2011 Dauphin de Grand Pontet Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Last night we were discussing Bordeaux on Twitter, and it got us thinking about our go-to Bordeaux AOC: Saint-Emilion. It's dark & brooding, well balanced, and, quite honestly, has never disappointed us. This tiny little AOC produces a wine that's great with food or on it's own, and definitely stands up to heartier fair. It's not the best AOC in Bordeaux. At the moment we're torn between Lalande-de-Pomerol & Margaux, but we're a mercurial lot. The important thing here is that, while not cheap (we define cheap as $15 and under), Saint-Emilion isn't in the lofty price range of some of its more illustrious neighbors. For example, this bottle was just over $30, and we've found Saint-Emilion for under $20 a time or two. On to our tasting notes!

Cherries & sage on the nose. At times there’s a hint of raw meat as well. Cherries, milk chocolate & sweet tobacco on the tongue. Granite, pepper & thyme on the finish. This is a pretty wonderful example of this AOC and what makes it so enchanting. Rich, full of dark fruit, with just a little bite on the finish. One of the things we really like about this wine is how memories of dark fruit clings to the surfaces of your mouth long after the wine is gone.

One last note: Saint-Emilion was the wine that made us true believers in the Right Bank. If you're on the fence about Bordeaux and you're a fan of American & Australian reds, give this AOC a try. We think you'll love it.