Rob's "Wine of the Week" Archives
So here is my wine review for the week of May 11th, 2009...
CHATEAU ST JEAN CINQ CEPAGES 2005
Description: This is a red wine blend, relying heavily on Cabernet Sauvignon (83% cab, 11% merlot, 3% franc, 2% malbec, 1% verdot). The Cinq Cepages has been around for two decades is surprisingly easy to find; Costco often carries it for 33% less than the winery price; many grocery stores offer it as a top-shelf red wine and it’s found on almost all restaurant wine lists.
Chateau St. Jean is one of the largest wineries in Sonoma, just outside of the famed Napa Valley , and produces literally dozens of wine. The Cinq Cepages is the self proclaimed flagship of their entire winery.
How and when I drank it: Sunday, May 3, 2009, at my house.
How to get it: The winery sells it both online and at their Sonoma location; it is also often found at Costco and Sam’s Club, many grocery stores, Bevmos and wine shops. For a high end Napa Valley Red, it’s very accessible.
How Much: The winery lists the bottle at $75, but it can be found many places for $50-65.
My Thoughts: 2005 was an inconsistent year for red wine grapes and a challenge to wine makers. This wine highlights those challenges and presents an incomplete product. This is a very tight, thin, earthy tasting red wine. The hope would be that time in the bottle in a cellar would allow this wine to soften, balance and open up. For now, though, this wine presents flavors of fruit attempting to burst out, but being held back by flavors of soil, herbs and mineral. The finish is thin and tannic, making this a hard wine to drink right now. I’m not optimistic that it’s worth buying for the future…there’s too much work for time and nature to do.
Overall Score: This is not a wine to serve to amateurs; even most red wine lovers will find this wine to be a challenge; it’s not a bad wine, but this will need years in the cellar to even approach enjoyability. I’d avoid it.
1 Vine..
CHATEAU ST JEAN CINQ CEPAGES 2005 =  |
