Chateau des Leotins 2009 Bordeaux ($9.99)Garnet color, dark all the way to the clear edge. Typical red Bordeaux scents, blackcurrant and a whiff of cedar. Tart plums and currants in the flavor, palate-cleansing acidity and astringent tannins, sturdy, rational alcohol at 13.5%, with good blackcurrant fruit lingering in the finish. Characteristic Bordeaux, not the most fancy, but a good demonstration of the style in a very good vintage. U.S. importer: Cutting Edge Selections Inc., Mariemont, Ohio. (Jan. 31, 2012)
FOOD MATCH: Its good acidity and palatable tannins are a plus with traditional Bordeaux matches, rare steaks, roast beef and lamb; good with cheeses and even "meaty" vegetarian dishes like a hearty, winter-style root vegetable stew.
VALUE: It's a rare and fine thing to find quality Bordeaux with a $10 price tag. As noted, all levels of Bordeaux seem to be worth consideration in the good 2009 vintage.
Wine-Searcher.com finds a few U.S. retailers offering it for a dollar or two less.
WHEN TO DRINK: It's drinking well now, especially with a food match to tame the light tannins, and it seems to have the necessary ingredients and balance to gain a bit with three to five more years in the cellar.
WEB LINK: [a href="http://www.montagnac.com/index_uk.html" target="_new"]The website of the producer, Pierre Montagnac[/a], offers pleasant French lounge music and a list of their properties, but Chateau des Leotins is nowhere to be found.
Importer Cutting Edge Selections is silent on Leotins as well.
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:Check prices and locate vendors for Chateau des Leotins Bordeaux on Wine-Searcher.com.