Chateau Villemaurine 2016 750ml

"Not to be confused with the top-ranked Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé wines, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru is an overly employed status in the well-regareded Bordeaux region."
  
Saint-Émilion Grand Cru wines are produced under slightly tighter production restrictions than regular Saint-Émilion wines. As with other grand cru appellations, the intention behind this is to improve the quality, and to distinguish the area's finer wines from the more everyday wines.

This is not quite as straightforward in Saint-Émilion as it is elsewhere, however.

Characteristics

• Earth
• Bell Pepper
• Tobacco
• Cassis
• Cedar
• Structure

Cabernet Franc - Merlot Wine

The Merlot-Cabernet Franc duet is an established and important variant on the classic red Bordeaux blend, particularly on the Right Bank. It is used in the prestigious and Saint-Émilion and Pomerol appellations, and is behind some very high-profile wines.

Merlot is usually used in higher proportions in this blend, thanks (in part) to its broad appeal and higher profile than Cabernet Franc. It provides most of the fruit component, offering up flavors of mulberries, plum and dark berries.

Perhaps more fundamentally, Merlot is well suited to the clay of the Right Bank, and (pre-global warming, at least) a more reliable ripener.

Cabernet Franc adds more perfumed fragrances, usually with a distinctive herbal note. Used in higher proportions, it may also add some tobacco-leaf and green bell pepper characteristics.

Among Cabernet Franc-dominant blends, Château Cheval Blanc is by far the best known.

The combination has long been an institution on the Right Bank, but the wide spread of these two varieties has seen experimentation from several corners of the winegrowing world. In the US, some top wines are made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc (often with the addition of Cabernet Sauvignon) in California, Washington and New York. The blend is also made in Tuscany and Puglia in Italy.

In the southern hemisphere, Merlot - Cabernet Franc blends are popular in regions that have developed reputations for producing quality Bordeaux-style wines. Examples include South Africa's Stellenbosch region and Hawke's Bay in New Zealand.

Best food pairings for Merlot - Cabernet Franc wines include:

• Braised lamb with truffles
• Roasted wild boar
• Steak with red wine sauce