My wife and I love the magic of Walt Disney World, but after a full day of rollercoasters, animatronics and parades (and long lines, of course), we look forward to a nice meal and a great bottle of wine. We always seem to end up in Epcot’s World Showcase, where we can take a quick culinary hop from London to Venice to Paris all in a single evening. (If only it were that easy in the real world…#inventamagiccarpetplease.)

During our recent visit, the temperatures were in the low 40s and there were 25 mph winds, so we felt half-frozen by the time we sat down to dinner at Chefs de France, a charming French brassiere on the bank of Epcot’s recreation of the Seine. On such a blustery night, only a big French red would do, so we selected a 2007 Pessac-Léognan Rouge from L’Esprit de Chevalier.

The 2007 L’Esprit de Chevalier Rouge is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%) and Merlot (38%), with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It’s from the Pessac-Léognan area in the northern part of Graves, which lies on the left bank of the Garonne River in Bordeaux. It displays more fruit and slightly less tannin than is typical of a left-bank blend, probably due to the higher Merlot concentration and Pessac-Léognan’s stony, gravelly soil – which holds the heat of the day well into the cool nights and allows the grapes to ripen earlier than much of the other left-bank areas.

It’s a medium to full-bodied, deep crimson wine that starts with a bouquet of dark fruit, leather and earth. There are nicely layered flavors of plums, spice, tobacco and subtle oak, followed by a long finish with firm (but not overpowering) tannins on the backend. At this age it will benefit from decanting, but it’s definitely drinkable now.

If you’re not as familiar with the wines of Pessac-Léognan, this is sure to prove an enjoyable and affordable introduction to the magic of Bordeaux. No fairy dust required…

Santé!

Suggested pairing:

He’s a Tramp – Dianne Reeves (2011)
Ev’rybody Wants to Be A Cat – Roy Hargrove (2011)