match for prime rib now but the wine will cellar for a few more years. An extra ½ star for the price/value equation. (Susan Desjardins) (123489) $15.00 Rating 4.5/5

From the LCBO Web site:
CHATEAU FONGABAN 2005 AC Cotes de Castillon TASTING NOTE: Deep dark red reasonably youthful with a complex ripe-fruited smoky savoury earthy aroma with a hint of vanilla and cassis. Savoury to the taste with a richness to the palate cigar box and subtle chocolate concentrated brambly fruit and fine-textured teeth-coating tannins. A robust wine that seems reasonably tight with its underlying acidity but with its juicy lingering full-bodied aftertaste it shows excellent potential. A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc and at the price it’s a very good introduction to Bordeaux. (Sue Courtney www.wineoftheweek.com July 25 2007) 138735 $17.95 Featured 9/26/2009

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From the LCBO web site:
New at VINTAGES CHÂTEAU L’ENCLOS BONIS 2005
AC Saint-Estèphe (Maison Sichel)
We’ve said it before, but it is worth repeating: The 2005 vintage in Bordeaux was so across-the-board spectacular that even lesser-known houses, places like Château L’Enclos Bonis, produced superlative wines. From its tiny 6.6 hectares, L’Enclos Bonis produces Merlot-dominated wines with Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc in support roles. Try this fabulous value-priced wine and discover for yourself the depth of quality in the 2005 vintage. (XD) 750 mL $26.95
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From the LCBO web site:
CHÂTEAU LE BOURDIEU 2003
AC Médoc
(G. Bailly, Prop.)

TASTING NOTE: Toast, spice and red currant on the nose, the flavours – ripe black cherry and kirsch liqueur – are still a bit wound up in chunky tannin. It’s medium textured with good body weight and a persistent finish that shows fruity, spicy and black licorice flavours. Drink now to 2012 with a medium-rare grilled strip loin. Score – 4 Stars (out of 5). (Vic Harradine, www.winecurrent.com, Aug. 2, 2008)
85084 (XD) 750 mL $19.9

Decanting this wine showed off the interesting tartrates and a nice purple colour with heavy raspberry nose. Several swirls of the glass brought out more berry and a tad bit of oak with a hint of vanilla. The first couple of sips showed good fruit with solid tannins. Black cherry (a common aroma for this style) with heavy raspberry and blackberry came out in this fruit forward wine. The finish was long and smooth and as the wine opened up cinnamon and light spiciness came out. Overall the wine was very well balanced and for the price this wine tasted above and beyond expectations. With the firm tannins and solid fruit I would hazard to guess this could be cellared for 2 to 7 years longer and you will notice changes that should be positive, though it is ready to drink now if you are so fortunate to have one or two stashed away.

The CWG Subjective Rating for this wine is 89 out of 100.

Mrs CWG says

What a great bargain, I am glad we still have another bottle!

The decanting showed a wine that was vibrant in purple hues with no visible sediment. The nose had cherry and a slight bit of oak on it. A good swirl and more fruit came out. For a 2004 at first nose this was ready to drink now. Once we got into the structured tasting wild-berries came out with hints of vanilla. Tannins were obviously there but were even and appealing The fruit stayed on our palates throughout the bottle and the finish was longer then expected. The nose did not betray the wine, it is ready to drink now and I doubt it will benefit from additional time in the bottle. Overall we quite enjoyed this the second time around, though the rating did not change.

The Subjective CWG rating is 86 out of 100.

CHÂTEAU LA GORCE  2005
AC Médoc 
(Raoul Fabre & Fils)
Château La Gorce is a grand 19th century estate in the Médoc. Founded in 1821 by Madame La Gorce, the estate’s namesake, it is now owned by the Fabre family who have worked hard to restore the vineyards and improve the quality of the wines since taking ownership in the 1980s. Their efforts have been rewarded with a number of accolades including a Gold Medal for this 2005 vintage at the Paris Concours Général Agricole in 2007. Packed with ripe blackberry fruit flavours and sweet spice notes, this medium full-bodied blend of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot is an exceptional value.    (XD)            750 mL    $19.95
From winecurrent.com: A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot; it’s a knock-out from the get-go. There are gorgeous notes of coffee, spice, pepper, violet and floral perfume. Full bodied and firmly structured, there’s a good backbone of acidity alongside 13.5% alcohol and flavours of red cherry, cassis, blackberry, nutmeg and clove. At under $20 this is a no-brainer—load up the trunk! (LG) Rating 4.5/5

CHÂTEAU DUCLA 2005 VINTAGES 162461 | 750 mL bottle Price: $ 15.00 Wine, Red Wine, 11.7% Alcohol/Vol. Sugar Content : D Made in: Bordeaux, France By: Domaines Mau Release Date: Nov 8, 2008 Description Hidden away within Bordeaux are many little gems. While the Latours and the Margaux of the world get all the hype, wineries such as Château Ducla will, vintage after vintage, create fine wines that can satisfy on so many levels: cost, drinkability and a great match with food. Beppi Crosariol of The Globe & Mail called this 2005 a ‘light red Bordeaux worthy of roast beef or lamb.’ (November 28, 2007) Tasting Note Medium deep ruby colour leads to aromas of dried wild flowers, plum, earth and chocolate raisin. Dry with good fruit and exceptional fruit replays upfront balanced by fine tannins and a bit of acid crispness on the mid-palate. A great value from the superb 2005 vintage in a drink-now style. It will also reward 2-3 years in a cellar. (VINTAGES panel, Sept. 2008)
Featured 11/8/2008 Check LCBO Stock

