I have been braising Beef Short ribs all day, now it’s time to thicken the sauce and mash the potatoes. A classic Bordeaux, somewhat young and hopefully a touch tannic will do the trick to marry the richness of the dish and its accoutrements. This Merlot based blend from the Right Bank is the little brother to the famed Pavie. It’s meant to be drunk younger and will no doubt have less structure than the iconic namesake. It shows a deep shade of ruby in the glass with thick legs (14.5% ABV). On the nose it is quite pronounced with aromas of black cherry, blackberry, black plum and charcoal. Licorice starts to appear after a swirl as does perfumed violet. The palate is smooth, very smooth. Super fine-grained tannins, juicy acidity and gobs of black fruit greet me immediately. The licorice and charcoal nuances wait till the mid palate, letting me enjoy the primal fruit flavors with the caressing structural pieces. The finish is mid length on this full bodied wine. What I like is that the tannic grip disappears before the fruit, which is rare. This is a really nice bottle that will reward further cellaring unless you like a young, brawny wine. Drink till 2029 with stews or steaks. 91 points for this $25 Frenchie makes it worthy of 5 stars. Salut….
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