Château Tour de Pez, St. Estèphe (Bordeaux, France) 2012

This is the kind of wine that made Bordeaux famously popular in the past and could be the kind to revive people’s interest in Bordeaux.  Unusually charming for a young wine from St. Estèphe, it leads with herbal aromas followed by plenty of intensity without pandering to over ripeness.  Indeed, the non-fruit flavors — minerality or earthiness — explain its appeal.  Despite its power, it is refined.  The tannins are unusually polished for a St. Estèphe, making the wine ideal for current drinking with a steak hot off the grill.