Chateau Rollin Haut Medoc 2020

pomegranate, orange marmalade, black licorice, blackcurrant, and graphite

It is no secret that Bordeaux is home to some of our favorite values when it comes to French wine, but often while tasting them for the first time we are struck by just how good they can be, particularly in the $20 range. In the case of this particular wine there is almost everything we love wrapped up at a stellar price point.

This week’s first wine comes to us from the Haut-Médoc, the inland area of Bordeaux’s Left Bank. In the case of Château Rollin, the property is actually located just west of Pauillac, and benefits from the same gravelly soils as its famous neighbor. Here, production is divided evenly between Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The Martin family, owners of the property, manage their vineyards with as minimal intervention as possible, preferring to let the terroir and characteristics of their older vines speak for themselves. One of the reasons we enjoy smaller châteaux in Bordeaux is that many times, this style of traditional viticulture is the norm.

The finished blend for this wine is roughly equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, all harvested by hand. When you open it, I strongly suggest decanting this wine for at least half an hour, though if you can stand the wait a full hour is ideal. Once this wine has some time to open up, it delivers notes of pomegranate, orange marmalade, black licorice, blackcurrant, and graphite. Drink now through 2028 with duck confit, chicken Caesar salad, or charcuterie.