Peybonhomme-les-Tours 2003

Peybonhomme-les-Tours 2003 Premieres
France, Bordeaux, Cotes de Blaye ($12)

I finally motivated myself and my girlfriend to hop on the 1 train to Chambers Street Wines last saturday. I've read so much about their extensive organic selection and their huge selection of Loire wines. Between four and seven o'clock they had about ten wines to taste including a few Loire whites, a bunch of Burgundian reds, and three Bordeaux reds. In the past I might have been intimidated by the staff and especially by my ignorance in the details of French wine.

The three Loire wines were delicious. So far the hype behind the 2005 vintage is accurate, as each of these 2005 examples represented accordingly. The Raimbault 2005 Sancerre Les Godons was my favorite of those. The five Burgundy wines were nothing special. Just another example of how I don't get excited about Pinot Noir. Of the three Bordeaux wines, the Peybonhomme-les-Tours 2003 Premieres Cotes de Blaye was tasty and for only $12 it spoke to my wallet as well.

Ruby red color with aromas of raspberries and cherries. Extremely supple and smooth. Very well balanced and effortless on the palate. The finish is long and reveals some earthy notes. Overall an elegant wine for the price and my whole view of French reds being overpriced has been altered. My grade: A-