French Red Bordeaux

We have thousands of wines. Although we carry many national brands, that is not our focus. The following are well made and generally more interesting wines that we are proud to recommend.

MÉDOC/HAUT-MÉDOC

Château Tour Saint Bonnet, Médoc Cru Bourgeois, 2016 ($19.99) - A wonderful value!!! This renowned estate in the far north of the Médoc has 99 acres of vines that are superbly situated on a gravel ridge adjacent to the Gironde. The vineyard is planted to 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, plus Malbec and Petit Verdot. Jacques Merlet, who runs the estate, is not of fan of new wood and its accompanying vanilla character; he matures the wine for 18 months in large oak foudres rather than the more common barriques. Tour St. Bonnet can be surprisingly hard and austere in youth but with 4-5 years of cellaring, it opens up to reveal intense cassis flavors accompanied by smooth, balanced tannins.

Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 90+ “This estate has long produced great value, quintessentially Médoc wines, and the 2016 has turned out especially well. Aromas of blackcurrant fruit intermingled with notions of loamy soil, tobacco leaf, and vanilla pod, it’s medium to full-bodied with powdery tannins and a nicely concentrated core of fruit. Robert Parker once described this estate as producing a miniature Grand-Puy-Lacoste, and that observation continues to resonate with me. While the 2016 drinks well today, a bit more time in the cellar will only pay dividends. Drink 2020-36”

Château Pey Martin, Médoc, 2019 ($19.99) – This Bordeaux has belonged to the Francisco family since 1870, currently Stéphanie Francisco and her father, Jean. Their soil is a typical mixture of gravel and clayey limestone. The blend for 2019 was 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 15% Cab Franc. The grapes were harvested by hand and given rigorous sorting. Vinification was traditional, in stainless steel vats, and the wine was aged partly in oak barrels and partly in concrete vats. The aromas and flavors feature blackcurrant and licorice, concentrated with a slightly roasted finish.

Château Peyrabon, Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois, 2016 ($21.99) - Wine Advocate (Neal Martin): 88 "The 2016 Peyrabon has a feminine and pure bouquet with red cherries and wild strawberry fruit. The oak here is present but neatly interwoven with pressed flower notes developing with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a fleshy entry. The acidity is nicely judged, although the light structure suggests that this Haut-Médoc will probably drink earlier than many. Drink 2019-28” 

Château Bellerive, Médoc Cru Bourgeois, 2016 ($21.99) - Typically a blend of 58% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cab Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. It shows red fruit aromas and tastes, including cherry, raspberry, and cranberry, along with mocha, balsamic, leather, and gunflint notes. It was partially aged in oak barrels and partially in stainless steel to keep the cost down. It's drinking nicely now and will hold for a few more years.

Château La Roque de By, Médoc Cru Bourgeois, 2010 ($22.99) - Earthy and spicy with notes of cedar wood, forest floor, herbs, and red and black currants. Medium-bodied, very pleasant, round, and fully mature.

Château Ramafort, Médoc, 2016 ($23.99) - A value Bordeaux that has entered its drinking window and will provide enjoyment through 2028. Wine Enthusiast (Roger Voss): 92 "This is a dense, ripe wine with rich black fruits. Its concentration contrasts with the good acidity and generous texture to give a wine that is a balanced blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink from 2023."

Château Grand Brun, Haut-Médoc Cru Artisan, 2016 ($25.99) - Grand Brun is a bit unusual in that it uses no Cabernet Franc; it's typically a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot 5% Petit Verdot. Château Grand Brun exemplifies the Cru Artisans’ classification.  It’s an autonomous, small-sized estate where the owner, Olivier Brun, is actively involved in all the operations from growing the grapes to making the wine. The story of Château Grand Brun began in 1970 with a 4-acre parcel of Cab Sauvignon between St.-Julien and Margaux. Over the years, the family has been able to purchase additional acreage. Today, the third generation is at the helm of 29 acres. aged in French oak barrels for 10 months before bottling. Blackcurrants, blackberry, and coffee notes emerge from this attractive wine. Medium-bodied, elegant, and nuanced with a beautiful tannic structure from ripe Cabernet sauvignon. It has a medium to long finish with integrated oak and spices.

