Able to pair with multiple foods…
Name: Château du Port
Vintage: 2009
Producer: Domaine Pelvillain Frères
Region/Country: Cahors, France
Grape Varietal(s): Malbec 90%, Merlot 10%
Consumed: At Aux Chantignolles Restaurant, Fairmont Le Château Montebello
Recommended By: Marie-France, the Maître D.
Cost: N/A
Bottle Presentation: Classic, conservative – unlikely to catch your eye on the shelf
Appearance: Medium-dark ruby
Nose: Dark berries, leather, anise
Taste: Though fruit-forward and strong on the alcohol, it does have a nice, mellow undertone
Finish: Alcohol and earth
Overall Impression: As billed, it paired very well with the deer medallion and Saskatoon berry sauce, emerging as nicely balanced. Its earthiness came out with the pork loin. It also paired nicely with the local (Montebello) cheeses: some nuttiness came out with the blue cheese, whereas it accentuated the semi-firm cheese tastes. It was a good call to add a little Merlot to the wine to add some roundness. Though different foods brought out different notes, it somehow still seemed like a one-trick pony. Not much complexity to it over the course of the evening. Perhaps its strength is in being able to pair with multiple foods.
Rating (from 70 to 100): 85/100
Value: N/A