Wine of the Week: 2005 Chateau Petit Bocq St. Estephe

This vintage was released back in 2006 and given a rating of 89/91 score. A well deserving score for such a beautiful wine.

I didn’t stumble upon this fine bottle of wine until this past weekend and opened it today. One word to describe this wine – wow!

This elegant wine is from the Bordeaux regions of France with a mixture of 55 percent Merlot, 43 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2 percent Cabernet Franc and aged one year in French oak. This full bodied vintage has fresh blueberries and roasted espresso on the nose and dense sweet ripe plums, cherries, tannin on the palate with a much desired lasting finish. With such a delicious finish, it would be a shame to follow it with anything else other than another sip.

I normally would recommend a specific dish to accompany this wine, but with the limited availability, I highly recommend savoring this exquisite vintage by itself.

Price: $23-$35

Wine of the week: Pasos Vineyards, 2005 Reserve Dastarte Red Wine

From Pasos Vineyards of Lockeford, Calif. this delightful vintage won the 2008 San Joaquin Valley Winegrowers Association Propriety Blend, Gold Medal and the Bronze Medal award for best Bordeaux blend at the 2009 Florida State Wine and Grape Juice Fair. While this little gem should have placed higher in Florida, its bronze medal recognition is still well deserved.

This bottle of heaven is loaded with smooth delicious flavors and aromas of fruit and a perfect balance of spice and smoky overtones. Released in 2008, this bottle of elegance is perfectly aged and fit to keep its exceptional flavor for the next 7-10 years.

Combined with Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Verdot barreled in new French and new Hungarian oak barrels makes this Bordeaux blend a masterpiece. On the palate is rich with sweet black cherry and ripen plums with notes of pepper, leather, and smoke accompanies a much desired lasting finish.

This very drinkable vintage is well enough enjoyed alone for any occasion or with a nice peppery steak or game. Like all wines produced at Pasos Vineyards, this vintage is in limited production, so stock of this wine is in very short supply. Price per bottle: $49

For more information on this wine and other varietals, contact Pasos Vineyards at (877) 53-PASOS. Located at: 12470 Locke Rd, Suite 268, Lockeford, CA 95237
Hours of operation: Fri-Sat 11-6 p.m., Sun 11-5 p.m.