Well day 4 since I wanted to have the 2002 Cab Sauv by Château des Charmes, and lo and behold we failed again at the basics of opening it. That is okay, we were rescued by this hidden little gem. The Periquita Classico came highly recommended and decently priced for what ended up a great wine. Portugese wine is often overlooked by most “sophisticated” wine folks, and in reality i think it is due to the hit or miss syndrome, you either get pleasantly surprised or terribly disappointed, seems there is no in between. Jose Maria Da Fonseca is one of the oldest producers in Portugal. This single grape variety (Periquita is officially called Castelão Frances) has been one of the staples of the vineyard for over 150 years. The Classico is said to be only bottle in vintages of exceptional qualities. This vintage without a doubt follows suit. Mrs.CWG and I opened this after what ended up a LONG and tiring week. Wanting a nice smooth red to finish the evening off, we opened this up under the stars of the evening and sat back to experience the wine and the May sky. What we discovered is in the below tasting notes:
First sniff: rhubarb , orange hue, light cherry
On the pour: Subtle red with a hint of rust in the colour
First sip: heavy black cherry, large wine, solid tannins at the end
Over time: the finish is nice, almost a citrus ending, tannins softened nicely. Complex wine but not due to the wine maker trying for it to be, nice and solid from first taste to finish. This wine, while already 6 years old will benefit from a few more years of cellaring if you have the conditions. Those drinking now will get a well developed wine which can go with most meals and is easily drank in a relaxing atmosphere and a nibble of cheese. I would not recommend having a light fish or salad but grilled chicken will not get lost here. At 27.95$ worth the price.
This is a solid 89.
Mrs.CWG says:
“If we went to the liquor store for a $28 bottle of wine, I’d buy it again”
Fear not, we WILL get to the 2002 Cab Sauv, but not tonight. This evening we are going to have a white, not sure which, but I moved 3 to the cold portion of the wine cellar so that we were ready to choose.