Plume de Paloumey, Haut-Médoc, 2021 ($25.99) - So here is a very interesting Bordeaux. It’s not exactly a second label of Château Paloumey; it’s more like a separate bottling that is aged in stainless steel instead of oak. And it’s certified USDA Organic! And it’s kosher!! This is a serious young wine that will benefit from more aging but can be enjoyed now with some airing. Château Paloumey is located near Margaux. Its 84 acres include some parcels adjacent to classified growths Château La Lagune and Château Cantemerle. The name refers to the palombes (large pigeons) that fly over the vineyards. Heavily impacted by the phylloxera crisis, the estate was in poor condition. All its vines had been pulled up and never replanted until 1989 when Martine Cazeneuve purchased the property and began restoring it. Today, her son, trained enologist Pierre Cazeneuve, has taken over.

Château Le Peyre, Haut-Médoc, 2016 ($27.99) - This is a very small property with only three acres of vineyards on gravel-infused soil. The vines average about 30 years of age and consist of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. After a manual harvest, the alcoholic fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine is racked into small barrels to clarify and age for an additional year before bottling. Production is only 670 cases per year, 250 of which come to the U.S.

Château Bel Air Gloria, Haut-Médoc, 2015 ($29.99) – Although not a classified growth, Château Gloria in St.-Julien has over-delivered in the last two decades to the point where it commands prices comparable to many 5th and 4th classified growths. Bel Air Gloria is not a second label but a separate, nearby property just outside the St.-Julien appellation. It’s under the same ownership with the same winemaking team. Excellent value, ready to enjoy. Wine Advocate (Neal Martin): 89 “The 2015 Bel Air Gloria has a ripe, clean, and pure bouquet with attractive dark cherry & blackberry scents, neatly integrated with the oak. The palate is medi-um-bodied with fleshy, ripe dark cherries laced with spice & black tea, nicely structured with an almost heady but attractive finish. Enjoy this lush Cru Bourgeois now through 2026.” Bronze medal, Concours de Grand Vins de France a Mâcon.

Les Pensées de La Tour Carnet, 2016, Haut-Médoc ($33.99) - The second label of 4th Growth Château La Tour Carnet, this has aged nicely and is showing nearly as well as the first label with dark currant and blackberry fruit flavors inlaid with hints of ganache, tobacco, and licorice root. Enjoy now and over the next three years. Owner Bernard Magrez is a wine magnate who owns properties in many countries but is best known for La Tour Carnet, Pape Clément (Pessac-Léognon), Fombrauge (St.-Emilion), and Clos Haut-Peyraguey (Sauternes), all classified growths. Wine Enthusiast 91 “Named after French philosopher Michel de Montaigne [this reference is confusing. Pensées was written by 17th-century religious philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal.], who visited La Tour Carnet, this wine is rich and structured. Its background is generous and full of black fruits. It is mature, even with some tannins still in place.” 

Château Potensac, Médoc, 2016 ($36.99) - TWI: 93; WA: 91+ “Is 2016 this estate’s finest vintage to date? Certainly, its compelling bouquet of cassis and pencil shavings and its seamless, beautifully balanced palate make a strong case. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with beautifully refined tannins, lively acids, and a long, penetrating finish, this is built to age with style, yet it is also quite accessible at this early stage for a young Potensac. Best 2025-45” 

ST.-ESTÈPHE 

Château Prieuré Jehanne, St.-Estèphe, 2017 ($29.99) - The Sourice family owns vineyards in the Médoc, the Haut-Médoc, and the Loire Valley. A few years ago, Monsieur Sourice purchased a small parcel of only 2.5 acres in the AOC Saint Estèphe and named it after his youngest daughter, Jehanne. This boutique estate near the village of Pez produces only 500 cases per vintage. Old Cabernet Sauvignon vines (70%) bring structure and complexity to the wine, while young Merlot vines (30%) bring ripe fruit. Mechanically harvested but hand-sorted, it is generous but not overly powerful with dark fruit and a delicate vanilla overlay. Bottled unfiltered, it is quite impressive for the price, and it’s had six years in the bottle to mellow.

Château Morin, St.-Estephe, 2016 ($29.99) - This Cru Bourgeois was purchased by the Rouzaud family (who happen to own Champagne Roederer!) in 2006. They were impressed by some old vines on good terroir, but they found that the property overall was in need of investment. The vines face the Gironde on a single plot of clay gravel at Saint-Corbian on the highest ridge in the commune. The 2016 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab Franc, and Petit Verdot. It is not a big wine, but it has plenty of flavor. The soft entry is followed by modest tannins on the finish. It’s a fine value. Wine Enthusiast (Roger Voss): 93 "Beautifully mature, this ripe wine with black fruit and smoky flavors has soft tannins. The structure gives shape to the secondary flavors that are now developing. Ready to drink.” 

