Do you ever buy cheese and not stop thinking about it sitting in the fridge? I mean it’s just sitting there all delectable looking and ready to be eaten. How am I supposed to get anything done with deliciousness like that in the house? It’s just me? Haha! I’m fine with that.
This was exactly what happened to me this week. I picked up some sharp cheddar at the grocery store and I could not wait to pair it with an equally delicious wine. I picked up my research there to see what I should be looking for. Wine Folly lists three varietals that pair well with cheddar as Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. * I started going through my Wine Awesomeness shipment and I found this Bordeaux Rouge. I examined it further and found that it was a blend of wouldn’t you know it; Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Talk about the luck of the universe right? It was meant to be!
The Jean Marc Barthez winery is part of a group of growers in Bordeaux that banded together in 1935 in an effort to remain profitable despite their small vineyard size. * This practice is fairly common in the United States as well. Vintners will come together in an effort to support one another by sharing equipment and resources. This results in more wine for all of us to try that might not otherwise be available or even exist in the first place.
This wine was from Bordeaux, France and sampled on April 2, 2019. The color was just a medium red shown against a white background. My first sniff resulted in scents of wet leaves and fresh blackberries. I was listening to “J’ai Claqué La Porte” by Chromeo. I took a drink and noted the low tannins and simple dark fruit tastes, like dates and black plums. It had more of a mineral finish than most other red blends I’ve had. This could be attributed to the lack of oak barrel aging. It was great with the cheddar. The minerality cut through the heavy cheddar taste.
I gave this wine a rating of 2.0. There was not much to it on it’s own. It was not a wine I could see myself purchasing in the future. It did pair well with the sharp cheddar, but that was not enough to save it.
Sources:
https://winefolly.com/tutorial/6-tips-on-pairing-wine-and-cheese
http://massanois.com/product/jean-marc-barthez-bordeaux-rouge-a-mary-taylor-selection-2014-750ml12/