Ch�teau Puygueraud Ch�teau Puygueraud

Much more open than last time, although still quite young. Nice blackcurrant fruit, some oak and spice. It was a little thin on the palate though. Better with food (chicken) but also drinkable nicely on it's own. Four days later (inert gas, fridge). On its own its dry, fading but nice casis, some cab franc pencil character. Quite good but not not very exciting. A little better with roast chicken. Classic dry claret. Seems spicier and slightly fruitier with food.

Tawny to look at. Raspberry, leather and pencil shavings on the nose. An empty attack, curiously absent mid palate and an unspecific sweet finish which was drying in the end with some cassis on an unexpected length. I'm not bowled over, even for a relative cheapie.

With fillet steak, 30 min decant: quite a decent, basic claret. Still fresh, fruity, good acidity, some tannin lurking in the background. Lacking length though. Also a little hot on the finish. A touch drying and hollow though. Below Medium body. Decent for the price. After, on its own: a little green still, but some cassis, spice and very drying tannin - like cold tea. Lacking depth too. Reminds me a little of 2008. Normally 07 seems more open? This …

Nose of typical Bordeaux with good balance of acid and fruits along with low-moderate tannin that is quite fine and pleasant. Simple, fresh finishing. Buy - No.

Even though this is an off year of a down-in-the-pecking-order label, it's competently made wine in the Bordeaux blend style - not particularly charming - tannins are a bit wild and woolly - for something like $13 I've had better and worse. How's that for narrowing it down?