Winemaker Notes
Blend: 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Violets and blackberries with hints of spices on the nose. Full body, with soft and velvety tannins and a juicy finish. Drink now or hold. Always excellent value.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and the rest Malbec is from the Thienpont family. (Puygueraud is the estate where this large clan was born.) The 2009 is impressive, but the estate somewhat under-the-radar, since it is hard to pronounce and not exactly a household name. This is a beautifully fleshy wine with loads of licorice, spring flowers, graphite and black fruits. Fleshier and more concentrated than usual, with a longer, more intense finish and plenty of glycerin, this dark ruby/purple wine is a knock-out and, in theory, an attractive great value. It should drink well for up to a decade.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
On the right bank of Bordeaux between St. Emilion and Bergerac, Cotes de Francs boasts southwestern exposed slopes that produce robust Merlot-based wines. A tiny amount of Sémillon is grown and made in both dry and sweet styles.
WDW10490102172609_2009 Item# 417496