Wines of FreshDirect: Big Bordeaux, Small Price
Up front I’ll admit my bias. I am a big fan of the wines of Bordeaux. This year I traveled with Mrs. Wines of FreshDirect to the region, spending a week sampling all manner of vintages. This wine will surpise you given half a chance. 
Vineyard: Chateau Le Peuy Saincrit
Grape: Bordeaux blend (merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc)
Country: France
Year: 2005
Source: FreshDirect.com
Price: $11
Color: Dark red, magenta & ruby
Nose: First notes are smoke, which give way to leather and then plum and cherry. Later, one notes the presence of yeast.
Taste: I tasted this wine twice—the first time was right as it was opened, the second was approximately 45 minutes later. First, the taste after 45 mintues:
The entry is abrupt, yet fruit forward. The medium weight wine moves through the mouth well and presents tastes of leather and beets in addition to dark fruits such as plum, cassis and cherry. The exit gives a burst of fruit with lingering tannins.
Second, the immediate taste: Out of the bottle, the entry is abrupt and the wine is not a good drink. 2005 is a good year for Bordeaux wine in general, but heavily tannic wines need time to either mature, or if they are to be consumed today, breathe. This brings up a very important point about wine tasting, how important it is to savor the wine and note how it changes through the course of the bottle.
What I like: Like I said, I am a whore for big red Bordeaux blends and for $11 a bottle, this is plenty big and plenty Bordeaux. Once this wine opens up, it has the classic flavors one expects from that region, lots of dark fruits, exotic spice, all underpinned by an Earthy, leathery taste. While this bottle is enjoyable today, with the proper presentation, in 5 years, it will really be a bottle to enjoy.
What I don’t like: The wine is young. If a novice were to get this from FreshDirect, open it up and take a swig, the alcohol would be too much. To be properly enjoyed, this wine needs to be decanted for 30 minutes or at the very least, the bottle needs to be opened and left to breathe for 1 hour before consuming.
