Bordeaux has a historical reputation for producing high quality wines. This reputation leads to an expectation that great wines must have a very long life, inducing some winemakers to try to make over-extracted, tannic and oaked wines even if the balance is not right. Sadly, few of our fellow winelovers would wish to drink these Bordeaux young. The tannic structure of Cabernet and Merlot can be very coarse when young and drinking a whole bottle during a meal sometimes becomes an arduous experience.
Fortunately, there is one producer that defies this logic, Domaine de Galouchey, making a Bordeaux to be drunk anytime. In an attempt to dispose of any presumptuous feelings about its terroir, it even dropped its appellation Bordeaux for a vin de France, a table wine. The only aim is to showcase the wine in its best form. The vines were planted in Entre-deux-Mers in an uncultivated area, a land never spoiled by chemicals, and that has only seen organic agriculture since. Their low yield of grapes is, to our surprise, de-stemmed by hand, which allows to select only the very best berries.
And this extremely conscientious winemaking and viticulture does pay off well. Vin de Jardin is intensely fruity, racy and medium in alcohol like Bordeaux used to be some decades ago. The Merlot-heavy blend gives smooth round tannins making it a very drinkable wine. It is an easy choice whenever we have guests for dinner. And now the bottle is emptied quickly, perhaps too quickly…
Tasting notes:
| Domaine de Galouchey – Vin de Jardin 2016 | |
|---|---|
| Nose: | Ripe and intense plums, a mild note of pencil lead in the background. Clearly a Merlot-based blend on the nose. |
| Palate: | Fruity attack, concentrated yet light. The midpalate reveals graphite and some herbs. Medium finish where cedar, herbs and old oak can be distinguished. |
| Structure: | Crisp, racy, medium soft round tannins, medium body, medium alcohol. Very pretty and defined structure. I wonder how it would age. |