Mouton Cadet (Red) 2005

Preface: I decided to start off with an inexpensive wine to get the ball rolling. While I have been getting more and more into wine over the past year, I have never decided to brave the classic wine, the bourdeaux wines of France. While I have tried a few, this is the true beginning for my journey into "real" French wine.


Region: Bourdeaux (general)
Grapes: 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc
Price: $7

At first glance, this wine has a deep red hue. The coloration shows that this wine will leave you with a major case of wine lips. The wine has a rich aroma of spices with fruit scents in the background that makes for a very pleasant nose. Upon tasting, you are greeted with strong tannins with blackberry and cherry lingering in the background for a smooth finish. This wine has a pleasant tartness to it, and sucks the moisture out of your mouth.

When I bought a $7 Bourdeaux, I suppose I had different expectations. I found this bottle very pleasant after spending about 10 minutes cooling off in the fridge (gotta get it a little closer to that wonderful 65 degrees). This wine will suck the moisture from your mouth, but not to the point where it is unpleasant. It does not specify a region, which I assume means that the grapes just come from wherever. Thankfully 2005 was a great year in Bourdeaux. While I have had wines I have enjoyed much more, for seven bucks, you cannot go wrong with this French table wine. This would go great with a steak or maybe some lasagna, and it won't cost you a fortune should you have company to share it with.