Sotheby's Own Label Collection: Pessac-Léognan

Pessac-Léognan is located in the northern part of the Graves region of Bordeaux, just south of the city of Bordeaux. Unlike most Bordeaux appellations, the area is equally famous for both red and white wines (though red wines are more predominant). Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are widely grown in Pessac-Léognan, with small areas also devoted to Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Red wines from Pessac-Léognan are known to be medium to full-bodied, elegant and concentrated with aromas and flavors of lush fruit, mineral, and earth. The white wines are dry, crisp, and minerally with citrus notes, often with oak-aging.

Sotheby's has a wine label of its own, offering 13 different varieties of wine that are priced under $40. Priced at just $25 (which is a good deal!), the 2017 Pessac-Léognan was produced and bottled by Chateau Haut-Bailly, which has a reputation as one of the great wines of Bordeaux. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (58%) and Merlot (42%).

My tasting notes on the Sotheby's 2017 Pessac-Leognan:

• See & Swirl: The wine has a dark purple color at the core, almost black, with a reddish rim. The wine is 13% abv.

• Sniff: It's elegant on the nose with aromas of black currant, cherry, and plum with tobacco and spices. There are subtle notes of graphite and smoke as well. It is equally balanced between fruity and earthy.

• Sip & Savor: The wine has many layers on the palate - it's medium-bodied with lush black fruit-forward flavors (black cherry, blackberry, and black plum) with moderate acidity on the mid-palate, followed by tobacco and minerals on the back-palate. It has a medium finish with high tannins. The tannins have some edges initially, but they soften after 2+ hours of decanting. Aerating also helps give this wine a silkier texture and bring out the mineral notes, both of which make the wine more enjoyable. I paired this wine with dinner consisting of French onion soup and carbonara pasta, which paired pretty well, but I think it would be even more wonderful with steak. I also had this wine over several hours (with dinner as well as post-dinner snacks and movie), and the wine got better and better throughout the night.

This is a wonderful wine for the price - for anyone looking to impress for $25, this is a great option. I have another one of Sotheby's label wines (Sancerre!) and I'm looking forward to tasting and writing about it soon.