Château de Côme, Saint-Estèphe, 2016 ($41.99) - It’s good to have this estate back in the store. The newest vintage (yes, it was already aged three years in the bottle before release) is terrific. Rich in Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot fruit (a 50/50 blend), it is nicely balanced, harmonious, and serious. Founded in 1840, the vineyard is just over 17 acres of homogenous clay, sand, and limestone that is especially well suited for Merlot. Château de Côme was mentioned in the Edouard Feret book Bordeaux and its Wines (also called the “Bordeaux Bible”) in 1886 as a Cru Bourgeois Superieur. Baron Maurice Velge bought it and Château Clauzet in 1997, partnering with winemaker José Bueno, who had previously spent 23 years with the Baron Philippe de Rothschild. The vineyard and winery were transitioning to organic in 2016 and are now certified. 

Château Tronquoy Lalande, St.-Estèphe, 2016 ($42.99) - Just entering its window of drinkability. Wine Advocate (William Kelly): 94 “The 2016 Tronquoy-Lalande is a brilliant wine. Wafting from the glass with scents of cassis, dark berries, cigar wrapper, and loamy soil, it's medium to full-bodied, layered, and seamless, with a deep and multidimensional core, lively acids, and beautifully ripe tannins. Suave and elegant, this young, impeccably balanced classic will delight Médoc purists, but it is far from austere today and will offer a remarkably broad drinking window. Drink 2022-44. 

“Tronquoy-Lalande deserves to be much better known. This was the second vineyard planted in Saint-Estèphe, after the Clos of Calon-Ségur, but its Royalist owner didn't participate in the 1855 classification due to his disapproval of Napoléon III. The vineyard consists of a single 30-hectare block on an eight-meter-deep gravel ridge directly behind châteaux Meyney and Montrose. Certified organic with the 2021 vintage, Tronquoy- Lalande has never seen herbicides. After its acquisition by Olivier & Martin Bouygues in 2006, the winery was redesigned with input from the late Jean-Philippe Delmas, equipped with two-tiered stainless steel tanks like Château Haut-Brion). Ably overseen by Yves Delsol, who has worked at the estate for 30 years and thus knows its every detail, the style is seamless, complex, and concentrated with structural elegance that reflects the quality of these gravel soils more than it does any stereotypes of Saint-Estèphe rusticity. Indeed, in any revision of the 1855 classification, this estate will clearly win classified growth status.”

Château De Pez, St.-Estephe ($41.99) - This property, on gravel rises above clay-limestone and across the road from Château Calon-Ségur, was originally a Bourgeois Supérieur. It is now one of the nine Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels as of the 2003 revision. It belonged to the Pontac family, who also owned Château Haut-Brion, but was purchased by Louis Roederer in 1995. The Pichon Lalande team redesigned the 104-acre vineyard plot by plot (70 of them) and improved and modernized the wine. In 2022, 40% of the crop was lost to hail. Bad for their bottom line, but good for the quality of the remaining grapes. The blend is 59% Merlot, 38% Cab Sauvignon, 2% Cab Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Wine Spectator: 94 $48 “Black cherry and dark currant fruit feel lightly mulled, with sweet tobacco, chestnut leaf, and singed alder notes. The earth-tinged finish shows focus and poise. 2026 through 2038.” Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 92 “Polished and charming, 2022 de Pez bursts with aromas of blackberries, vanilla pod, and pencil shavings followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample, and velvety palate that’s integrated and expressive. Broad drinking window. This estate has now been fully restructured and serves as something of a research and development laboratory for its sibling, Pichon Lalande. Director Nicolas Glumineau and his team have been working to bring more precision and purity to the wine. 2025 - 2042.”

Château Meyney, Saint-Estèphe, 2019 ($43.99) - Although not a classified growth, Meyney has long been highly appreciated and is generally considered to be worthy of fifth growth classification. It occupies a prime position in St.-Estèphe with a single, 51-hectare parcel of vines on a sloping rise next to Ch. Montrose and overlooking the Gironde estuary. Meyney benefits from an array of soil types and consists of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and a generous 15% Petit Verdot (giving the wine its attractive, spicy signature). Vines were planted at the site in 1662, making it one of the oldest vineyards in the Médoc. Originally part of a convent, it has had only three owners since then, the latest being CA Grands Crus, a subsidiary of the Crédit Agricole Group. The soil is composed of gravel, sand, limestone, and a deep layer of blue clay. Being near the estuary, the vineyard is largely protected from frosts. The average age of the vines is 35-40 years with fruit from the younger vines typically used for a second wine, Prieur de Meyney. Grapes are sorted in the vineyard and again in the winery, then fermented in vats. Larger vats have been replaced with smaller ones to enable individual plots to be vinified separately. The grand vin is aged for 15 months in 30% new French oak barrels; the second wine typically sees 10–15% new oak. 

Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 90-92+ “Classic notes of cassis, plums, and blackberries plus hints of cedar chest, bay leaves, pencil lead, and clove oil plus a waft of underbrush. Medium to full-bodied with a generous core of ripe black fruits with a slight touch of oak poking through and a firm backbone of ripe, grainy tannins, finishing with impressive length.” Age or decant.

Château Phélan Ségur, St.-Estephe, 2022 ($64.99) - Wine Spectator: 95 “Plush and warm in feel, this offers plum and blackberry compote notes flecked with chestnut and bay and underscored by warm stone and leather through the finish. Broad and slow-moving, but with clear definition. A nice muscular edge hints at its buried power. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. Best 2027 thru 2040. 12,000 cases.” Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 91-93 “Aromas of cherries, crème de cassis, sweet berries, and spices, framed by creamy new oak, the 2022 Phélan Ségur is medium to full-bodied, rich, and concentrated, with plenty of sweet fruit and chewy structuring tannin. It’s a persuasive Saint-Estèphe in a more modern, extracted style.”

La Dame de Montrose, St.-Estèphe, 2016 ($64.99) - The second label of the great Château Montrose. TWI: 93; Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 92 “The finest vintage of Montrose's second wine in this vertical was the 2016 La Dame de Montrose, a medium to full-bodied, deep and layered wine that's velvety and pure, with a beautifully balanced profile and an inviting bouquet of dark berries, licorice, cigar wrapper, loamy soil and violets. Given the longevity that other top vintages have demonstrated, there's no rush to start pulling corks. 2026-2046” 

Château Phèlan Segur, St.-Estèphe, 2016 ($63.99) - Wine Advocate (Lisa Perotti-Brown): 92 “Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Phélan Ségur gives elegant red and black currants, kirsch and blackberries with violets and chocolate box scents plus a waft of cigars. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant, fine-grained, and fresh with great vibrancy and mineral notes on the finish. Drink 2019-31; Wine Spectator: 93 “This is a touch old-school, with bay and tobacco notes out front followed by alder, warm earth, and steeped black currant flavors. The grippy finish lets the fruit and earth notes wrestle a bit, leaving a chewy feel. Will settle with cellaring, but this is not for fans of finesse. Best from 2022 through 2035. 15,000 cases made.”

La Dame de Montrose, St.-Estèphe, 2000 ($109.95) - The second label of the great Château Montrose. Any bottle this old carries a risk, but that's part of the fun! Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 91 “The 2000 La Dame de Montrose would embarrass plenty of grands vins from this vintage, offering up aromas of sweet cassis, rich soil tones and black truffle, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and seamless palate. A touch purer and less rustic than its 1989 counterpart tasted alongside, it derives from the first vintage vinified in stainless steel at this address.  2010-2035” 

Cos d’Estournel, St.-Estephe, 2016 ($264.99 net) - Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 100! “The 2016 Cos d'Estournel is blended of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc aged in 65% new and 35% two-year-old French oak for 15 months. Bottled in July 2018, it is deep garnet-purple colored and starts off a little closed and reticent, opening out slowly and seductively to reveal beautiful lilacs, rose hip tea, crushed stones, and camphor nuances over a core of crème de cassis, kirsch, wild blueberries and mocha plus wafts of incense and wood smoke. The palate is simply electric, charged with an energy and depth of flavors that seem to defy the elegance and ethereal nature of its medium-bodied weight, featuring super ripe, densely pixelated tannins that firmly frame the myriad of fruit and floral sparks, finishing with epic length. Just. Magic. 2024-68

“Rains on 13th September helped finish the ripening in 2016," winemaker Dominique Arangoits informed me. “There was a little water stress here on the young vines,” he confessed. “It was very important not to overreact to the wet conditions in June, not to de-leaf too much. We have to be more careful than in the past. It was not a very early vintage, but we had to be careful with the Merlot and not harvest too late. It was very important to keep the fruit and the energy in the wines. In the end, we didn’t even need to fine the wines—this was only the second vintage for this. We started in 2015. In 2017 we will probably not need to fine either. We have our own bottling line, so we have control.” 

