Search

Review: Chateau la Garde 2006 Rouge

vinterest
Oct 31, 2014
2 min read

The low-down: Pessac Leognan is one of the rare Bordeaux AOPs that produce fine red and white wines. The appellation is located between the Garonne river and a pine tree forest. The trees assist in creating the unique, micro climate of the commune by protecting the vines from humidity and wind. The AOP was spun out of Graves in 1987, relatively recently for Bordeaux. Essentially this came about through pressure from Pessac Leognan growers who wished to disassociate themselves from growers with predominately sandy soils further south in Graves.

Chateau la Garde (47 ha under vine) is part of the Dourthe group - that own 6 vineyards across Bordeaux and 400 ha under vine. It's not a coincidence that the last two Bordeaux we have tasted are both owned by large conglomerates (the other being Chateau Fombrauge) and reflects the commercialization and consolidation of the Bordeaux wine industry.

For Dubai residents, Le Clos stocks plenty of Pessac-Leognan including the leading lights (e.g. Haut Brion).

Compare this to our review of 2006 St Emilions: Chateau Fombrauge and Chevaliers de Lanezac.

The take: On appearance, auburn, transparent and with runny legs. The wine reveals its age with a lighter, orange shade on the edges. On the nose, cherry and fairy floss, as well as gamey and earth notes, and mushroom, which evolve into gravel and smells of the sea. On the attack, overly acidic, sour, with little fruit and chewy tannins. With time coffee, pepper and cherry emerge. To its credit the wine is multi-faceted - with all manner of sweet, savoury and sour notes emerging almost simultaneously. However, with time (and a decant) it doesn't manage to shake off the acidity nor the tannins.

In closing: Complex and multi-faceted let down by unbalanced acidity and tannins.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

Fact corner:

Country: France

Region: Pessac Leognan

Producer: Chateau la Garde

Vintage: 2006

Grape: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot

Alcohol content: 13.5%

Serving temperature: n/a

Price range: Mid-range