2019 Chateau Pascaud Reserve Bordeaux Superieur

Saint-Emilion is a short drive away. This vineyard sits in Galgon, a small village at the edge of the Fronsac hills. The Person family has farmed vines there since 1910.

The grape is the one that made Saint-Emilion famous: Merlot, grown here on clay-gravel slopes. What changes is the name on the label. Galgon sits outside the famous appellations, so the wine goes out as Bordeaux Superieur.

This is a real family operation, with Philippe Person making the wine. The family's property covers close to 500 acres around Galgon. Chateau Pascaud is one of their estates, and the Reserve comes from its old-vine plots.

If Sideways left you wary of Merlot, remember the bottle Miles was saving the whole movie. It was a 1961 Cheval Blanc, a Saint-Emilion built on Cabernet Franc and Merlot. He drank it out of a styrofoam cup at a burger joint.

Miles had the right idea about the burger. Seven years in, I'd open this 2019 now, with short ribs, a cheeseburger, or a hard-cheese board. Use a real glass.