Château du Gazin Canon Fronsac 2005

Is it a contradiction to catch the Foo Fighters playing Austin City Limits? Not at all. The juxtaposition of quiet and loud, black and gray, soft and hard, all play.

Lilkewise, Château du Gazin Canon Fronsac 2005 is a bottle of harmonious oxymoronic pleasure. One second you're feeling hard rock against the edge of your tongue, and next there's a soft landing of vanilla penetrating your brain. The sensibilities are definitely all shades of black, but there are nuances there, playing off each other. It's the gustatory equivalent of Jessy Greene's violin (a real find!) set against Taylor Hawkins energetic drum play, or Dave Grohl's acoustic set against Chris Shiflett's electric, or even Dave Grohl's primal screaming set against his own under breath utterances. The Foo Fighters seem to be one of those rare musical projects that get better with age, the way a good Bordeaux is supposed to.

Bordeaux is one of the last places on earth where vintage matters, and 2005 was a very good year. There are finds out there under $20, even well under $15. Château du Gazin is from a small hillside vineyard. Just to the west of Pomerol, Canon-Fronsac overlooks the point where the Dordogne and the Isle rivers meet.

Château du Gazin is blend of mostly Merlot (90%), with just 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc. This is a sturdy Merlot! Think black and brooding, with notes of black fruit and black berries, accented with vanilla. Think gravel and dust reverberating on the palate. It's quiet and loud, acoustic and electric, folk and rock, young and old, straight and gay, night and day. We aren't looking for formulaic in a Bordeaux, and we don't get it here.

Price: $15 (Nashville). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 14%.