Chateau Maugresin de Clotte, Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux, 2015

I bought and drank a lot of wines from Castillon and other satellite Bordeaux appellations in the mid- to late-1980s. They were great values for Cabernet//Merlot-based wines, but I don't remember any being quite as fruit forward and rich as this wine.

Deep ruby color. Attractive smells of ripe black fruit, vanilla and oak spices. Rich mouth feel, medium bodied and ripe enough to make you ignore the tannins. Also good acid for balance. Good for drinking now. On the second night, the 13.5% alcohol becomes more apparent.

This wine is mostly Merlot and Cabernet Franc with a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon, but it doesn't show any of the green notes that I often get from Merlot, nor the earthy qualities that are common in Cab Franc.