Sure, it’s a hefty price to pay, but sometimes cult wines are worth it. OK, not often by my standards but Chateau St. Jean’s Cinq Cepages (translation from French: “five grape varieties”) falls in the “Worth It” category. A “Bordeaux style” blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot, this sultry, sophisticated number sneaks up behind you and massages your shoulders. And it feels professional. Each component of the wine is aged separately for two years in small French and American oak barrels before blending. Then, once blended, the wine spends an additional six months in the bottle before release. Lotsa work equals lots of costs.
Young and masculine right now, this wine will mature into a formidable metrosexual within five years. Strong but well integrated tannins and high acidity are framed with black cherry, jammy blackberry, soft leather, cassis, bittersweet chocolate, tobacco and sweet oak.
Sweetness: 1 out of 10
Rating: 4 stars
Price: $75
Occasion: Sent as a sample from the winery and tasted blind with other consumers.
Food pairing: Slow braised short ribs or lamb shanks
Availability: At fine wine shops
