SippitySup

Château Tour Peyronneau Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

http://chateaux.vins-saint-emilion.com/chateau-8690-chateau-tour-peyronneau-langue-en

I’ll admit it, I like to bargain hunt and I’m also somewhat fond of wine. So when my iPhone alerts me that wine discounters like Last Bottle, Woot or Wines Til Sold Out has a new deal I just have to check it out. It’s all in the timing. Since I knew I’d be starting my Bordeaux class at UCLA Extension this week, I thought I’d better jump on a four-pack of 2012 Château Tour Peyronneau Saint-Émilion Grand Cru from WTSO (it’s prep! it’s research!). Surely Greg could concoct a delightful dish to enhance my experience of this right bank Bordeaux.

Château Tour Peyronneau Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Right bank = Merlot (primarily, with 5–15% Cabernet Franc and maybe some Cab Sauvignon in the blend)– juicy, round and full of flavorful black fruit. The tannins are generally softer and more velvety than their left bank Cab cousins (they may speak more quietly, but still carry a big stick). Expressive blueberry, boysenberry or even black cherry flavors are interwoven with herbal or vegetal notes along with an earthiness or minerality reflective of Bordeaux’s legendary terroir. Famously extravagant right bank examples include Château Pétrus in Pomerol (a bottle from the 100-point 2009 or 2010 vintage will set you back about $5,000) and Château Cheval Blanc in Saint-Émilion (Wally’s has a 1947 on offer for a mere $28,000). But we’re not talking Grand Cru Classé here at Sippity Sup, we’re a bit more down to earth.

Earth: nothing says “forest floor” like mushrooms. Greg’s Mushroom Tarts with Walnuts and Caramelized Onions is certainly earthy, mirroring the herbaceous notes expressed in the nose of the Château Tour Peyronneau. And the umami richness from the caramelized onions and buttery pastry are taken to another level of lushness when complemented by the wine’s deep boysenberry flavors. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t an overblown “fruit bomb”. At a reasonable 13% ABV, this Bordeaux has a good typicity– not at all “declassé.” KEN

Wines of Bordeaux

Left bank:

  • Planted largely to Cabernet Sauvignon, with some Cab Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdot, and Malbec.
  • Gravelly top soil with a limestone bedrock. The stony top soil makes the vines reach down deep for their nutrients, creating a more desirable environment for old vines that create age-able wines.
  • Most famous regions: Medoc, Graves, Sauternes, St. Estephe, Paulliac, Margaux, St. Julien.

Right Bank:

  • Planted largely to Merlot, with a lot of Cab Franc, some Cab Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, and Malbec.
  • Limestone emerges at the surface here (rather than being buried, as it is on the Left Bank). Gravel is less predominant.
  • Most famous regions are St. Emilion, Pomerol, and Fronsac.

Château Tour Peyronneau Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Price $23 (WTSO) — $75 (retail)

Also pairs well with beef, lamb, pork, duck, pasta, mushrooms and fresh herbs, cured meats, grilled or smoked foods.

  • Category Red Wine
  • Varietal Merlot
  • Region Bordeaux France
Château Tour Peyronneau Saint-Émilion Grand Cru