Arangoits and his team nailed it in 2016. It is also important to highlight that the transformation at Cos d’Estournel since Michel Reybier purchased the château in 2000 is simply incredible. Reybier’s considerable efforts since then in the vineyards and the winery are remarkable. What he has achieved has not only helped to bring the estate up to its true potential but also instilled a pretty impressive batting record when it comes to consistency of quality.”

PAUILLAC 

Château Haut-Batailley Verso, Pauillac, 2019 ($36.99) - Verso is the 2nd label of Château Haut-Batailley, a highly regarded Fifth Growth Bordeaux that was owned by the Borie family for 85 years before being purchased by the Cazes family of Château Lynch-Bages in 2017. Its 54 acres are planted with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Neal Martin: 91 “Has a perfumed bouquet of mint-tinged black fruit and a touch of graphite in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with pencil lead notes on the entry. This Deuxième Vin is endowed with splendid concentration. Classic in style, with just a touch of black pepper toward the finish. Well worth seeking out.” Drink  now through 2032.

Verso (Haut Batailley), Pauillac, 2020 ($36.99) - Centuries-old Château Batailley was one of the classified growths (5th) of 1855. Brothers François and Marcel Borie, whose wine merchant father, Eugène, had left his native Corrèze to settle in Pauillac at the end of the 19th century, became successful négoçiants and purchased the estate in 1932. To prevent future difficulties with inheritance laws, the brothers split the property along the road from Pauillac to Saint-Laurent in 1942, with François taking 100 acres, only 50 of which were planted, and renaming it Haut Batailley. François also acquired  the great Château Ducru-Beaucaillou in Saint-Julien, which became his family’s base. His daughter, Françoise Des Brest-Borie, took over upon his death in 1953 and leased the property to her brother and his son, who also owned the famous Château Grand Puy Lacoste. 

In 2017, the property was put up for sale, a great rarity in Bordeaux. After an intense, four-way fight, the Cazes family (famous for Château Lynch Bages) became the new owners. The Borie family had used the same team for G-P-L and Haut Batailley, so the Cazes family took over an estate with no staff, no stock, no tractors, and no recent innovations. But they did have the planting rights to the 50 acres that had never been planted, another great rarity in Bordeaux. Work began immediately on soil analysis (three types were found), choice of grape variety, and a plan, with the first plantings in 2018. Haut-Batailley has vines that touch those of Lynch Bages at some points, and the two buildings are just one hectare apart, but it has a different terroir and is thus a different expression of Pauillac. Both geographically and stylistically, the center of gravity of Haut-Batailley is closer to St Julien, whereas Lynch Bages is centered around Pauillac village and the Estuary, and is a more muscular, concentrated wine.

This brings us to Verso, Haut Batailley’s second wine. Second wines are made from younger vines, lesser barrels, less ripe grapes, or lesser plots within the vineyard. They never reach the heights of the first wine, but they can offer good value and earlier drinking. With new plantings and the Cazes family’s high standards, the second label Verso will be 50% of production near-term and will decline to 30% as the young vines mature. The 2020 Verso is 60% Merlot with the rest Cabernet Sauvignon and a splash of Petit Verdot, aging for 8 months in one-year-old French oak barriques. It has an alcohol of 13.7% Wine Spectator: 90 “Enticing, with an open feel combined with a good depth of blackberry and black currant fruit flavors, lined with singed balsam wood and tobacco hints. Ends with a perfumed, old-school feel. Drink now through 2033.”

Pauillac de Pichon Baron, Pauillac, 2019 ($46.99) - In addition to their flagship bottling, top Bordeaux producers make a separate, less expensive “second label” wine from a combination of younger vines, lesser parts of the estate, or simply lesser barrels. To up the quality of these second wines, some of the best estates make a further selection, typically selling off some grapes/wine in bulk to other producers. In the best vintages, however, these “rejects” can be quite good, and a few producers will make a third wine! That’s exactly what Château Pichon Baron did in 2019. They couldn’t part with this juice and made a very classy and balanced wine. Although not massive, it has quite a nice bouquet, plenty of flavor, and is very pretty and accessible. Delicious and quite a good value!

