Today we investigate 2020 Semper Via Suau Bordeaux, a wine that arrives with one of the most informative back labels I have seen in many moons. Organic. Vegan. No added sulfur. Very nice. Though I must ask: if wine is not vegan, what exactly are they putting in there? If I discover tiny cows swimming in my Bordeaux, we have much bigger problems than sulfites. To be fair, the back label was surprisingly informative. It actually told me things about the wine instead of making up stories about ancient monks, magical vineyards, or a winemaker who “followed his dream.”
First glass was pleasant surprise. Good jammy flavor, respectable amount of puckeryishness™ (trademark application currently lost somewhere in government office), and a nice finish that lingered without becoming annoying house guest. Only problem was sweetness. Not candy-sweet, but enough that I noticed it. Bordeaux and I have understanding. I expect certain seriousness. This one kept smiling at me a little too much.
Then came Night Two. Ah yes, the true test of character. The wine developed a strange smell, almost like a Zinfandel that had spent the night sleeping in a damp garage. Not terrible, just… odd. Fortunately, I am drinker, not professional sniffer. Final verdict: not bad, not great. A perfectly drinkable Bordeaux with decent flavor and enough puckeryishness to keep things interesting, but there are better Bordeauxs lurking on shelves waiting for your hard-earned rubles… or dollars. I finished bottle, which tells you it was far from terrible. But would I charge across snowy countryside to buy another? Not today.
