Chateau Simard 1990 Wine Review (NW)

Pale brick red color shows some age
Smoky nose with some cedar
Mild fruity core, some dried cherries, but a little hidden
Soft finish tapers nicely

The smoky nose is interesting, but obscures the mild fruit core. It never seems to really open up and reveal much, which is disappointing. It could be that the wine failed to age well in the bottle, or more likely that it's just not very good wine.

This bottle was opened with PB in a side-by-side tasting with a much younger wine. Our intent was to compare and contrast two Bordeaux wines that were 12 years apart in age. The younger wine was a 2002 Gruard Larose which is reviewed below.

Of course, the differences between these wines were remarkable. The Simard was smooth and round, but it wasn't "alive". This could be simply that it's not very good wine. The Gruard Larose was lively and fruity, but had hefty tannins.

I don't recommend the Chateau Simard 1990- it just seems a little odd and somewhat flat. I paid $14 for a 375mL bottle to use in this side-by-side tasting. However, read below about a much better wine that I do recommend. And raise a glass!