The Wine Idiot Reviews: Les Portes de Bordeaux Bordeaux, 2015 ($5.99)
The only other bordeaux I have tried was that Château Roudier Montagne-Saint-Emilio, which rings up over twice as expensive as this bottle. I don't drink a lot of bordeaux, but I loved the sauvignon blanc from this same company, so I figured I should give this one a shot. This is one of those wines imported by Latitude Wines, which I've noticed has an excellent track record as far as my enjoyment is concerned.
So how did this one stack up? It's...fine. Would I buy this again, just to drink? No. Am I on my fourth glass? Yes. And I'm enjoying it. For the price, it's hard to beat! But I think I might hit up that Pontificis or Valréas at this price point instead. That's probably a matter of personal taste--bear in mind, I am a relatively inexperienced bordeaux drinker; it's possible that I just haven't developed a taste for this particular wine's nuances. But, as a total idiot, I'm just saying I think you could do better for a bottle of red just to drink.
Let's get down to the nitty-gritty. I had to get photos, and the sun goes down fast these days, so I poured a glass then put it on my desk for about 45 minutes. When I came to grab it, the entire area around my desk smelled like jammy wine. So when I went to sip it, I expected something along the lines of that Chariot Gypsy Red. I was SO WRONG. It's actually a little spicy! Like, peppery, a little metallic on the finish. Much more like the more expensive bordeaux than I expected from the scent, but not as intense. This might serve you well--if you're looking to bring a bolder red to a dinner party, but you don't want to go full Tempranillo, this would probably be a great pick. I suspect that if you like bordeaux, though, that Château Roudier Montagne-Saint-Emilio is probably worth the extra bucks. This one is fine but not memorable.
Now, maybe I just don't love bordeaux, but I don't think I would buy this just to drink (note to self: next time I'm at a wine bar and can buy just a glass of good bordeaux, do that so I know what that tastes like and whether I actually like bordeaux or not). I ate a baked potato for dinner, and it was decent with that? The pepper brought out the nice pepper notes in the wine. I bet this would be nice with a burger or budget steak.
What the bottle says: "Red Bordeaux Wine"
What the Wine Idiot says: LOL those French. They do NOT care if you like their wine.
ABV: 13%
Who's responsible for this? Mis en bouteille pour SVS [followed by lots of numbers I don't feel like typing because FOUR GLASSES OF WINE], Imported by: Latitude Wines, Inc. Danville, CA
Do I need a corkscrew? Aw hell yeah.
What do smarter people say about it? Boy do I wish I could give you something better than what I dug up. Are you ready for this? This is all I could find--user Prograwk on CellarTracker said: "pretty bland but not offensive at all." Hahahahahaha. Sorry, guys. Like, there are a couple other Google results for different vintages, but for this specific one...not a whole hell of a lot.
Should I bring it to a friend's house? I would not. UNLESS...you ALSO bring the Les Portes de Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc and the Rosé because then you would be doing "a thing." A thing that involves bringing three bottles of wine for around $20. That can't be bad, right?
