Wine of the Week: 1994 Corbin Michotte, St-Emilion ($39.99)

Wanna drink like Clyde? The 1994 Corbin Michotte, St-Emilion ($39.99) is a delicious, "old school" Pomerol, aged to perfection for your enjoyment tonight.

Yes, K&L founder Clyde Beffa loves Right Bank wines.  He has a soft spot for what he calls the "old school" style of these Merlot-based wines - rustic, earthy bottlings from the less hyped vintages -with at least a decade or two of bottle age, of course.  While it might not be the bomb that critics like Robert Parker appreciate, the 1994 Corbin Michotte ($39.99;  $54 elsewhere) will surely appeal to those looking for balanced, mature Bordeux to drink tonight.  This wine is "sweet and lush, ripe and forward [with] tons of blackberry fruit," notes Clyde. "This is not Parker's style because it is a bit older school and not garagiste. I think it's a fabulous value for mature Right Bank wine. This Chateau always flies under the radar."

This obscure wine from the border near Pomerol will surprise you with its overall quality and gentle charm. This is soft and lush for the vintage and has a mineral component that tastes more of Pomerol iron than St-Emilion limestone. Plush, elegant and gentle, this tastes of cedar, plum, dusty cherry and mineral. A high quality well aged Bordeaux at this price is a rare find. -Steve Bearden, K&L Staff Member 8/9/2011