Château Grand Puy Ducasse, Pauillac, 2022 ($49.99) - Wine Spectator: 94 “Dark and winey, with flashes of game and sweet bay peeking out from behind a dense core of mulled black currant, blackberry, and black cherry fruit flavors. Dark licorice and warm earth notes wrap up the finish, while a smoldering cast-iron edge lingers. Muscular and burly overall, but there's energy and depth for the requisite cellaring needed. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. Best from 2028 through 2042. 9,000 cases made.” Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 90+ “Exhibits aromas of cassis, tobacco leaf violets, and new oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied palate with a sweet core of fruit, ripe acids, and chalky structuring tannins that assert themselves on the finish. This is a solid but somewhat rustic effort. Drink 2027-2042” 

Château Haut Bages Libéral, Pauillac, 2022 ($59.99) - With 74 acres on deep gravels of clay and limestone, 5th classified growth H-B-L is certified organic and biodynamic (Demeter). The 2022 is 87% Cab Sauvignon and 13% Merlot aged 16 months in 40% new oak, 40% in once-used barrels, and 20% in concrete and amphorae. 13.9% alcohol, 3.54 pH. Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 93 “Aromas of sweet dark berries, bay leaf, violets, and cigar ash. A medium to full-bodied, lively, and layered wine that’s fresh and vibrant, with powdery tannins that assert themselves on the somewhat lactic finish. This is a solid effort from this limestone terroir, though it can’t quite match the precision of the estate’s 2019-2020 duo. Drink 2027-2045”

Château Pichon Lalande Resèrve de la Comtesse, Pauillac, 2022 ($63.99) - Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 93 “Readers shouldn’t overlook the 2022 Resèrve de la Comtesse, a lovely wine, one of the most accomplished second wines of Bordeaux. Offering up aromas of sweet minty berry, burning ember, pencil shaving, and violets, it’s medium to full-bodied, lavish, and aromatic, with an almost exotic core of fruit, powdery tannins, and a penetrating finish. 2025-2042”

Wine Spectator: 93 “Laden with cassis and dark plum notes, this moves slowly as bittersweet cocoa, espresso crema, and dark tobacco accents fill in along the way. Cedar and savory hints add range and cut to the finish, and there’s ample latent depth. A touch old school and can handle some cellaring. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2038.”

Château Haut-Batailley, Pauillac, 2016 ($64.99) - Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 92+ "The 2016 Haut Batailley has a deep garnet-purple color and aromas of baked redcurrants, red plums and cassis with asphalt, fried herbs and earth. The palate is medium-bodied, firm, and chewy with an earthy finish. 2019-33"

Château Haut-Batailley, Pauillac, 2020 ($68.99) - One for the cellar. Wine Spectator: 95 "Dark, winey, structured, and very Pauillac, this is laden with cassis and blackberry puree flavors scored by charcoal and warm earth, with tobacco and cast iron notes. Very long, focused, and seriously well-built finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2027 through 2040."

Château Pedesclaux, Pauillac, 2016 ($74.99) Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 93 “The 2016 Pedesclaux is composed of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. It aged for 18 months in 60% new and 40% one-year-old French oak. It has a deep garnet-purple color and nose of crushed red and black currants and blackberries with cigar box, new leather, pencil lead, and crushed rocks. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant, fresh, and lively with loads of mineral nuances and a lovely earthy finish. Around 15,000 cases produced. Drink 2019-36” 

Château Haut-Batailley, Pauillac, 2018 (84.99) - Wine Spectator: 94 "Juicy, fresh and nicely compact, with sleek iron along the edges of a core of steeped plum and cassis fruit flavors. Subtle tugs of savory, tobacco and cedar through the finish, with a last, lingering perfumed whiff of dark tea. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2024 through 2038."

Château Grand Puy Lacoste, Pauillac, 2022 ($99.95) - Wine Spectator: 96 “Shows the floral side of the vintage with a vibrant mix of iris, violet, and rose petal notes backed by a core of pure and racy red and black currant preserves. There’s a well-integrated singed cedar note running along its flanks and a long beam of iron driving the finish. Textbook. Cab Sauvignon and Merlot. Best 2026 thru 2042. 10,000 cases.” Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 95 “Has turned out nicely in bottle, unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis and plums mingled with notions of rose petal, tobacco leaf, and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, bright and velvety, with a layered core of fruit and powdery structuring tannins, it's beautifully balanced. Drink 2027-2050”

Château Clerc-Milon, Pauillac, 2015 ($125.95) - Under the same ownership as Mouton-Rothschild! Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 93+ "The 2019 Clerc Milon is a real success. At more than 70%, this blend contains one of the highest proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon in the property's recent history, and the result is a wine of real nobility. Offering up aromas of violets, wild berries, licorice, loamy soil, and cigar wrapper, it's full-bodied, layered, and multidimensional, with notable depth at the core, lively acids, and ripe, powdery tannins that assert themselves on the finish. From clay-limestone soils rather than the sandy gravels that characterize d'Armailhac, this is by some margin the more structured and serious of Mouton-Rothschild's two Pauillac stablemates.

