An enjoyable, ‘old-world’ style Saint-Émilion…
Name: Château Haut-Corbin
Vintage: 2000
Producer: Château Haut-Corbin
Region/Country: Saint-Émilion, France
Grape Varietal(s): 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc
Consumed: At home
Recommended By: Found it at the LCBO
Cost: 58.95 CAD
Bottle Presentation: A classic bottle, though not sure about the slash of writing across the front.
Appearance: Medium-dark ruby red with an orange tinge.
Nose: Cedar, leather, and earth.
Taste: Earth, minerals, and pronounced tannins at the beginning, which became rounder over the course of the evening. I particularly enjoyed the emergence of sour cherries.
Finish: Long, with earth notes.
Overall Impression: An ‘old-world’ style wine, strong on the terroir, with little fruit. It paired really well with three-peppercorn steak and fries, which rounded the tannins even more, though not so much with the grilled red onions, which rendered the wine sour and somewhat aggressive. Make sure to decant this Saint-Émilion Grand Cru for at least an hour, if not two, and pair it with red meat.
Rating (from 70 to 100): 86/100
Value: 3.5/5