2009 Chateau Moulin de Beausejour Bordeaux Red is 100% Merlot classified Bordeaux Superieur, estate grown and Chateau bottled in the Saint-Emilion AOC (Right Bank) of Bordeaux, France. That is a big introduction for a $6.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive wine. The thing to know about Bordeaux wine is that vintage is everything, with all their rules and regulations if nature is not kind to the grapes in the vineyards, there is only so much the winemakers can do to save the vintage. In great years, when the grapes thrive, everyone makes solid wine, even the wineries down the pecking order. Recent great vintages are 2005, 2009 and 2010, if you see a cheap Bordeaux from one of these years, there is a pretty good chance it will be a wine worth drinking. The Chateau Moulin de Beausejour is fermented and aged in cement and stainless vats (maybe some oak barrels) for a minimum of 12 months and the alcohol content is 13.5%.
The color is Smuckers strawberry jelly red. The nose is red fruit, raspberry, strawberry and cherry, oak vanilla spice, new mown hay and Nestles Quik powder. This is a full bodied Merlot, strong flavors and firm tannins. It tastes of cassis and extracted blueberry, a touch of french vanilla and licorice. The mid-palate adds softer strawberry and a splash of brine. The tannins are firm, but balanced. The finish is slightly brackish, salty, blueberry and is of decent length.
Well, there you go, Trader Joe’s is the King of $6.99 Bordeaux wine. A real deal French wine, don’t expect a California Merlot, decent fruit, balance is favored over juicy fruit flavors. Bordeaux wine enthusiasts may not be super impressed with the Chateau Moulin de Beausejour, but if Bordeaux wines are not on your usual radar this is a good value way to give Bordeaux a try.
