Chateau Carignan 2005 “Prima” Cotes de Bordeaux

When I took a group of my students to Bordeaux, we stayed just a few miles from this Chateau. I did not expect much of this wine when I first tasted it (it is from the unremarkable region of Entre Deux Mers). That expectation was soon put to rest. This is a generous and rich Bordeaux that drinks more like a top shelf Pommerol than it should. It was great to have the legendary Robert Parker confirm this by naming it a “sleeper of the vintage.”

This is rich and opulent style of a right-bank Bordeaux with lush fruit and odles of baking spices on the palate. Silky and lush, this is drinking perfectly right now, but could benefit from short-term aging of 2-3 years.