Most wines are drunk too early. Nearly every wine, in particular reds, will benefit from some time in the bottle. For higher end wines, cellaring is required to realize their potential. But a few extra years of patience can improve even humble wines.
Today’s bottle is a perfect example. The 2015 Chateau Gravette Lacombe was named a Cru Bourgeois, a distinction awarded to a few hundred Medoc cuvées each year based on the quality of the wine rather than the name or reputation of the chateau. Today, seven years on from harvest, the wine is at perfect maturity, and a real delight.
A 60/40 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this wine was raised in stainless steel and from an excellent vintage. The nose shows the dark fruits, as well as tertiary, savory, meaty notes that only occur with bottle age – look for dried cherries, leather, and a hint of vanilla bean. The mouth is smooth and clean, with softened tannins and pleasantly rustic flavors.
We’re sure Lafite and Margaux from 2015 are also aging well, and when they’re finally ready to drink a few decades from now, they’ll be delightful as well. But while you’re waiting, this wine is a treat – an extraordinary value for its level and maturity. Cellaring wine requires patience and investment; but in this case the Chateau has already done the work, and today’s already-cellared wine requires neither.
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Gravette-Lacombe Cru Bourgeois Medoc 2015
bottle price: $22
