MCF Rare Wine

Château Le Puy - A Bordeaux for These Months
 
For me, these are the Bordeaux months...

...i.e. the few, dark, frigid months where I find a bold, dry, structured red from the world's most famous wine region to be kinda exactly what I want. 

When there's something rich in the oven, like, say, Shepherd's Pie, filling the house with comforting aromas while we're settled into the couch for a nice playoff game or family movie...

...that's when the idea of a classic Bordeaux appeals to me. 

Luckily, we have one of my favorite examples in stock. 

For any of you locals, if you popped in through December, looking for your holiday meal red, the chances are high that you already walked out with a bottle of Chateau Le Puy's 2021 Emilien Rouge...

...and the chances are just as high that you came back for at least another bottle or two. 

It's that good and that perfect for this time of year. 

Even though it's not technically a part of either St Emilion or Pomerol, Chateau Le Puy represents the essence of classic right bank Bordeaux, and has been a bastion of organic viticulture and ultra-traditional winemaking throughout its entire existence. 

Jean-Marie Amoreau and his son Pierre have been doing things the proper, old-school way long before it was fashionable again. 

Rosenthal, their importer, has a blurb on their website that sums it up perfectly -

"The very existence of Château Le Puy almost defies belief. In, of all places, Bordeaux—a region that fell especially hard for the oak-and-muscles approach favored by certain critics and point-chasers over the past few decades—there exists a sizable and historic estate that is making wines true to this region’s all too often abused terroir."

If you've been reading this newsletter for a while, you'll know that these are the only kinds of Bordeaux I ever promote.  The 'classified' Bordeaux game isn't for little guys like me...I'll sell older bottles when I have them, but it's wines like Le Puy that have sooo much more authenticity and character to offer, and at prices that actually comply with some sense of reality, to boot. 

This 2021 Le Puy Emilien is a blend of Merlot (85%), Cabernet (14%) and a 1% kiss of Carmenere.  The fruit is dark and alluring, yet, despite what the tones of the bouquet suggest, also startlingly floral.  On the mineral-centric palate, again, the wine is more than ample, but is way more nimble than you'd ever imagine. 

After about 20-30 minutes, it really loosens up and just becomes a wine that puts a smile on your face...

...well, at least my face...and gets me thinking about all kinds of cold weather dishes...preferably ones built on a fatty cut of meat. 

For me, this is the real soul of Bordeaux...

...the perfect wine for these Bordeaux months. 

CHÂTEAU LE PUY
Emilien Rouge 2021

You may order by calling 212.255.8870.

Matt Franco
MCF Rare Wine, Ltd
249 West 13th Street NYC 10011
212.255.8870

Looking for a wine you loved from a past newsletter or a favorite you can't find anywhere?  Email Raphael at raphael@mcf-rarewine.com, and we'll do our best to find it for you!