Champs de Gaillard Red Bordeaux Blend – A Steal!

I generally walk right past the Bordeaux section when I’m in a wine shop.  It’s not that I don’t like Bordeaux, I just don’t like paying too much for my wine.  But apparently I’ve been making a mistake and I’ve been missing out.

There’s a lot of hype in the marketplace about Bordeaux.  It’s  been like that for years and has resulted in prices skyrocketing — particularly for some sought-after names.  And while these are some exceptional wines, when you pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a bottle of wine you’re buying hype.  And I don’t like to buy hype.  I like to buy good wine at reasonable prices.

And that hype is the blessing and the curse for Bordeaux.  It’s a well-known, well-regarded wine region that commands top dollar for its top wines.  But not all Bordeaux wines have the cachet held by the top brands in the region and a lot of consumers who buy into the hype only want the big names.  And when other wine consumers, like me, ignore the entire region because they consider it overpriced, Bordeaux wine producers might have a problem.

I don’t think I’m alone with my perception either.  And the PR teams behind Bordeaux are trying to change the perception of Bordeaux and grow affinity with wine consumers who haven’t inherited a trust fund.  They’ve created a program called “Today’s Bordeaux” through which they highlight 100 wines each year in the $10-$55 price range.  They have even set up a website where you can read about all the wines and you can even filter them by price to zero in on the ones in your price range.

This wine is on that list and it’s one of the most affordable wines on the list.  It’s a red blend made from 70 % merlot, 16% cabernet sauvignon and 14% cabernet franc.  As a 2008 vintage, it does have a few years of age on it too.

The nose of this wine is beautiful! The fruit is complex and balanced, offering cherry, raspberry and blackberry aromas.  It also has plenty of spice (although not too much) to make the wine exotic and memorable, such as nutmeg and tobacco.  The palate brings a delicious, old world style blend of fruity and earthy flavors, such as raspberry, blackberry, currant and black tea.  Moderate tannins add a just enough texture to the mouthfeel and good acidity gives it a bit of zing.  It finishes long with raspberry tea flavors. It’s a medium-bodied wine that goes well with food, but is good by itself as well.

I’ve learned my lesson.  Next time I’m walking by the Bordeaux section I will stop and shop.

Wine: Champs de Gaillard
Variety: Red Bordeaux blend – 70 % merlot, 16% cabernet sauvignon, 14% cabernet franc
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 88
Price: $13.99
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

Find Champs de Gaillard with Snooth