2010 Chateau Bonnet Bordeaux Rose

French rose at Costco for nine bucks - I'm game.

Watermelon rind, pink grapefruit, and cinnamon on the nose.

Watermelon rind, pink grapefruit, and cinnamon the palate.

Watermelon rind, pink grapefruit, and cinnamon on the finish.

Do you like watermelon rind, pink grapefruit, and cinnamon? If so, you may like this wine. It's tough to get too serious about a standard cheap rose, but that said, it's more than tasty enough to snag a bunch and get a party going, get a party going, because it's time to party, and you will party hard.

Wow, the song I just referenced is 10 years old. Getting old sucks.

Score: 86

2005 Chateau de la Taille Bordeaux

Can't go wrong with cheap Bordeaux in a good vintage, can you? Eight bucks, I'm game.

Cedar and light plum notes on the nose.

This is very much an earthy/spicy sorta wine - Old World to be sure. There's some plum notes for fruit, but overall we're talking clove, cigar, tobacco, mint, anise, cedar, eucalyptus, and earth.

More of the clove and cedar linger on the palate as well as lingering plum.

Most the under $10 Bordeaux from 2005 we've had has been at least decent and this one is no exception. With these lower end offerings you're probably going to seeing the 06s or even 07s, on the shelf, but if you see the 05 I'd recommend it.

Wine: 7
Value: Sure

2005 L'X de Larrivaux Haut Medoc

This goes for around ten bucks at Costco and I believe has some sort shelf talker about 90+ points but the details of that I am sketchy on. I gave it about 90 minutes to open (it wasn't tight, but it was sorta dumb).

Sort of a pencil lead quality on the nose of this one along with a dash of eucalyptus and even a minty/cherry thing - sorta like a cherry flavored toothpaste.

Black fruit - plum, super dark red cherry - with a whole bunch of that earthy/spicy thing you expect. Very light oak, the lightest touch of vanilla, and a nice bit of tannin, all with a bit of eucalyptus and more of that pencil lead that I don't see often (to be fair, I don't drink all that much Bordeaux, at least decent Bordeaux). It's like sucking on a pencil in a way, a good way mind you.

Some nice tannic tea like qualities come through as well as some dark cherry.

You know, for a Bordeaux that's less than ten bucks, I gotta go right on ahead and say this is damn fine. I'm not sure how much more time in the bottle I'd give it - I couldn't imagine more than another year or so, but it's definitely worth a look.

Wine: 7
Value: Hell yeah

2005 Chateau Saint Paul Bordeaux

I don't recall the price, but all the 2005 Bordeauxs I snagged were under $12. We'll pretend this was at the high end.

A very nice nose with mostly smooth cedar and tobacco - like smelling a cigar box. It's not complex, but it's just "right."

A fair amount of tobacco and leather, nicely balanced tannins, good acid, a bit of cherry, all with some nice spicy notes - clove, dried Italian spices. It's not a terribly deep wine, but it's very easy drinking.

More leather on the finish - like biting a shoe - with those brown spices coming through as it fades and lingers for some time.

The word I keep thinking when I drink this is "nice." That can come off as condescending, but it's not my intent. There's a lot to like here, everything is just right - if I find more of this I'll be buying several bottles. It's the type of wine that you can pop open and sit on the patio on a cool evening. Well played.

Wine: 7
Values: Yes indeed.

2005 Baron de Mont Plaisir Bordeaux

Here's another cheapo 2005 Bordeaux. I don't know the price, but it wasn't $10.

A nice nose with anise and cedar.

In a word – thin. Virtually no body. I'd describe this as slightly oaky water with some cherry.

Some anise and clove lingers for longer than you'd expect for such a light bodied wine.

Big fast stinking blah. It's the sort of wine you can drink a gallon of not think twice about. Perhaps alright for a hot summer day when you're grilling a steak and want something red, but not too heavy - beyond that, nah.

Wine: 5
Value: Nah

2005 Les Caves Joseph Bordeaux Rouge

I bought a bunch of cheap 2005 Bordeaux a while back and have been slowly hitting them. This one was seven bucks.

The big thing on the nose here is cinnamon.

Earthy, spicy, dirty, funky – some cherries as well, but this is a dirty, filthy wine with good acid and nice, velveting tannins. The fruit comes through as the bottle opens, but so does a strong, freshly tanned leather quality. I feel like I'm chewing on a leather jacket.

Dried spices linger on the finish – from the dark brown cinnamon and clove to the green oregano and basil.

Well - I'm in a phase where something be a bit too earthy is more forgivable than something too fruity. This certainly isn't great but for seven bucks who can complain?

Wine: 7
Value: Yes

2005 Chateau Combray Bordeaux

I'm not sure where I read or heard – but the old rule is that in good vintages you can buy cheap stuff and in bad vintages you should splurge on the big boys. 2005 was known as a great Bordeaux vintage and I'll be blunt – I grabbed every under $10 bottle I could find – this one was seven. Let's take a look.

