Château de Fontenille Bordeaux Clairet – Do Real Men Drink Pink?

100% Cabernet Franc. SRP of $14, but available for $11.99. Sample received courtesy Planet Bordeaux for review purposes.

From the bottle:

“Château de Fontenille is a splendid property situated in the middle of 65 ha of which 40 ha are planted with vines, near the ancient Abbey of La Sauve Majeure. The blending being mostly Cabernet Franc, it gives an excellent structure. Ideal as an apertif, with cold meat and barbecues. To be drunk within three years after the bottling to keep its freshness. To be served between 53° and 57° F. 13% Alcohol”

As a dad to 2 girls I’m used to pink. Heck, even the dog is a girl. (I do have to admit that I play a mean game of Pretty Pretty Princess, I’m UNBEATABLE! BRING IT!) But pink in your drink?

The 2010 Château de Fontenille Bordeaux Clairet is really a bridge between red and white wines for proponents of each grape. This is basically a red wine without the tannins. A great hot summer day drink for red wine drinkers that is quite nice chilled. And a nice introduction to red wines for those white wine only types. You may see this wine described as a rosé or a clairet, but the idea is similar. The color in red wine comes from dark grape skins being left in contact with the juice during fermentation. If you remove the skin or juice part way through fermentation, you essentially end up with a light red, or pink, rosé wine. (The skin is also what imparts much of the tannins to the wine.)

The 2010 Château de Fontenille Bordeaux Clairet exhibits aromas of strawberry, cherry, and some earthiness. The wine tastes lightly fruity (strawberries and cherries again), with a little bit of funk, herbs, and a nice acidity. The finish is dry with a little bit of veggies coming through. We found the wine to be better on day 1 than day 2.

So do real men really drink pink? Yes they can. And if you have a problem with that, it’s light red.

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.