Bordeaux Bargin #3: 2003 Château Mayne-Vieil

The 2003 Château Mayne-Vieil from Bordeaux’s Fronsac region is one of those wines I think will be getting a little more attention as prices of the more esteemed estates continue to rise.

It’s a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The color is brick red with a somewhat rustic aroma including dark fruits and cedar. There’s lots of structure and it’s still somewhat tannic but in a way that leaves behind a long finish more on the lush side that not.

This is not a great wine but a good one. I think this is going to be more indicative of the affordable Bordeaux of the future. I give it B-. Not as strong as the two other Bordeaux values I’ve tasted recently, the 2003 Chateau Gigault ~ Cuvee Viva from Côtes de Blaye or the 2004 Cap de Faugères from Côtes de Castillon.

The value part of this is that Sherry-Lehmann is currently selling this for $12.50 and I picked it up for $13 from Northside Wine in Ithaca to pair with dinner at my wife’s parent’s home over the holidays.

What these three all have in common are that they are from the outlying satellite regions of Bordeaux rather than the much more heralded Medoc, Graves, St. Emillion or Pomerol regions. These regions tend to be more Merlot based than Cabernet Sauvignon, tend to be made more for earlier drinking rather than long term cellaring, and tend to be less expensive.

With “baby” on the way, I’m going to be looking more into these regions to get my Bordeaux “fix”.