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CHÂTEAU LA COURONNE 2005
AC St-Émilion
(Mähler-Besse)

TASTING NOTE: Crushed blackberry notes, with hints of dark chocolate and mineral, follow through to a full body, with chewy tannins and a long finish of fruit and vanilla. There’s very bright acidity in this. Still needs to come together in the bottle. Best after 2012. Score – 90. (James Suckling, winespectator.com, Web Only, 2008)
606640 (XD) 750 mL $29.95

The d’Argadens red is not hard on the wallet, surely due to the Sichel family looking to have a solid entry into the affordable Bordeaux export market. Since 2002 was their first vintage I am sure the years to come (with mother nature approving) will come to find more and more refinement. The terroir lends itself to excellent wine and the almost equal split of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and a small growth of Cabernet Franc grown on a good altitude slope. On to the tastings!

As I decanted this, I thought to myself, “self, this looks about right”. A slight rusty hue to the colour but otherwise a nice solid red, neither cloudy nor “see-through”. The initial scents were distinctly black cherry and the legs (if you believe in such things) were long and slow. Initial sniffing led to large cherry with solid strawberry to compliment. I must say it was much “fruitier” then I was expecting. The first few sips (with solid chewing and slurping) brought about those same flavours as well as a nice hint of oak, not too uncommon! Further jumping into the wine the fruit mellowed, the tannins were even and the wine had a lovely balance, something that can be expected of a five year old red. Hints of vanilla and molasses lent itself to this easy drinking red. I was expecting more tannin and puckering in my mouth then I received, all of which was a pleasant surprise. Without a doubt this would be an excellent wine to have with a medium dish (not too spicy, not too weak, think grilled chicken or pork with a glaze) but I would much rather have it with a nice piece of Blue and Emmental cheese with maybe a few other local “stinky” (as Mrs.CWG would call them) cheeses to compliment. The wine would also be a great bottle to bring to a dinner party as it could be easily served with dinner or enjoyed before or after the meal.

Too many times people expect great robust and complex wines to come from Bordeaux, this wine has elements of both but in large is a very solid affordable wine from a great region. It will not displease the purchaser and will achieve it’s greater goal, tingling the senses, due to this I am giving this wine an 87.
Mrs.CWG says

“Would like to grab a bottle or two for another night!

The hope is, over the upcoming years, that the Château d’Argadens starts producing even more

On to the wine. Well I can tell you the first thing about this 2004: It needs to age. Not a little bit, a whole bunch. I’d say after the tasting was done and the bottle consumed that I will not open my other 2 bottles of this vintage for 5 to 6 years. Originally I thought: “Well maybe 3 to 5 years”, but in all reality this wine needs a great deal of time to mature. This is not to say it was a poor wine, or lacking good wine crafting, it simply was too tannic to be opened now. The 2004 vintage in the Bordeaux region was not a highly regarded one, of recent harvests only 2002 seems to be regarded less, but as this is now my 5th or 6th Bordeaux from 2004 I can honestly say that the issue is not as much a lesser quality harvest but more so very uneven product, as odd as that is to say from Bordeaux.

On to the tasting! First note was the colour on decanting, it was very purple/ruby with not a hint of rust in it. The initial smells were distinctly cherry with a hint of black currant. Initial taste followed through with the smells first discovered with a heavy tannin on the finish. Over a couple more sips the wine brought forward more oak and a hint of caramel. Without a doubt the finish stayed with strong tannin in the mouth and oak on the tongue. This wine at this stage would be excellent with Cajun, Creole, spicy lamb, or you can insert a spicy or strong bold type meal here. I would not recommend this to be drank on it’s own in it’s current condition, check back with me in a few years to see if that changes!

Despite it’s youth and need for cellaring it gets an 85 (we will revisit this in a few years)
Mrs.CWG says

“Good thing the meal was spicy, made the wine compliment it well”

On to the wine, Chateau de Seguin is a vineyard just slightly ease of the city of Bordeaux in the Entre-Deux-Mers region (see map below). Seguin produces a solid Bordeaux-Supérieur that comes in, even at a frugal person’s budget, quite reasonably (I think it was in the 16 to 18$ range if memory serves me correct). The wine itself can probably sit for 3 to 6 more years to mature but as I bought two bottles there was no reason to wait on one of them. Opening the wine revealed a lovely hint of black cherry. The wine ended up being smooth with distinctive aromas of cherry, raspberry and a solid hint of oak (not surprising). The wine was surprising robust and pleasantly chewy, something I was not expecting for the price and the youth. This wine will be a nice compliment to a spicy meal or nice steak, maybe with a nice mushroom sauce.

Solid wine, it gets an 86.
Mrs.CWG says

“very smooth”