La Cave du Vin Issue 2
- Deepest House -
In last week’s issue of La Cave du Vin, I examined Chateau Bibian, a Cru Bourgeois wine from appellation Haut-Medoc. This week, we’re staying in the Bordeaux region of France with Chateau Le Pey, in appellation Medoc. Medoc sits north of the city of Bordeaux, and is home to some 1,500 vineyards.
Medoc, in addition to being an appellation is also a geographic region within Bordeaux. The region of Medoc encompasses the entire Left Bank of the Gironde estuary; however within the region, separate appellations exist. Last week’s wine originated in appellation Haut-Medoc, which geographically sits in the Medoc region. In addition to Medoc and Haut Medoc, other important Left Bank appellations within the Medoc region include Paulliac AOC, Margaux AOC, Saint-Julien AOC, and Saint-Estephe AOC. Many experts consider Paulliac to be the home of the best of the best Bordeaux wines.
Covering 49 hectares, Chateau Le Pey sits just over three miles from the Gironde estuary, on the southern edge of Begadan village. Classified Cru Bourgeois in 2003, Chateau Le Pey is a family operation, as are many of the smaller wine operations in the region. The bottle notes on the lower right hand side that in 2012, the Ministere de L’Agriculture et de L’Alimentation (Ministry of Agriculture and Nutrition, I’m guessing) awarded Chateau Le Pey the Medaille D’Argent (silver medal) in some kind of competition.
The 2010 Chateau Le Pey has a dark ruby and crimson color and is opaque under light. Blackberries jump at the nose with a swirl in the glass, while earthen accents quickly follow. With soft fruit and black cherry flavors greeting the mouth, oak and leather trail to compliment the earthen aromas. Full-bodied, this Cabernet dominated Bordeaux is well balanced, with no offending qualities. The tannins are maturing and soft as this wine enters its seventh year.
While La Cave du Vin does not seek to rate wines, a comparison to the previous wine may always be made. I have enjoyed this wine’s softer and more rounded structure than Chateau Bibian, which was a great wine. The standard at La Cave du Vin is if a wine merits smoked meats and cheeses. It is without hesitation that this wine deserves to be enjoyed with smoked meats and cheeses.
At $22 at the local wine shop, this wine represents a great value for the casual wine drinker looking for a great Bordeaux. Once again, the 2010 vintage does not disappoint.
