SOLD OUT! Talk about an incredible value in aged, ready-to-drink Bordeaux!
The 2012 Chateau Semonlon Haut-Mèdoc is our new Wine of the Week, and it could easily pass for a $30+ Bordeaux! With autumn and cooler weather upon us, this is the wine you want to be drinking.
2012 Chateau Semonlon Haut-Mèdoc
Perfectly aged, mature Bordeaux at a great price!
SOLD OUT
I had this just the other night with some grilled lamb chops. Talk about food and wine nirvana! Located in Avensan, just outside of Margaux, this is classic Left Bank Bordeaux. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot grown in rocky soils and aged for 12 months in French oak, I can’t recommend this wine highly enough.
Chateau Semonlon comes to us from San Francisco-based importer Charles Neal’s portfolio. Many of you are already familiar with the high quality of wines he picks — Domaine Amido Cotes du Rhone, Domaine Daulny Sancerre, and Domaine Duffour Cotes de Gascogne, just to name a few. Trust me, this one is just as honest, real, and authentic as those.
The property is owned by the Dumora family, whose patrimony spans several generations. Their vines average 35 years of age, the estate employs green harvesting when needed, and all of the grapes are picked by hand. Annual production is just 45,000 bottles or just under 4,000 cases. Quality over quantity is the rule of thumb at this small family estate.
That quality is abundantly apparent upon pouring the wine. It is deeply colored and offers up a powerful bouquet of blackcurrant, intense spice, tobacco, and graphite. Sturdy on the palate, with fine tannin, it is full of flavor and nuance. I pick up abundant notes of dark fruits along with hints of anise, grilled herbs, earth, and spice box. I suspect this one was quite wound up when first released, but the 5 years of aging have softened the edges and refined the wine.
This is a splendid value in classically-styled, terroir-infused Bordeaux. Like I said before, it is a heavenly wine when paired with lamb, and it would be equally delicious with standing rib roast, venison, and other full flavored proteins.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville