Chateau La Louviere 2006 Rouge - Review

In the eighteenth century, La Louvière was acclaimed for its fine wine cellars. The original manor house for which the winery is named was demolished in the late 1700's and replaced with the grand, neoclassical château now emblazoned on the La Louvière label. In 1965, André Lurton fell in love with the château and purchased the property and La Louvière label. The winery produces a white from Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc as well as its acclaimed Rouge. The 2006 Rouge, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, is a mature yet restrained wine. On the nose, it offers prune and black currant with notes of cedar, bramble and Eastern spice. Surprisingly ripe up front fruit flavors of plum, prune and raspberry lead the way to earthy, food-friendly cedar, spice and forest floor toward the back of the palate. A prominence of oak takes away slightly from the wine's elegance, but overall it is nicely balanced and friendly to even picky wine drinkers. It would work well with gamey meat dishes like venison loin or even a herb-infused lamb stew. Alternatively, try it with hard sheep's milk cheeses or perhaps a ripe brie.