“'The vineyard of Clerc Milon was a mess for centuries,' Philippe Dhalluin explained to me. 'It had never been restructured. Now it is 54 hectares of many, many small plots. Slowly, we have been replanting, planting the right rootstocks and varieties on the right plots. In five to 10 years, Clerc Milon will begin to show these improvements.' A very well situated property (cozied right up to the Gironde, across the road from Mouton Rothschild and next door to Lafite’s parcels on that side of the D2 road), this is most certainly a property to watch over the forthcoming years."

Château d’Armailhac, Pauillac, 2005 ($127.95) - When it comes to older wines, one of the key questions a potential buyer needs to ask is the provenance of the bottles, that is, where and how they were stored. In this case, there is no better provenance; these bottles never left the Château until they were just shipped to us in May 2024! Still, any bottle this old carries a risk, but that's part of the fun. This property has had several names and was one of the 5th growth wines of the 1855 classification. It was purchased by Baron Philippe de Rothschild (of the Mouton Rothschild branch of the Rothschild family and renamed Château Mouton-Baronne-Philippe. In 1989, Baroness Philippine changed its name to closer to the original (Mouton-d’Armailhacq). The estate is one of the first in Bordeaux to actively grow Cabernet Sauvignon and is a likely source of Cabernet vines for other estates. Neal Martin: 90 “The Château d’Armailhac 2005 has a very typical d’Armailhac nose with ebullient red and black fruit, cedar, and mint coming through with a light black olive scent. The palate is medium-bodied, very well-balanced, supple in the mouth, and therefore one of the more approachable Pauillac ’05s. There are hints of bay leaf and clove emerging towards the finish that fan out with panache, a savory tincture lingering on the finish. Drink 2017-2040”

Château Duhart-Milon, Pauillac, 2010 ($127.95) - Under the same ownership as Lafite-Rothschild. Wine Advocate (Robert Parker, Jr.): 96 "Dense purple, with classic notes of cedar and lead pencil shavings as well as gobs of back currants and licorice, the wine has a full-bodied mouthfeel with fabulous precision and density. It also possesses a long, silky finish with moderately high tannins, but they are ripe and well-integrated. The wood is clearly pushed to the background in this dense, full-bodied Pauillac, which should drink beautifully for 30+ years. If you can’t afford Lafite-Rothschild (few can) or even their second wine, Carruades de Lafite, you still have Duhart Milon, which has become a profound wine over the last 5-7 years due to the extensive amount of attention and investment the Rothschilds have pumped into this estate. This blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot is fabulous, a dead ringer for Lafite in a great vintage. (It is probably better than many of the Lafites of the 1960s and 1970s, and even some of the vintages in the 1980s.) Drink through 2043"

Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac, 2015 ($155.95) - Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrot-ti-Brown): 97 "Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Pontet-Canet comes charging out of the glass with fantastically expressive notes of black cherry preserves, black raspberries and blackcurrant pastilles plus touches of kirsch, wilted roses, tobacco, camphor and cinnamon stick with a waft of fragrant soil. Full-bodied, the palate is laden with black and red fruit layers, supported by very firm, very finely grained tannins and provocative freshness, finishing with incredible length and stunningly perfumed. Drink 2024-2050"

Château Pichon Lalande, Pauillac, 2017 ($179.95) - From a vintage that was overlooked by many, this wine not only sings, it can be enjoyed now!Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrot-ti-Brown): 96 "Composed of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and is a little closed to begin, soon revealing floral notes of lilacs and lavender over a core of black raspberries, warm blackberries and forest floor plus touches of star anise and stewed black tea. Medium-bodied, the palate is a bundle of energy and tension with softly played tannins and beautiful floral and black fruit layers, finishing with a long-lingering whisper. Drink 2021-2049" 

Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac, 2016 ($199.95) - Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrot-ti-Brown): 98+ "Deep garnet-purple in color, the '16 Pontet-Canet hits the ground running with a hedonic nose of Black Forest cake, crème de cassis and blueberry pie plus suggestions of candied violets, hoisin, chocolate mint, charcuteries, and forest floor with a waft of star anise. Full-bodied, rich, profoundly layered, and powerfully fruited, the palate is built like a brick house, with very firm, super ripe, grainy tannins and harmonious freshness, finishing with incredible length and depth. Still incredibly primary and yet already strutting so many layers, I wouldn't be at all surprised if this warrants the three-digit score in a few years' time. Drink 2026-60” 

OTHER EXPENSIVE GEMS - If you have to ask.......

