2018 Château Auguste, Bordeaux, France

The Moment

Some Bordeaux is built around structure first.
Others remember that dinner still comes first.

The 2018 Château Auguste is the kind of bottle that brings dark berries, cedar, licorice, and soft integrated tannins to the table without making the evening feel too serious. It has that familiar Bordeaux shape, but in a supple, easygoing register that makes it especially nice for weeknight dinners, roast chicken, or a burger that deserves a better bottle. It is a supple, medium-bodied Bordeaux made from 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc.

This is Bordeaux with a softer landing: ripe black fruit, a little cedar and licorice, and enough structure to feel classic without ever getting hard-edged. Another merchant note sums it up well as “approachable & exquisite,” with soft, fresh black fruit and notes of dark berries, cherry, overripe plum, licorice, and cedar.

What It Feels Like

Think roast chicken on the table, mushrooms in the pan, and a bottle that feels quietly polished without asking anyone to stop and analyze it.

What makes this wine work is its balance between familiarity and ease. Bordeaux can sometimes lean stern, but here the Merlot-heavy blend gives the wine more generosity through the middle, while the Cabernet components add shape and a little lift. The published notes point consistently toward fresh black fruit, soft integrated tannins, and a persistent finish, which makes this feel more welcoming than severe.

In the Glass

Aromatics
Blackberry, blueberry, dark plum, black cherry, licorice, and cedar.

Palate
Rich black fruit with a soft, classic Bordeaux profile and subtle savory detail.

Texture
Medium-bodied with soft, integrated tannins and an approachable shape.

Finish
Persistent and polished, with lingering dark fruit and cedar.

Why We Love This Bottle

Bordeaux Without The Hard Edges
This has the cedar, dark fruit, and classic structure people want from Bordeaux, but the texture stays supple and easy.

Merlot-Led And Dinner-Friendly
With Merlot leading the blend, the wine reads rounder and more open than a more Cabernet-dominant Bordeaux.

A Very Useful Table Red
This is the kind of bottle that works with a lot of different dinners because it brings enough structure to feel composed while staying relaxed enough to open without ceremony. That pairing read is my interpretation based on the wine’s medium body, soft tannins, and classic Bordeaux flavor profile.

Pair It With

• Roast chicken
• Burgers
• Beef stew
• Mushroom pasta
• Aged cheddar or Comté

Those pairings follow Bordeaux’s general food affinity for beef, veal, poultry, and game, plus this wine’s softer, Merlot-led shape.

Technical Notes

Producer: Château Auguste
Region: Bordeaux, France
Grapes: 80% Merlot · 10% Cabernet Sauvignon · 10% Cabernet Franc

Body: Medium
Structure: Soft integrated tannins · classic freshness

Flavor Profile
Blackberry · Blueberry · Dark Plum · Black Cherry · Licorice · Cedar

Drink Window
Now–2028