Another young, delicious, and affordable Bordeaux find. We review the Chateau Puygueraud Francs Cotes de Bordeaux.
88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc from Francs Cotes de Bordeaux, France. The wine is aged for 6 months in French oak, 50% new barrels.
The Francs Cotes de Bordeaux region is found in the very eastern part of Bordeaux and covers the villages of Saint-Cibard, Tayac and Francs. And while it is part of Bordeaux, this area is closer to Bergerac than it is to the city of Bordeaux.
The idea behind the Cotes de Bordeaux regions was to bring many of the smaller Bordeaux areas together to more easily market their wines internationally. The reds here, which are the majority of what is produced, center around Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc and can be quite good, without suffering from the more big name Bordeaux mark-up.
Sample submitted for review. The wine is available for as low as $18. It is imported by Joanne Bordeaux – USA Inc.
From the bottle:
Mis En Bouteille Au Chateau
Nicolas Thienpont Vigneron
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14.5% Alcohol
The 2020 Chateau Puygueraud Francs Cotes de Bordeaux opens with a pleasing aroma of blackberry, blueberry and black cherry with some dried herbal touches and a bit of an earthy, mineral note.
The smooth, medium to full-bodied wine offers good balance and similar flavors to the nose when tasting. A bit on the young side, I think it probably needs 3-4 more years to be at its peak, but it’s delicious now nevertheless.
It finishes dry, long, and quite grippy with some lasting juicy fruit and the earthy/mineral edge from the nose returning at the end. I’d say this one doesn’t have quite as much depth as the Grand Village Bordeaux Superieur we previously reviewed, but it’s still very good. It held up just fine on day 2.
2020 Chateau Puygueraud Francs Cotes de Bordeaux
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You can also find more of our favorite Merlot here.
