Price: $30

Producer: Chateau Haut Corbin

Origin: Bordeaux, France

Type of wine: Dry red wine – 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

Try it with: Roasted pork, Portobello mushrooms, grilled steak

Date Reviewed: 15 Nov 2003

1997 is not considered a great vintage for Bordeaux wines. This inky, dense Bordeaux offers complex scents of black currant, plums, cloves and cedar. However, the flavor was not what I expected; the initial taste of blackberries and figs was followed by a vegetal, unripe fruit taste. On the plus side, the wine’s texture was fairly soft and balanced in my mouth. It was agreeable with roast beef and mushrooms, but a little blasé by itself. A Bordeaux from the 2000 vintage would likely be a much better bet and value.