2012 Chateaux la Tour de Mons – Bordeaux (Merlot blend)
Margaux - left bank
Retail: $40
Winemaker: Managing Director Thierry Budin
For those who know a little about Bourdeuax, this is a left bank Merlot blended wine with 55% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Petit Verdot. The winery chateau dates back to the 13th Century. The grapes from this winery are predominately 30 years old with some being planted in 1934 according to the winery’s website. They produce 12,500 cases of this solid Bourdeaux.
I found the appearance of the wine to be a good example of a Bourdeaux, a deep ruby red that is fully opague. The purity is excellent and the wine is filtered. The first aroma of this wine is that of tree fruit of plums and an earthy notes of dusty, vanilla and some cedar. The aromas are distinguishable for a Merlot blend.
The bouquet is fruit forward of blackberries and plums. You can taste a pleasant amount of oak which is a result of the 40% new French oak barrel aging. The wine is aged 12 months. The wine was first vinified on stainless steel tanks. I believe that the wine is full boded that when tasting is chewy and grippy. I attribute the body of the wine to the good amount of Cabernet Sauvignon which I prefer as one of my go to varietals. When you swish the wine in your glass, the legs or tears of alcohol were slightly slow on the cascading descent meaning that there is a fair amount of alcohol (13.5%).
The taste of this wine is smooth with some complexity. The wine starts in the tip of the tongue with plum and ends in the back of the mouth as blackberries. The tannins are clearly present and supple. The alcohol feel was warm which I think complements the suppleness of this wine. The acidity is low and although not a refreshing wine, it is nice to drink with cheese and meat.
The finish of this wine was pleasant but didn’t last as long as I would have liked. I measured it to being 15 seconds. Overall, this is a good example of a Bourdeaux that you can try to get a better sense of what a left bank wine should be. You can drink this wine now and it should get better with some proper cellaring.
http://www.chateau-latourdemons.com
Food pairing: Lamb, most meats, and bleu cheese.
Vineyard source: Single block vineyard
Vineyard certification:
Harvest dates:
Vintage notes: Low temperature fermentation
Yeast:
Fermentation: Steel tanks
Alcohol: 13.5%
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