2005 de Sarenceau, St-Emilion

This wine is an example of perfectly aged Merlot! Mature notes on the nose, leather, licorice, and black fruits. The palate is as friendly as it gets with aged Bordeaux, lively acidity, soft and round dark fruits, sweet cherries, and light earthy tones. The tannins are refined and borderline silky. This is the perfect wine if you’re interested in aged Merlot, or a great wine to start your Bordeaux journey! Decant for an hour before drinking. (Comprised of 100% Merlot)

This was one of those wines that we tasted in Bordeaux and the immediate question was "how much do you have?" 2005 Bordeaux is rare enough these days, but one that's legit, delicious, and available at this kind of pricing is a bit of a unicorn. It's also wonderful to revisit 2005 Sarenceau six months later, and feel just as excited as we did when first tasting it. A broad, deep St-Emilion, it evolves wonderfully in the glass, opening up with a bit of air. Leather, plum, and licorice fill the aromas, while the palate is full of dried cherries and raspberry liquor, fine oak tannins, and wonderful texture. The finish is mouth-coating and carries with licorice and black fruit. In a perfect drinking window, it will be hard to resist pulling corks at this stage, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it age easily for another five to ten years, considering how structured it remains, and how well it opens up after pulling the cork. For this kind of price, it is an unrivaled opportunity on today's market.

Château de Sarenceau is a family property and the 4th generation runs it today. This small estate of only 9 hectares allows a precise and careful work of the vines. This is the first time we have carried this property and it was our biggest buy on April 2022 trip. Rare enough to be underlined, this Saint-Emilion is a 100% Merlot! It offers an evolved nose, with notes of truffle, plum and licorice. The mouth opens with a lot of fruit and freshness, and finishes with ripe black fruit flavors. A great wine from a great vintage. Will cellar well 10 more years. Decant and enjoy. Great value for under $25