2010 Chateau Hanteillan, Haut Medoc, Bordeaux, France.

Scouting possible reds for the Thanksgiving holiday, we opened this Bordeaux to accompany a lovely dinner of steaks and blue cheese salad–a classic pairing in our home as frequent site visitors can undoubtedly attest.  We ordered four of these red blends, and the first leaves an interesting impression.

This 2010 probably could have been shelved for a longer period, and I think we erred in not properly aerating after opening.  It’s got the usual Bordeaux coloring, a shimmering pool of goodness, and nose too.  In my excitement to sample a new vino, however, I failed to detect the underpinnings that might have better informed me on its need to breathe.  Thus, this first exposure to the 2010 Chateau Hanteillan leaves me with notes that include “long finish” and “heavy tannin feel”.

I’m not sure we have in this bottle the right red for our dinner later this week, but we do have a few more so perhaps it’ll make the cut after all.  To be continued…