The 2011 Chateau Moulin de Beausejour Bordeaux Rouge is a $6.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive. This Bordeaux is 100% Merlot sourced from Estate vineyards in the Saint-Emilion region on the Right Bank in Bordeaux, though this is not a Saint-Emilion AOC designated wine. Chateau Moulin de Beausejour only grows Merlot grapes and they produce 120,000 bottle annually, my bottle was number 80,325. The wine is aged in cement tanks for 1 year (no oak casks are used) and they say the wine can be cellared for 10 to 15 years. The alcohol content is 13.5%.
The color is a black cherry red with strawberry highlights. The nose is raspberry, plum, a little milk chocolate, spearmint chewing gum and dusty earth. This Merlot has a full silky mouthfeel, with robust, if not complex flavor. It tastes of blueberry and red plum, tart cherry juice and blood orange. The mid palate adds a slap from the tannins, sweet strawberry, chocolate powder, along with a slight sour taste. The acidity is very well balanced, this wine would pair well with comfort foods. The finish is subdued, but does last an impressive length of time for a $6.99 Merlot.
Many people think that Bordeaux and Napa Valley are similar, while both produce exceptional high end, expensive Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot based wines, half of the wines from Bordeaux sell for under $20, while inexpensive wines from Napa are not common. The Chateau Moulin de Beausejour is a pretty decent example of an everyday Bordeaux. It is a little leaner and less fruit forward than Merlot from California or Columbia Valley, but that is French wine for you, it is supposed to be leaner and less fruit forward. This bottle drinks well and costs less than 7 bucks, so irritate a wine snob, buy a bottle or two.
