2010 Château Larose-Trintaudon

Mid crimson. Graphite nose. Lots of rather simple sweetness upfront. More acid than tannin. A bit charmless. (JR)

A real winner from this estate, this blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot is widely available and generally sells for under $20 a bottle in the American marketplace. Plump, fleshy black currant and black cherry fruit intermixed with some cedar wood, vanilla, and incense jumps from the glass of this medium to full-bodied, attractive, somewhat denser than usual style for Larose Trintaudon. Nevertheless, the tannins are sweet and the acidity low, so drink this sleeper of the vintage over the next decade. A member of the Alliance des Cru Bourgeois du Medoc.

65% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. Very dark purplish crimson. Meaty and a bit brutal on the nose. Very light nose. Sweet start. A little confected and stuck together. Hint of icing sugar. Astringent finish. Doesn’t have real fruit concentration in the mid palate. Though it has attractive coolness on the finish. (JR)