We’ve been so busy covering wine related events recently that’s it’s been a while since our last straightforward wine review. Not that we haven’t reviewed dozens of wines related to the festivals, but here we get back to two bottles we opened at home. These are both modestly priced and bring some good qualities to the table. They also both come from premier wine regions, and carry that pedigree well at their respective price points. For your consideration are:
Wine: 2010 Chateau Bel Air Roudier Winery Location: Bordeaux
Tasted By: Neil & Cheri Date: September 2013
Tasting Notes: Another wine from the heralded 2009/2010 vintages that is drinkable now. This is a deep ruby red with bright red fruit on the nose out of the bottle. Currant and berry pop out. There is fruit on the palate and some rather heavy wood initially. Leaving it in the glass for 20 minutes produces a deeper wine with the wood integrating somewhat into the overall flavor profile. I would say good at this point. The next day it had deepened further, and the wood was subtle and nice. It was long with a solid finish. Now it is pretty good indeed, especially for the money. If you open one let it breath a while.
Price Point – $10 for 2010 Bordeaux
Would We Buy It? – Yes we would. I think it’s a good value, and there are probably a lot of others in a store near you right now from 2009 and 2010 in Bordeaux.
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Wine: 2006 Cerro Anon Rioja Reserva Winery Location: Rioja, Spain
Tasted By: Neil & Cheri Date: September 2013
Tasting Notes: When you can get a good Rioja Reserva for this kind of money it is really a no brainer. It’s deep, dark purple out of the bottle, with dark fruits on the nose. On the palate the same dark fruit, with nice subtle oak and some earthiness. It’s medium+ bodied and quite long. There is definitely a complex flavor profile going on here. After a day on the shelf with a vacuum stopper in it the wine improved a bit, and it was good to begin with. This is a very good value at the price we paid.
Price Point – $14, and a steal at that price.
Would We Buy It? – all day long. Good Rioja Reserva for under $15 is a beautiful thing.
Two wines, two worth buying, and a Rioja that makes the value list easily. Sometimes it pays to go to the big hitters like Bordeaux and Rioja, and you don’t have to pay a lot to do it.
A votre sante!
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