LCBO Sale Wine of the Week: June 1

Chateau Fongaban 2014 Castillon AOC (Bordeaux, France)

Sale $16.15, Regular $17.15
Discount (until June 18): $1.00
LCBO #479832 | 750 mL bottle

Tastes like: Dark fruit, blackberries, plum, cherry and the like. With soft leather and a little bit of delicious earth.
Pairs with: Red meats and fat. Generous amounts of butter.
Good for: Taking a break from fruity New World wines and flirting with the dark side.
Alcohol: 13.5%
Drink: Now to 2018.

Why we're drinking this
Let us not forget Bordeaux. Especially those of us with light wallets and a fondness for modern fruit-forward styles, two criteria that often remove Bordeaux from the equation. What Bordeaux does well is express the elemental nature of the grape and the soils. Some find the wines austere. They can be, for sure. But here is a lovely little Bordeaux that’s organic, quite light and easy to like. And it’s got a nice price tag. It’s made predominantly with Merlot and so is softer, richer, fruitier. It’s still Bordeaux, but with a velvet glove.

Tasting note
We’re resolutely on the dark side here with generous Merlot tones of dark plum, black cherry and blackberry. A little savoury/green twinge coming from the small percentage of Cab Franc (18 percent, though the English part of the label says 12%, which doesn’t quite add up). This is a pretty silky wine for the price, with quite complex nuances of dried earth, pencil lead and soft leather. Oak is present but light, and mostly identifiable via sweet vanilla. Bright acidity. This is a tasty little Bordeaux, good for a sip if you like things on the dry side. Very nice with a mixed plate of fatty steak or burger, sautéed mushrooms and scattered veg.

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