2010 Vieux Chateau Mazerat

One of the most common ways to celebrate anniversaries is with dinner at a fancy restaurant. And that what we set out to do this year!

Planning a special evening at the last moment, totally not like me (wink-wink), and I went into an internet review jungle to find that perfect place. As I was sifting through restaurants and wine lists online, I thought what if we take the money we are going to spend at the restaurant and buy a great bottle of wine instead, and I'll cook unforgettable dinner myself?

How We Picked 2010 Vieux Chateau Mazerat

As we are both in love with our mistress - wine, it didn't take long to convince my wife to go on a wine shopping hunt instead of a bag or shoe boutique. As we discussed the wine, my wife said that she must be French and from the Right Bank of Bordeaux. She wants her to be plummy and firm with rounded forms, and she must last to give us a reverberating finish. How could I say no to that?! Still talking about wine.
We went to Vinopolis - boutique wine shop in Portland to find our evening companion. Guys, can you imagine all those shoes in a cart replaced with wine bottles?

Among other wines, we picked the star of the night - 2010 Vieux Chateau Mazerat with 95+ points. She made the perfect date, and we were so glad we traded restaurant for a romantic evening with her on our anniversary.

We decanted Mazerat for an hour before dinner while I grilled Lamb Kebab Marinated in Merlot with homegrown herbs. Based on our experience, we would suggest decanting it for at least two hours to give her a chance to open up to you.

How long would one last enjoying a good bottle of wine? We sipped it for three hours. It tasted best after two hours.

This wine comes from Jonathan Maltus described by Robert Parker as a "visionary, self-styled revolutionary" and "the English winemaking guru." He was one of the winemakers of the "garage" revolution era of the 1990s started in Saint Emilion, the impact of which has affected winemaking around the globe. Now Jonathan is considered as one of the top winemakers in the world, and it all started in a "garage."

As you know, in France it's all about terroir and while things are changing, unlike the rest of the world, the place the grapes come from matters more than who makes the wine. Vieux Chateau Mazerat vineyard is surrounded by Chateau Canon three sides and by Chateau Angelus on the west. The vineyard is stuck in the middle of 'Cru Classé' territory and faces Chateau Beausejour Duffau Lagarosse. In other words, it surrounded by properties that produce wine that may cost ten times as much or more.

The vineyard is a mixture of 35% Cabernet Franc vines and 65% Merlot planted in 1947-1962 on clay over limestone. The secondary shoots are removed, and three runs of green harvesting completed to achieve no more than four bunches of grapes per vine, at mid-véraison. The grapes are handpicked into small trays before transfer to the winery.

At the winery, grapes handled very gently and sorted twice: by the bunch after arrival and by grape after destemming. The grapes and the wine is fermented in wooden vats after extreme cold maceration. The wines undergo malolactic fermentation in new French oak and are barrel-aged in an air-conditioned cellar.

Now that we know 2010 Vieux Chateau Mazerat is French and was groomed to wow us with its forms and substance, did she deliver on the promise?

The 65% Merlot set the tone while 35% Cabernet Franc added nuances that helped to assemble a complex bouquet of aromas and flavors.

She started teasing as soon as we popped the cork and filled the decanter. The seductive aromas of plum, Morello cherries, and baking spice filled the kitchen. We had to contain ourselves and let her breath to reveal her sophisticated beauty. As Mazerat opened up, red blossom, earth, rosemary and hint of eucalyptus came out to help balance her fruity nature.

She has done the same on the palate. The more we had her, the more she gave us. The first taste felt like a kiss of a chocolate covered prune infused with licorice essence. As we kept going back for more cured meats, cherry pit, smoke and sage added complex savory notes.

The full plummy body was supported by firm yet rounded tannin and sensible acidity, just as my wife wanted. And Mazerat did have a long reverberating finish with Morello cherry aftertaste just as I liked it.

Pairing it with Merlot and herbs marinated lamb kebab grilled on charcoals was a sign of providence because they complemented each other so well building on a similarity of fruity, herbal, gamey and smokey profiles. It was like an essential part of a mosaic that made it complete and helped us to turn our anniversary into the epicurean experience to remember.