Chateau Castagnac, Fronsac

This is a very funky tasting wine. I'm assuming there was some Brettanomyces in the fermentation, because the predominant flavors are rotting/fermenting fruits (peaches and apricots) and funky barnyard/ horse stall. It reminds me of a sour Saison ale. From what I've gathered, some critics call Brett influence a flaw in wine, while others call it a feature if the winemaker meant it to be there. I have no way of knowing if it was intentional in this wine. Some …

Dark red. Opaque. Black currants. Black cherries. A hint of Wellingtons? Bayleaf. High level of acidity at first. Warming alcohol. Fruity flavour. Smooth finish with a dash of velvety tannins lingering on. Cedar. A note of coffee … Young and fruity. Drinks well.

STAY AWAY. Life is too short to drink shit wine. Pure swill. I did a partial blind test of this and I thought someone put red dye into nail polish remover. The person responsible for this should quit, and drink water for the rest of their life, they do not deserve anything more complex.

Right bank Bordeaux, so Merlot predominant. If you consume it now, it needs at least two hours of air to smooth the tannin. Nice fruit-acid balance, so not overly sweet. I picked up a little cedar flavor and something I can't quite place. Maybe a touch of Petit Verdot. My wife said "Italian table wine" after it was just opened. I bought it at Costco for $12 and will look for it again. A very good value, everyday wine at …