Chateau Des Eyrins Margaux2010

Chateau Des Eyrins Margaux 2010 is listed as a French red with a 2010 vintage. The Margaux name points to the Bordeaux style, so expect a Cabernet Sauvignon-led blend, often with Merlot and smaller parts of Cabernet Franc or Petit Verdot. The listing does not give a blend, an alcohol level or official tasting notes. Everything below describes what red wines in this style usually show, not a measured profile of this bottle. Margaux-style reds tend to be medium to full in body, with a more perfumed, less heavy character than many of their Bordeaux neighbors. At this age, expect dark fruit such as blackcurrant and plum to have softened toward dried cherry. Secondary notes of cedar, tobacco, graphite, dried violet and forest floor are common. Tannins that were firm in youth usually turn fine-grained and supple with this much time in bottle. Acidity typically stays fresh enough to keep the wine balanced, and the finish is often long, with the oak well integrated rather than obvious. A bottle from 2010 is now mature, so treat it as a drink-now wine rather than one to hold much longer. Any further cellaring is a gamble on storage history, and a bottle this old is best opened within the next few years. Stand it upright for a day beforehand so any sediment settles. Decant gently for 30 to 45 minutes, stopping when the sediment reaches the neck. Older wines fade quickly with long aeration, so avoid hours in the decanter. Serve at about 16 to 18°C (60 to 64°F), which is slightly cooler than room temperature, so the aromatics stay lifted. A large-bowled Bordeaux glass, filled only a third of the way, gives the bouquet room to open. At the table, roast lamb with rosemary, grilled ribeye, duck breast or beef with a red wine reduction are classic matches. Mushroom dishes and aged hard cheeses such as Comté also suit the earthy, savory side of a mature red. Heavily spiced or sweet dishes would overpower it.