Wine of the Week: Château Labat 2015

I know you can get this at Wine.com, but I think (and hope) you can find it at many more outlets. If you do, buy some. Especially if you haven’t tried French wine, and specifically Bordeaux, but would like to…out of curiosity, if nothing else. So try this Wine-Flair Wine of the Week!

Bordeaux wines come in two broad categories: left bank, based on Cabernet Sauvignon, and right bank, based on Merlot. “Bank” refers to the rivers Garonne and Dordogne, which meet northwest of the city of Bordeaux and flow into the Gironde estuary, which extends for about 75 miles into the Atlantic. There’s more to it, and if you want to know more, go here.

Anyway, every classified Bordeaux red wine must have at least three grapes, and may have up to and including six: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and rarely but allowed, Carménère. One of my favorite Bordeaux has it, Chateau Clerc Milon.

The Château Labat 2015 comes from a relatively small, 17-acre estate, and is equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It’s balanced, with nice acidity, violet aroma and plum-y dark fruit flavors. The “experts” will tell you to cellar it for at least two to four more years, but I say hooey: drink it tonight, and toast the demise of Covid19.

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