Chateau Maison Blanche Medoc 2009

Chateau Maison Blanche Medoc 2009 (WS91, $26.99, SKU 563429) I found this on the shelves of the 39th and Cambie LDB store sitting among the cheaper Bordeaux wines. I am always interested in the 2009 and 2010 vintage. As it was rated 91 points by Wine Spectator, I figured that I cannot go wrong by much at this price. The name translates into "white house". When first opened the nose was not impressive. However after about 30 minutes everything seemed to come together. The color on the cork was a bit light but the taste was fruity. Although the label is Medoc (left bank and cabernet sauvignon based) the wine was 80% merlot, 16% cabernet sauvignon and 4% cabernet franc. So it was very comparable to the Chateau Pipeau that was tasted together. Half of my tasting panel liked this one and half liked the other one. At this price it is definitely worth a try with roast pork or chicken. Wine Spectator said it is good from 2012 to 2019, so it is good for short term cellaring. There is lots of stock in the LDB stores.

Chateau Pipeau St.-Emilion 2010

Chateau Pipeau St.-Emilion 2010 (WS91, $49.99, SKU 287292) I tried the 2009 vintage of this wine and was not very impressed. But the 2010 vintage came out at the same price and same Wine Spectator rating. However friends of mine have bought cases of this for their regular dinner party use and got good comments from their guests. So I decided to give it a try. The nose was fruity and pleasant when the bottle was opened. The color was dark red good legs on the glass. The body was medium to full with medium finish. This wine, being from the right bank Bordeaux region of St.-Emilion, was merlot based and can be opened earlier than the other left bank Bordeaux. It went well with Chinese food take-out. So it was not surprising that my friends received compliments for bringing this to Chinese dinners. Ideally it should be decanted for an hour or two and enjoyed with some well-marinated pork or chicken roast. Wine Spectator said this wine can be opened now or cellared until 2024. This is not an economical wine but remember that 2010 was an exceptional Bordeaux vintage and getting something for less than $50 is not easy. There is plenty of stock in all of the LDB stores.