2016 Château Lucques Bessan, Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux, France (Alcohol 13.5%, Residual Sugar 5 g/l) LCBO Vintages $16.95 (750ml glass bottle)
It’s always a nice surprise to see affordable fine with a little bit of age on it, especially when that wine is red and from Bordeaux. With seven years on it, this little wine from Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux has developed in a most appealing fashion, and at $16.95 it’s certainly not going to break the bank.
The bouquet is quite evolved and shows mature black fruit characteristics. There’s a gorgeous plumminess present here that dominates both the nose and the palate, but one will also find olive tapenade, woodsmoke, and liquorice notes.
In the mouth, the acidity is still brisk and the tannins mature and supple, giving the wine some impressive structure for the price. There’s also a touch of graphite present here, something that hangs around in the lingering finish.
I’d like to pair this with fall mushroom-based dishes, marinated lamb chops, or a winter vegetable lamb stew.
This Merlot-dominated blend is unmistakably Bordeaux Merlot, with none of the “fat” one can find from many other terroirs around the world. All in all, it’s a neat little package that certainly overperforms
(Three and a half out of a possible five apples)
Château Lucques Bessan are represented in Ontario by Dionysus Wines and Spirits.
Dionysus Wines and Spirits are a Good Food Fighter.
Please support the businesses and organizations that support Good Food Revolution.
