Chateau l'Escart 

green, earthy, warming spice

It’s unfortunately a rule that as a sommelier you’re not allowed to get excited about Bordeaux. Think of it this way: if you’re a modern-day race car driver, you generally won’t show up to the track with a 70s muscle car. But it turns out that sometimes that old car can capture your imagination and the romance of racing in a way that a Formula 1 or NASCAR vehicle just can’t.

So every once in a while I’m reminded that before Bordeaux became the center of wealth in the wine world, before the marketing teams and billionaires and helicopters, it was a gastronomic wine. A wine with balance and earth and fruit and spice. A wine that begs for lamb, beef, roast vegetables, and a fire on the hearth.

This Château l’Escart Cuvée Eden is a great reminder of how friendly Bordeaux can be. This is a right bank wine, which means it’s grown near St-Émilion and Pomerol, and uses Merlot as the basis of its blend. L’Escart works biodynamically in their vineyards, taking care to reduce chemical inputs wherever possible.

There’s a lovely balance of fruit and earth in this wine. Red plum, spiced apple and black currant are float in the glass alongside notes of rosemary, Christmas cake, and turned loam.