Chateau Picoron 2000 Bordeaux

Chateau Picoron 2000 Bordeaux
Côtes de Castillon Region (Bordeaux), France
 

Vintages can make or break a wine in France, which doesn't enjoy California's unchanging weather, but there's no doubt that 2000 was a stupendous year in France's most famous winemaking region, Bordeaux. Chateau Picoron did not let this perfect combination of warm weather and sunshine pass them by and have created a rich and elegant wine. Their vineyards lie in the Côtes de Castillon region, adjacent to the more famous - and expensive - region called St. Emilion. They use the same grapes, Merlot and Cabernet Franc (Cabernet Sauvignon's less aggressive brother). These are the traditional grapes of this part of Bordeaux and are part of all the great wines of the area.

This blend of grapes gives the wine some earthier flavors when grown in France instead of California, so the Chateau Picoron smells of earth and toast. It is nonetheless topped with a perfume of plums and lavender and you can even taste some strawberry as the wine warms up in your mouth. This wine is medium-bodied and while it does have some tannins that grip your teeth, they are not aggressive and help create a satisfying finish.