Sirius Bordeaux

Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Producer: Maison Sichel
Grape varieties: 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2009
Price: $19.59 – $19.99
Found at: Willow Park Wines and Spirits, Co-op Wines and Spirits (or see Liquor Connect and enter your postal code)

About the region: The impact of Bordeaux on the wine world has always been and still is enormous. It is the home of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (and others), the birthplace of wine brands, and it produces some of the world’s most expensive and sought-after wines. Bordeaux reds are most often a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc with either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot forming the majority of the blend. Many can age for a decade; some even for several decades. Factoid: you can buy bottles of Bordeaux while it’s still in barrel at the chateau (see bordeauxforsale.com for example).

2009 was an excellent year for Bordeaux with hot, dry weather throughout the growing season. Unfortunately, this also meant that prices increased sharply again for higher end wines. Entry level wines were affected less by these price increases, so 2009 is an excellent year to shop for value wines.

About the wine: Maison Sichel owns a variety of properties in Bordeaux (including several high-end chateaux). Peter Sichel created the Sirius brand in 1985 to prove that it was possible to apply the same care and methods as for high-end Bordeaux to less prestigious vineyards to obtain a fine, fruit-forward, and rounded wine at an affordable price. The 2009 lives up to this ambition: it has tons of black cherry and plum character, as well as chocolate and cedar notes. The tannins are still fairly firm, so this will last for a good 5 years to come, though it drinks very nicely now already as well, especially after some decanting.

The 2002 Sirius made me realize that a wine can be more than “just a wine” and that Bordeaux is a region I should try more of. It’s not my intention to hype this bottle to such a degree that anyone who tries it will be disappointed, but I hope that each of us at some point comes across a bottle that stays with us and entices us to want to learn and try more, like this bottle did for me.