This red wine from Chateau Le Monge is a powerful red wine from the Medoc of Bordeaux. 2010 is a highly revered vintage in Bordeaux, many consider to equal if not surpass or as good as 2005.

The 2010 Chateau Le Monge, Medoc is one of the many selections of fine vintage wines from Bordeaux that are now available at Clark Wine Center and other wine outlets of Yats Wine Cellars in Manila.

History: The area known as Medoc refers to the area previously known as Bas-Medoc. (Although technically, all wines from the left of the Gironde can be called as such) It was overshadowed by its neighbour located in the higher areas of the hills of Bordeaux-they being higher in altitude were called as Haut-Medoc while those in thelower slopes were called the Bas. Unfortunately, however, people assumed that the wines were of inferior quality because of the word Bas (Low), which is the opposite of this in actuality. It offers really good-valued wines that are fragrant and pack a punch for a lower price than their neighboring counterparts.

Le MongeClimate and Viticulture: Located in the Northern Areas of the Left Gironde, the climate is primarily Maritime with the influence of the Atlantic to the West. The soil is mostly clay, which Cabernets hate but Merlots prefer. Cabernet is grown in small patches of land where gravel is found but the area plants more Merlots compared to the other Left-bank Bordeaux and adds more percentage of it to their wine blends. This causes their wines to have a richer texture but milder tannins than their other Left-bank neighbours.

Tasting notes: This Medoc wine has a lots of blackfruit backbone with Cassis on the forefront. Plums and violets add more perfume to its bouquet. Oak ageing gives it a nice toasted spice aroma and flavor that’s reminiscent of Cloves, Vanilla, and Allspice. Green Capsicum can be noticed as well. It has a rich mouth feel that gives it a medium finish on the palate. It has lots of fruit in its youth but it could easily age for much longer. It can easliy be enjoyed now but further ageing would provide some earthy complexity as well. Enjoy it with a piece of steak with good marbling. Its fruitiness will push through with something heavily seasoned

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