A week of scorching temperatures had us doing cold drinks rather than reds, and this was the first time all week vino was the right move.  We opened this Haut Medoc Bordeaux–a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 9% Petit Verdot–to accompany a great meal of grilled steaks and blue cheese salads (shrimp cocktail kicked things off).  This Bordeaux hit high marks for us and will be great to revisit again soon.

It has all the marks that resonate for me: beautiful color, a deep and rich red that’s fuller than a Pinot Noir; a blackberry and dark berry (rather than a strawberry) underpinning; a smooth taste that resonated for me even though we probably drank it “too soon” and didn’t allow it to breathe or age in any appreciable way.  It complemented the pepper-seasoned steaks perfectly.

Chateau Dasvin Bel Air 2010, Haut-Medoc Cru Bourgeois, France.

Luckily we have several bottles of the Chateau Dasvin Bel Air 2010 Haut-Medoc Cru Bourgeois so we’ll have plenty of chances to share tasting notes from the “experts” with you.  This time out we’ll share a little information on the vineyard itself.

“The Chateau’s 30-acre vineyard lies at the southern end of the Haut Medoc appellation, on a large, narrow gravel soil resting on a thin coat of sand and a bank of yellow arenite on the one hand, and Garonne gravel on clay subsoil on the other.  In this environment, 25-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot vines are planted at a high density (in order to naturally restrict yields and develop the wine’s fruit profile) and cared for sustainably to allow their healthy development.  A first selection in the field is followed by another at the sorting table to select only the best chosen grapes that will be de-stemmed and used.  The must ferments in stainless steel tanks and temperature-controlled cement vats and pumped over three times a day.  Depending on the tasting session, there are 1 to 3 rackings, to help with clarification and final aroma profile of the wine.”

That’s a lot of information.  Some of it works for me; some of it is superfluous.  I can tell you with confidence that whatever the process is, it works great.  Ready for the next glass now!