Swill or Swell: Episode 22

Les Portes Bordeaux

watch the episode here

Welcome to Swill or Swell, a weekly series where I taste grocery store wines and let you know if they’re worth the buck or just meant for the drain! 

​CAVEAT! As you read this, please keep in mind that wine is subjective! This means that everyone enjoys different things and something I like might not be something you like and vice versa. I’ll be as objective as I can with facts about the wine’s quality, but in the end if your opinion differs from mine...that’s perfectly fine! Wine is only worth drinking if YOU like drinking it!

LET’S INTRODUCE THE WINE

Today I’ll be tasting the Les Portes de Bordeaux. I purchased this bottle for $9.99 at Trader Joes. Bordeaux is incredibly famous for wine (some may say the most famous), so I was excited to find a budget friendly option. Let’s see if it’s worth buying!

LES PORTES DE BORDEAUX FUN FACTS

Let’s talk about the Bordeaux region in France.

• Bordeaux is France’s most commercially successful AVA (and one of the most well known).
• Two rivers cut through Bordeaux, creating the right bank and the left bank. Between these two rivers, there’s a region called Entre du Mers, which translates to between two rivers/seas.
• The right bank is Merlot dominant, while the left bank is Cabernet Sauvignon dominant.​

WINE TASTING NOTES

Look: A very dark, deep red
Smell: This is pleasantly fruit forward. I immediately get lots of berry (strawberry, cherry, blackberry), and some graphite.
Taste: This is lighter in body than I expected it to be. Specifically, I’d say it has a medium body, medium+ acidity, medium tannin, and high alcohol.
Think:
Food Pairing - I’m definitely leaning towards something with meat. Not something so rich, like a steak, but something like Burgers, or a meat Pizza. Also some hearty vegetables like roasted eggplant or mushroom.
Occasion - A night in with friends. It would also be a good option if you grabbed takeout and want an easy wine pairing.
Rating - I would recommend this to others. I’m going to say, this is not my cup of tea due to the high alcohol content, but I think the quality is great for the price. All in all, I would give this one a swell!

Want to learn more? Check out my Instagram every Thursday at 5PM PST for a new episode of Swill or Swell! Have a wine you’d like me to taste? Write your request in the comments below or send me a message on Instagram!

Cheers!