2010 Chateau La Vieille Cure, Red Bordeaux, Fronsac, Grand Vin de Bordeaux, France.
Wonderfully open, this Merlot based Bordeaux really over delivers for the price, it’s a true classic in styling from a great vintage, if you can find any of this stuff you’ll be well served to grab it up, I was wonderfully impressed with it’s depth and complexity as well as it’s round mouth feel and dark character. Grown on the chalk and clay, La Vieille Cure is mostly Merlot with a touch each of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, all the grapes are de-stemmed and maceration lasts about a month before fermenting in stainless, then raised in barrel where it finishes malos. Fronsac in a vintage like 2010 is way under valued and while not as desirable as Pomerol, it’s a great place and terroir for structured Merlot wines, this La Vieille Cure is a beautiful example, it’s not a blockbuster or flashy wine, but a well crafted Claret that shows solid layers of ripe dark fruit, mineral and possesses opulent textural charm with deep color and flavors, leading with a cedary and floral bouquet with a palate of blackberry, mulberry/currant, blueberry, tobacco leaf, kirsch, sage/herb and faint graphite/loaminess. This wine has a nice tannic core, but graceful, giving pure detail and length, adding minty anise and dusty plum notes to the whole, framed by well judged oak shadings, things get even better with air as it gains a full bodied impact. What’s not to like? This is why we still love a good Bordeaux, especially a wine like this Chateau La Vieille Cure, and I’ll be interested in the 2014 and 2015 versions too, as the release price is only $24, this 2010 is a savvy cellar choice, it has plenty of life left in the tank, best from 2020 to 2025 easy, I really should have got more.
($40 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive
