Baron D'Ardeuil Buzet 2005
|
 |
France |
|
The 2005 vintage of this longtime bestseller has finally been released, and what a wine it is! This is one of the best Buzet from the legendary 2005 vintage: a Bordeaux blend with a deeper, fruity Southwestern character.
|
Release Notes:
|
|
| Our Rating : |
93 |
| Country : |
France
|
| Region : |
Buzet
|
| Grape : |
|
| Alcohol : |
14% |
|
A longtime favorite on the export market, Buzet sent wine to England as far back as the 13th century and was later fashionable in the French colony of New Orleans. This wine, darker and fruitier than Bordeaux, is excellent with hearty foods. The Baron d’Ardeuil was a local notable whose wife was one of Napoleon’s mistresses. She was able to secure a barony as consolation for her long-suffering husband. The 2005 is a blend of Merlot (51%), Cabernet Franc (22%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (27%) from old vines. The grapes are hand-selected before vinification and aged in oak barrels for 15 months.
Tasting Notes:
A rich, deep garnet colored wine with a powerful nose of earth, spice, tobacco, sage and plums. In the mouth, this full-bodied wine has an abundance of cherry, cassis, and plum fruit flavors as well as a hint of chocolate and tobacco flavors too. Medium to long finish on fruit and soft tannins. Perfect with grilled meats (white and red), stews, cassoulet, and other strong, flavorful dishes, or a nice cheese course. This wine has great cellaring potential and can keep until 2015, but be sure to open it a half hour before serving to let breathe.
Late winter vines in Buzet.
Winery:
Buzet lies only 60 miles inland from Bordeaux, along the left bank of the Garonne River. Unlike other great wines of the Southwest (like Cahors and Madiran), Buzet is made from the traditional Bordeaux grapes. These hearty wines, darker and fruitier than Bordeaux, were favorites with the English as far back as the 13th century, and became popular in the French colony of New Orleans. Unfortunately, this region, like much of the Southwest, was hit hard by the Phylloxera epidemic at the end of the 19th century and quality wine production nearly ceased for a couple of generations. In the 1950s Buzet re-emerged thanks to the efforts of local growers, whose extensive mapping of the region to determine the best vineyard sites and adoption of Merlot led to an AOC designation in 1973 and success in the export markets of Britain and Northern Europe.
Region:
Buzet lies only 60 miles inland from Bordeaux, along the left bank of the Garonne River. Unlike other great wines of the Southwest (like Cahors and Madiran), Buzet is made from... Read more
Picturesque Château overlooking the well-tended vines of Buzet
;)
;)
