This wine is in the 25% off 500 listing this week, the W&O 500
. I sploshed half a bottle around in a small carafe, and went off to finish work in the vegetable garden for 90 minutes.
A left bank petite chateau claret, Cru Bourgeois, that at the moment is very Merlot dominated on the palate. The oak is quite nice and because the Merlot & oak are so young, you'd swear that a load of Cab franc was used in the cuvee (I'd speculate that there was a mix of 2nd pass oak used in the élevage). The Cab sauvignon is a bit benign (pity), and not coming through yet. Nose is a bit benign, but the Merlot/franc cigar box is waiting in the wings.
In terms of ripeness, the wine is less crowd pleasing than the 2009, with the '09 the Cab was riper. This is not a problem, the wine is not ready. "Body" an inaccurate sloppy term used commonly these days - OK - The colour and substance in the wine is bolder and deeper than normal for a cheap claret, but the weight on the palate could only be said to be on the fuller side of Medium....at the mo.
Not bad at all, easy tannins, finish is a bit short of fruit and slightly drying, that, in my experience is entirely consistent with it's youth, and low lying Cab
In my view this wine will come good from 2015 onwards. I would be hard pushed to part with £12.99 for this 2010 at this time though (**because I am a hard task master), yet during the Waitrose Wine Week, pick some up for future quaffing with confidence.
Richard - I don't think there is enough cab or new oak for you.
** my mind is still stuck in pre VAT increase and tax import duties. In France the level of duty on quality appears to have been hiked-up, but I don't know the stealth tax regime there.