Chateau Meric Cru Bourgeois Medoc

Wine: Chateau Meric Cru Bourgeois Medoc

Grapes: Cabernet sauvignon (50 percent), merlot (50 percent)

Region: Medoc, Bordeaux, France

Vintage: 2010

Price: $9.99

Availability: Trader Joe’s

In the glass: Chateau Meric wine is a deep violet-red color with a dense opaque core going out into a dark ruby-red rim definition with high viscosity.

On the nose: It is a profoundly classic Bordeaux nose with concentrated crush of huckleberries, black currants and sweet blackberries, followed by hints of oak, mint, cassis sorbet, violet pastilles and wet limestone with underlying fruit-driven minerals.

On the palate: The wine richly caresses the inside of the mouth, yet has tremendous concentration and good extraction of black fruit, with creme de cassis, cran-cherry juice and loganberry crush. The midpalate is nicely balanced, even though the tannins are firm and dry, making this a full-bodied wine, going into a nicely mineral-laced finish with good length and fine concentration.

Odds and ends: The vintages of 2009- 10 in Bordeaux were about the greatest back-to-back since World War II and it is good advice to stock up on these long-lived beauties. Especially considering the 2011- 12 vintages did not do as well. At the top level, the ’09-10s are the most expensive wines in history on release as futures . Although this cannot be called a top level wine from Bordeaux, it belongs to a group of wines called Cru Bourgeois, which represents probably the greatest value wines in all of France. At this price it is a good choice with grilled beef, whether it’s tenderloin or tri-tip steak. Open at least one hour before consumption and drink now through 2025.