2012 Chateau des Charmes Equuleus – $40.00 – ****1/2 – Simply put this wine is fantastic. This is a perfect indicator of the quality of the 2012 vintage with a wine that is both approachable right now (with some decanting) and will make a great addition to a budding wine cellar. The nose has smoke and cedar with ripe red and dark fruit poking through. This wine walks a perfect tightrope of fruit forward easy drinking wine and more serious wine that needs to sit in a cellar for a serious occasion. Frankly at the forty dollar price point there is no reason this wine can’t be both. I will be buying a couple bottles of this with the intention of serving one with prime rib roast. The other bottle is going to sit in my collection where it will age easily for the next 10-15 years. This is top shelf wine and possibly the best red blend to come from 2012.
