Château La Gabarre Bordeaux Supérieur 2019

A traditional blend of Merlot (70%) and Cabernet Franc (30%), the 2019 Château La Gabarre Bordeaux Supérieur is a dense, concentrated Right Bank Bordeaux, which puts it in the company of the much pricier wines of nearby Saint Émilion and Lalande de Pomerol. Deeply colored and scented with the fragrances of red currants, wild berries, cacao, and forest woodlands, the bouquet of the 2019 Château La Gabarre Bordeaux Supérieur portends the body and depth of flavor inherent in this well-made red. It offers plenty of flavor throughout and finishes with verve and vigor thanks to a healthy dose of rich tannins. For optimum enjoyment, afford it at least 20-30 minutes of aeration to soften its tannic backbone and fully reveal its charm and redolent berry fruit flavors. Serve at cool room temperature (58°-62° F). Anticipated maturity: 2023-2026. Enjoy!

The 2019 Château La Gabarre Bordeaux Supérieur provides the ideal claret to bring to table. Whether it’s a simple rotisserie chicken, a perfectly sautéed duck breast, or a Prime Rib of Beef, the 2019 Château La Gabarre Bordeaux Supérieur makes a fine companion. A traditional Bordelaise recipe, Chicken Barigoule, a rotisserie fried chicken breast prepared with braised artichokes, garlic, pearl onions, carrots, asparagus, and tomatoes provides an exceptional accompaniment that will showcase the concentration and depth of flavor of this wine. Most white meats, including pork tenderloin, present additional gastronomic opportunities in the company of this well-crafted Bordeaux Supérieur. The 2019 Château La Gabarre Bordeaux Supérieur also makes a fine companion to lightly breaded veal cutlets as well as to a perfectly grilled ribeye, especially when served with shitake mushrooms, crispy pommes frites, and haricots verts. Soft cheeses such as Harvarti and Port Salut provide exceptional companionship, too. Bon appétit!

Château La Gabarre is located in the commune of Galgon within the greater Fronsac district of Bordeaux, very near Lalande de Pomerol. Château La Gabarre is very much a Right Bank estate (meaning the property sits north of the Dordogne River along with St. Émilion and Pomerol) where the region’s fine terroir consists of clay and stony soils that are ideal for the production of first rate white and red Bordeaux. The estate’s vineyards have been in the Gabard family since the 1800s and are now being exploited by Stéphane and Paola Gabard, a delightful couple who took charge of the château in 1999.

Château La Gabarre operates as a true family enterprise. Stéphane oversees the vineyards and the cellar, while Paola takes charge of the administration and marketing while keeping an eye on the couple’s daughters. The château produces very fine red Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge (this month’s feature) and Bordeaux Blanc as well as small amounts of Bordeaux Rosé and, most recently, sparkling Crémant de Bordeaux. Stéphane's wines have won numerous medals at major Paris and Bordeaux competitions and have been cited for distinction in the Guide Hachette and Gault et Millaut, France’s two most prestigious food and wine publications.

The undisputed king of France’s wine regions, Bordeaux sits amidst and astride the Dordogne and Garonne Rivers. The sprawling Bordeaux region accounts for some 800 million bottles of wine each year. Bordeaux has built a reputation on quality, as many of the world's most sought-after wines are crafted along its river banks. Bordeaux boasts over 10,000 winemakers working in the region’s 57 appellations. Known mostly for red blends comprised primarily of a combination of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc, Bordeaux also enjoys great notoriety for its excellent dry and sweet white wines, comprised mostly of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, which emanate primarily from the central appellations of Bordeaux between the area’s two great rivers.