2014 Chateau Cap de Faugeres “La Mouleyre” Castillon 750ml (Bordeaux)
From the Garagiste:
Every once in a while, we find a wine that is so good and so low in $ (and also strangely overlooked), it makes no sense at all – that’s a wine that demands an offer to all of you.
Today is one of those days!
From Chateau Cap de Faugeres, this is a small-production blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot (somewhat in the classic mold of Cheval Blanc). The only reason it’s available is because it hails from a vintage that few cared about on release, 2014. That’s always a good thing for us – the fewer that chase an individual wine, the more likely the possibility that it can be acquired for quite a bit less than the original $ (despite the fact that it’s been cellared since bottling with outstanding condition).
The other funny thing about this morning’s “situation” is, this is not the Left Bank! 2014 on the Left Bank was rather cold and quite Atlantic but it was much better on the far Right Bank where this wine hails from. As is often the case, the initial cold or rain that blows in from the ocean hits the Left Bank quite hard but by the time it reaches the outer Right Bank, it’s just “weather” like a moderate summer.
The 2014 Chateau Cap de Fougeres “la Mouleyre” is (and was) the recipient of what amounted to pretty much normal weather in 2014 – more in line with a vintage like 1985 or even 2001. Not a bruiser, but that’s never really the point with Bordeaux is it?
Now with nearly a decade in the bottle, we couldn’t remember tasting the 2014 prior to this occasion but we walked away with a bit of ga-ga and chins firmly on knees as we discussed how this bottle could possible still be available?
Oddly, my notes on drinking this wine, with a nice loin chop of local lamb was that it smelled of black current, compost and possible tomato. The taste was nice and dry and had a deep ruby color. I think we enjoyed it. We paid about $20 for this wine including the shipping, so a pretty great.
Standard quick fry for the chop, but we treated the Romanesco like a head of califlower and rubbed it with oil and spices then roasted the whole thing. Delicious with the wine/apricot sauce on the lamb and some purple potatoes.
