Le Bijou: The Jewel Wine

One of the reasons I love the Napa Valley so much is that there is always a new gem to be found in just about every trip that I embark on. In the case of this particular posting, not only did I discover Le Bijou by Falcor (The Jewel), but I also found another hidden gem, ‘The Wine Garage’.  It is because of the Wine Garage, that I purchased Falcor for a trial run, and the results proved lustrous.

Le Bijou is a Bourdeaux-style blend that is, according to my friend at the Wine Garage, comparable to Opus One by Mondavi. I have to admit, that this was definitely one of the selling points. Not only is this bottle beautiful and sleek, with a shiny black finish and gold embossed lettering, but the fact that it was a fraction of the Opus One price, yet comparable – I had to see for myself! Well, there was one flaw in my taste-testing strategy in this case – I have never actually tasted the Mondavi Opus One (darn).

So to be able to tell whether or not this bottle is actually comparable to that one, we’ll just have to take the Wine Garage’s word for that. The Wine Garage specializes in finding amazing wine and working great deals with the wineries in order to sell to the public at a fraction of the price.

The wine is very nice and what surprised me is that it seemed strong for a Bordeaux-style blend, tasting very much like a classic California Cab. Because of the blend, the wine is very smooth and drinkable. I think many people could enjoy this wine and, even though it is a blend, I would be proud to serve it to a die-hard Cabernet drinker. However, I am not sure if my Merlot drinking friends would appreciate it as much, as it really does have a strong, earthy flavor to it. Here’s the grape breakdown:

41% Cabernet Franc
38% Cabernet Sauvignon
17% Merlot
4% Petite Verdot

At the end of the day, my dad and I tasted and enjoyed the bottle together. As a matter of fact, we got a little greedy with the bottle, and after our first glass, the pouring became a free-for-all. I’d have to say that if it wasn’t for the little Calistoga gem I discovered, aka the Wine Garage, I would have never discovered this jewel of a wine, Le Bijou.