A celebratory Saturday night started–and finished–courtesy of the 2010 Chateau Hanteillan Bordeaux from the Haut Medoc region.  This is the second of four in our collection, and like our first tasting of this red, it too accompanied a great pair of steaks and blue cheese salads, though on this occasion we worked a perfectly baked potato into the mix as well.

2010 Chateau Hanteillan Bordeaux, Haut Medoc, France.

Somehow I failed to recall the initial experience we had with the Hanteillan, and again my first sip showed the heavy tannin finish that I hadn’t cared for previously.  Rather than play a bad hand, this time I opted to decant the entire bottle–to a much better outcome.  A re-deal, if you will.  Allowing the 2010 to breathe really helped and would be my clear recommendation for anyone sampling this vintage.

Getting some air into this Bordeaux allowed its fruity background to play a bigger role and really diminished the tannin’s acidity.  I think the balance was restored through the decanter, and I know that’s how we’ll proceed with the remaining inventory we have in our possession.