One week ago, almost three dozen online wine writers, wine bloggers, took time out from singing Rebecca Black’s anthem, to meet online and taste and tweet about five wines from Bordeaux.
Using the hashtag #PlanetBordeaux, each tweeted comment was viewable in a stream, and tasters were able to enter their comments from the tastelive.com/planetbordeaux site created for the online tasting event.
Today, In the last of a five part series, I’ll give you my review of the fifth wine tasted last Friday, and then share comments from my fellow wine bloggers.
My review:
90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. I feel odd describing the color of a Bordeaux wine using the word burgundy, as Burgundy is not Bordeaux, but sometimes aBordeaux is burgundy and this is one of those tomes. Cherry on the nose, cherry on the palate. Least tannic wine of the night. Easily approachable, but a little green, vegetal, cocoa and woody behind the cherry front. Plenty big, and a long finish.
Others wrote:
Would have guessed more than 10% Cab Franc… pepper all over the place on this one
Working backwards … big chocolate finish.
Whoooo…#5 is a big’un!
Penin strikes me as soft. A Lionel Ritchie kind of wine. Lacks thunder.
Back to fruit on the Ch Penin 2009 – blackberries/raspberries
my bottle has 2009
2009 Chateau Penin: drinks more mature than the 2006 Butte to me.. Digging it
’08 Ch. Penin – Classic cherry flavors with a dash of rhubarb(?), nice long finish. Well made.
Tasting sheet reads 08, wine 09 — 90% Merlot 10% Cabernet Franc.
Ch. Penin is really fruity. I’d pour this for a first time BDX drinker.
2009 Chateau Penin Bordeaux Superiore is not bad for how young it is, nice complex structure
not particularly loving the Ch. Penin so far
Hmmm… Does everyone have the 2009, or is there a mizx out there?
Really odd wine. Green up front, lush on the finish.
sour cherries on the palate, chalky, delicious – 09 Ch Penin
My Penin is an 09
The ’09 Ch. Penin interesting… keep thinking ‘savory’
This last one is much less nuanced. More your garden variety Merlot.
Yeah, I noticed the tasting sheet said 2008. I gots the 2009 tho
Some floral notes like soaps in a pretty bathroom
Ch. Penin Tradition 2008 probably the most “friendly” of the wines for a newbie.
That last one in any line-up always has the benefit of my wine-buzz – dayum, this is some good stuff
mine is a 2009. layers of charcoal and fruit. a bit thick.
Château Penin Tradition 2008 Picking up on the Cabernet Franc, even though 10%. Red fruit, black pepper, cedar, & veggies
Drinks so mature for its age, that I would never blind guess an 09 from Bordeaux
The Penin 2009 is too friendly. Do you know people like that?
A little cow flesh makes this Penin much tastier…or vice versa
someone in Texas craving beef. No way.
I would have thought I’d gotten enough Beef Brisket in Austin this week, but for some reason, I’m craving more.
2009 Penin is tasty, fruity but still young. What are your thoughts on aging potential? Enough tannins?
another 100% merlot.
I agree with the too friendly, I might have started the tasting with this one. It’s the guy who tries too hard.
2009 Penin Tradition – Nice notes of pot-roast, clay, mud, mushroom-funk, dark chocolate.
Gooseberry on gossamer wings with a touch of truffle
a mix of red currant and violet overtones on the 09 penin
Surely this Penin is 100% Sauvignon Blanc #horribleatblindtasting #badwinehumor (note: This was my favorite tweet of the night, kudos to Joe Herrig @suburbanwino)
I totally got the herbaceousness as well. Like the roses and violets on it this.
the crowd gathered here is liking this very much. What’s the retail on this?
young nose flabby middle nice mellow tannins don’t think its gonna age to well
Great color, garnet. Dark berries, cherry tartness, well-integrated.
Disclosure: I’m fairly certain it has been clear, but better overly conscientious than not enough; I received 5 wines from Bordeaux to taste for possible review. The wines came from Michael Wangbickler of Balzac Communications & Marketing, working on behalf of folks in France who would like their wines purchased by American consumers, and Planet Bordeaux is the name for this promotional effort. I am grateful for the opportunity to stray a little outside my ordinary focus on occasion; while Mendocino County wines has been a focus lately, good wine that are affordable, and readily available are also one of my focuses. Availability may be harder, visit your wine shop instead of a grocery store and ask your merchant to bring these in if you want to try them; but there is no question that these are wonderful food wines, delicious and all about $15 or so.