A funky nose – earth, oak, menthol, tobacco, and some alcohol.

Let this wine open for two hours. Before this wine saw a fair amount of air, it was almost like a piece of gum. It had a burst of cherry flavor but the longer you swished and swirled the more the flavor faded. Bright tart cherry, some oak, a bit of cigar box, and a reasonable amount of dried spices – from anise to oregano to eucalyptus. The acid and tannins become more pronounced with air as well – this went from completely dull to quite reasonable. It's a simple wine, even with concentration, and as such – with mild acid, fruit, and tannins – can be deemed little more than a simple quaff.

There are some some dried spices, perhaps some cherry and cinnamon, even a touch of mint.

This has some nice Bordeaux qualities and it's tough to criticize a cheap Bordeaux that actually has some reasonable essence of the region even without the complexity and nuances. If you've never had Bordeaux, this may be a good wine to try. To me, if you just drink this wine – just consuming it with pizza or whatnot – it's fine, good in fact. The more you think about it, the less it stands up – serve this at a party, with a large group of friends, or as the third bottle at a dinner party and you'll be fine.

Wine: 6.5
QPR: 6.5

2005 Chateau Mylord Bordeaux

Were you there when they opened Chateau Mylord?
Were you there with they sniffed and sipped Chateau Mylord?

Ooooh ooooh oh oh, sometimes, it causes me

To tremble...tremble....tremble....

Were you they drank Chateau Mylord?

Why did I buy this bottle? That joke, my friends, that joke. Don't bother writing me hate mail.

Forest floor, clove, and cherry on the nose.

Hmmm....earth, funk, spice, cinnamon, clove, cherry, super ripe strawberry, quite tannic and harshly acidic.

The tannins flex their muscles on the finish.

The second day brought out tobacco and spice on the nose. The acid has subsided a bit, but the fruit has faded too. Lots of earth, cigar, tobacco, bell pepper, with very bold tannins. The finish is all brown spice – nutmeg and clove.

Nothing over the top exciting but on the second day this is a pretty typical, cheap, classic style Bordeaux. Not a bad bottle for ten bucks.

2005 Chateau La Rose Tour Blanche Bordeaux

We've had good enough luck with the cheap 2005 Bordeauxs that I hit up Binny's and grabbed a few different bottles – so expect a fair amount of cheap ($12 or less) Bordeaux reviews to be coming in this blog in the upcoming months.

A little bit of candied cherry on an otherwise muted nose.

Hmmm...almost no fruit to speak of – a big earthy mess – tobacco, dirt, earth, oak, clove, cinnamon, various dried Italian spices (basil, oregano, thyme) – a bunch of qualities that aren't a problem if there's some fruit to balance it out, but on their own it's not working. After a few hours in the glass I do get a faint bit of cherry, but you really need to search for it.

The finish lingers for some time – usually a plus – but the absence of fruit really doesn't make it a strong quality.

The second day brings no nose at all. Chocolate, cinnamon, spice, oak, tobacco, menthol, and some more prominent cherry. The finish brings some blackberry and spice.

Initially I was going to say this was not worth the eight dollars, but I think it somewhat came through on the second day – I'm still not sold on it though. If you do try a bottle, you may want to decant it for at least six hours or so – or pour yourself a glass, recork the bottle, and enjoy the rest the second day so it gets a chance to morph a bit. It's a shame – this wine has a lot of nice complexities, but as a whole it's just not a strong contender.

2005 Baron Philippe de Rothschild Mouton Cadet

The 2005 Bordeaux is being raved about, and I'm not about to drop $650+ on the big names – I will spend $6.50 though. This is just a simple Bordeaux, a blend of mostly Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc thrown in for good measure.

The only thing I can really get on the nose is chocolate.

Fairly light and mellow – a bit of fruit, a bit of oak, and a touch of spice. Mostly cherries and blackberries, the oak gives some mildly fuzzy tannins, and I'm getting just a little mint and basil.
The finsh fades quickly with only some cinammon and cherry notes lingering. As the bottle opens, the fruit becomes a bit more pronounced. This is nicely balanced – not too fruity and acidic enough to really drink well.

For $7 this isn't bad – it's well balanced and easy drinking. If it has one flaw it is in its simplicity, but for seven bucks I'm content.

2005 Château Bourbon La Chappelle

The 2005 Bordeaux has been highly rated across the board – we've reviewed a couple cheap bottles and they've been solid, here's another that was under ten dollars.

Cedar, smoke, and black fruit on the nose.

A fair amount of wood- cedar and oak, black cherry for fruit, some nice spice, medium tannins, some leather, and quite a bit of tobacco.

More tobacco on the finish, with black fruit, and spice.

I wish it was just a bit warmer and I could set on the patio with a glass of this and a cigar after grilling a steak. This is a solid bottle, a tremendous value, and one easily worth revisiting.

