Have tried quite a few California Bordeaux blends and have largely enjoyed them.

Splurged on this bottle for Thanksgiving and it felt like a bit of a dud. Took a sip right after uncorking and got some pencil shaving and petroleum but no fruit. Decanted for an hour thinking the fruit may develop. It was exactly the same notes, maybe even a bit more muted. Waited an hour more and the same thing.

Is left bank Bordeaux just… not for me? If so, it’ll probably save my wallet in the long run, but I gotta say I was really looking forward to it.