2006 Château Haut-Sorillon Bordeaux Supérieur, France (84 pts, $7.99)
2006
Chateau Haut-Sorillon
BordeauxFrance
Bordeaux Superieur Controlee
12.5% alc.
$7.99
category: wine reviews »
Bordeaux Supérieur? Probablement pas. But, for $7.99, a good try nevertheless.
This is a Trader Joe’s selection, and all things considered is not half bad, especially for the price. Just don’t expect it to live up to its claim as a superior Bordeaux.
Overall, it’s weak. The nose is way laid back, with subtle hints of berry, vanilla, but dominated by tannins. After 30-60 minutes, the tannins do settle somewhat. But the flavors still are weak, like rabbit juice. Not bad necessarily. Just don’t expect much fruit.
As usual with some of these wines, I taste, and then if it’s not exactly lighting the world on fire, I decant over night. Yes, why not? Nothing to lose by really letting it open up. Sure enough, it was better the next day. I’m not sure what that says about this wine or me. But it makes a hum-drum, below average wine, just a little better.
I ended up pairing it with a small, slow-cooked steak. The wine was no match. Nice try mes amis. La fois prochaine… is that right? My French is so rusty after leaving Canada 11 years ago. In any language: 84 points.
Clinton StarkCo-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, Fan of Napa (and Diet Coke)
Clint co-founded StarkSilverCreek and writes about social media, arts, wine, indie film, and his trusty Droid. An aging ice hockey player, he tries in vain to direct Loni in SSC videos. Originally from Ottawa, Canada, Clint is a Silicon Valley and new media entrepreneur. From the early PC clone days in the 80’s, to the explosion of telecom and networking in the 90’s, and now to social networking, Web 2.0 and software-as-a-service, Clint has successfully built businesses and start-ups into multi-million dollar operations. Recently as VP marketing he spearheaded the launch of a $110M company. But that was then.
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I’ve had really bad luck with the Bordeaux section at TJ’s. It is more or less on my do not shop list now unless I have a recommendation. Any faves in that section?
I agree, I’ve also been challenged to find decent Bordeauxs at Trader Joe’s. Same with Italian. I bought a Chianti recently and it was pitiful. Tried the decant for a day trick that helped slightly.
At least here in SF Bay Area, I think people are generally better off sticking to the California section. Although I have had success also with South American Malbecs.
First of all, there are two general categories of wine from the bordeax region: Right bank and left bank. Left banks, like a good haut-medoc, tend to have more of the heavy-hitting complexities this reviewer seems to be critical of not finding in this haut-sorillon, which is a right bank Bordeaux. Right bank wines, say a St. Emilion, tend to have mellower complexities and to be more intended as everyday table wine. For its price, thish is a great deal, and stands up to many pricier right bank Bordeaux I have enjoyed.
Yes, the reviewer may be a ’sommelier,’ but in this time and place, that doesn’t necessarily mean so much. Especially when one misses something covered in the early pages of “French Wine for Dummies.”