2001 Chateau Sansonnet Bordeaux

I sadly don't recall much about this – in fact, I have no idea how much I paid for this or where I got it – a quick search found some shops selling this for over $30, but based on the bottle's location in the ol' wine fridge I doubt I paid more than $20.

Earth and chocolate on the nose.

Quite black – black cherry, dark chocolate, and earth. Some interesting herbal notes - eucalyptus, mint, maybe some basil – cedar comes through, and the tannins are nice and silky. A fair amount of sediment means you should defnitely keep this one upright for a day or two before opening and pour it carefully.

Herbal notes linger on the finish with some cherry and plum.

This bottle is certainly worth a look – I don't know about the $30 I'm seeing online, but if this was under $20 I'd grab it again without hesitation.

2001 Château Greysac Bordeaux

I had a gift certificate at a wine shop and thought I'd grab a Bordeaux with a bit of age on it, but didn't want to drop too much of it – this ran me about $16.

Oak, tobacco, and cigar box on the nose.

Tobacco on the palate – some oak, cedar, a bit of cherry, some licorice, bell pepper, and leather.

More of that cigar and cedar on the finish, with some green notes, and at the very end tomato juice.

Bordeaux, especially a decent one with a bit of age, is an odd, somewhat acquired taste. Personally, I enjoy it, and while I haven't experienced any of the truly high end Bordeaux, this seems to have some of the standard qualities of the region for a reasonable price.

2005 Chateau Lhorens Bordeaux

Look at this box...amazing. It looks like a fancy wooden case, yet that's just the box of this "box wine." Seriously, this is packaging at its finest. I paid $21 for this at World Market for this three liter box (the equivalent of four bottles).

Cherry and oak on the nose.

Medium to firm tannins, blackberry, cherry, oak, tobacco. Fruity, but not terribly sweet – very well balanced. I have to say, this is a solid wine all around - put this in a bottle at charge $12 and few would complain.

Earthy and woody notes linger for some time.

For $5.25 per “bottle” this is the way to go. In fact, this is one of the bargains of the year in terms of QPR. While it's not terribly deep and complex, there's more than enough here to really enjoy beyond a simple quaff.

2005 Château de Fontenille Bordeaux

This cheap Bordeaux came recommended as being a good QPR (quality price ratio – a term I don't use much, but will probably start doing so). For $8 many people would be afraid it couldn't possibly be good, but it's a highly rated vintage and I was up for a gamble.

Plum and cigar on the nose.

Very nice – medium tannin, black fruit, smoky tobacco – cigar box? - and a nice balance of oak. Some somewhat astringent qualities came through after several hours of this wine being open. Nothing that can't be looked past, but this is one of those goofy wines where it's at it's best in the first hour or two .

Earth and a bit of smoke on the finish.

This is absurdly good for the price. If you want loads of deep complexity, stop being a cheap ass and reading a $8 bottle review – but if you want a great bottle to open any night of the week, this one is the way to go.

2005 Chateau Grand Montet Bordeaux

We were at a local wine shop and a bunch of labels of the 2005 Bordeaux were in. They had apparently recently had a tasting of the labels and the guy working suggested a few that went over well with the crowd. This was $8 and the cheapest one he recommended.

Earth and cherry on the nose.

Soon after opening, I found this a bit sweet honestly, mild/medium tannins, cherry, and somewhat earthy. As it opened, a lot more earth came through, oak, the fruit calmed down a bit and I found the bottle far more enjoyable.

Some oak and berry on the finish.

My first draft on this wine was negative – but after a few hours of airtime, I think I'm sold. I found it too fruity and a bit sweet at first, but as the earthiness comes out, this really is a nice wine. When I sit and really focus, it is a bit too fruity, but just for casual drinking – and for $8, I'm not drinking this for academic reasons – I think this works fine.

2003 Chateau Talbot Caillou Blanc

We haven’t much experience with White Bordeaux, or oaked whites in general for that matter. This one was on sale and I figured it would be an learning experience.

The nose has hints of vanilla and gasoline...viscous.

Tropical fruit - pineapple, papaya - vanilla. There’s some buttery notes as well. Viscous mouthfeel.

A touch of oak on the finish with some more tropical fruit.

This is very new to me....a clearly oaked white, that’s not Chardonnay, and that doesn’t really offend me. Interesting depth, and thoroughly enjoyable. I would have no idea, as a vegetarian, how to pair this...maybe a French style pasta with a white sauce...for now, I’m enjoying it alone.

2005 Chateau Lamothe de Haux

I was at a wine shop today and realized that Fran and I really have never had a white Bordeaux before. We've tried a few at tastings, but nothing I can remember. So I picked up this bottle for $13 to give it a shot.

Orange zest and grapefruit on the nose.

Grassy and mineral notes with loads of grapefruit on the palate. It's quite acidic, my mouth waters for a long while after drinking and it is a dry wine---drier than I normally look for, but I still enjoy it. This is a fantastic wine...one that has sold me on White Bordeauxs. I look forward to trying more.