Carruades de Lafite 2000

Carruades de Lafite 2010

Les Forts de Latour 2008

Mouton-Rothschild 2006

ST. JULIEN 

Pavillon du Glana, 2016, St.-Julien ($34.99) - This is another second label that has aged gracefully. From Château du Glana, it displays aromas and flavors of plum, cassis, earth, and dried herbs. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant, fresh, and minerally. Again, this is very close in quality to the first label because of the hot, dry weather that lasted from mid-June to mid-September and because the harvest was very spread out (9/28 - 10/19), allowing each plot to be picked when perfectly ripe. This blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot was aged for 12 months in 15% new barrels. Jean-Paul Meffre, owner. Christophe Ollivier, consultant.

Château Gloria, St.-Julien, 2022 ($56.99) - Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 93 “A blend of 50% Cab Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 6% Cab Franc, and 9% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Gloria bursts with aromas of cherries, sweet berries, petals, and spices framed by a deft touch of creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, rich, and fleshy with a succulent, enveloping core of fruit and supple tannins. A gourmand but nicely balanced Saint-Julien with a broad drinking window. 2025-42”

Wine Spectator: 93 “A pretty violet note leads off before the core of kirsch, linzer torte, and plum sauce awakens. Licorice snap and bramble are injected into the finish, along with an apple wood accent. Shows grip and focus. For fans of the gutsy style. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Best from 2027 through 2038. 17,000 cases made.”

Château Gloria, St.-Julien, 2018 ($59.99) - Wine Spectator: 93 “Fresh and energetic, with violet, licorice and cassis aromas and flavors spilling forth while bramble and graphite run underneath. Applewood streak gives the finish some spine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2035." ”

Château Talbot, St.-Julien, 2022 ($83.99) - Owned by the Cordier family, this well-known, large property (250 acres) was a 4th classified growth in the 1855 classification. Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 93-95 “The 2022 Talbot is especially impressive, and if it fulfills all its promise, it is likely to emerge as this large Saint-Julien property’s most exciting wine since the 1980s. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cherries, blackberries, and cassis mingled with hints of violets and pencil lead, it’s medium to full-bodied, velvety, and concentrated, with a layered core of fruit, rich structuring tannins, and a long, lively finish. It’s a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot matured in 60% new oak [for 15 months].”

Wine Spectator: 96 “This delivers an energetic tumble of blackberry, boysenberry, and black currant paste flavors injected with bramble and apple wood and supported by a licorice snap accent. The strapping finish is laced with violet and iris notes, while a cast iron edge lends bass. Cab Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. Best 2027 thru 2045. 24,000 cases made, 2,400 imported.”

ALSO

Ch. Leoville Las Cases 2005

MARGAUX 

Château Mongravey, Margaux, 2010 ($36.95) – Wine Spectator: 91 "An aromatic red, with lilac and warm cherry confiture notes giving way to flavors of crushed plum, blackberry coulis and roasted alder wood. Features good grip through the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Fully mature.

Château d’Issan Blason d’Issan, Margaux, 2019 ($36.99) – One of our best Bordeaux values! Owned by the Cruse family, d’Issan has upped its game in the last decade. The 2nd label wine, 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon in 2019 has been a consistent winner for many vintages. Co-owner Aymar Cruse is very proud of it, and correctly notes, “This is too good of a second wine!” And if you haven’t yet tried their “third” wine (actually from a property they own outside Margaux), Moulin d’Issan Bordeaux Supérieur at $23.99, you must! Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 88-90 “The 2019 Blason d'Issan has a deep garnet-purple color and opens with scents of raspberry pie, warm plums, and blackcurrant pastilles plus touches of garrigue, tobacco leaf, and dusty soil with a hint of bay leaves. Medium-bodied, the palate is refreshing with an approachable, soft texture, filling the mouth with crunchy red and black fruits, finishing with a lively herbal note.”

Château Prieuré-Lichine, Margaux, 2016 ($69.99) Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 92 The 2016 Prieure-Lichine has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and a bold, intensely scented nose of warm blackcurrants, black raspberries and mulberries with hints of cedar chest, tobacco, dried herbs, and iron ore. Medium-bodied, the palate has bags of class with lovely, vibrant black berries flavors and earthy sparks framed by ripe grainy tannins, finishing long and refreshing. Drink 2019-33”

Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry, Margaux, 2022 ($75.99) - Not well known in the U.S., 69-acre Malescot St. Exupéry is a Third Classified Growth. Planting density is 10,000 vines per ha, the average vine age is 35 years, and they use 70% new oak for 12-14 months. Wine Spectator: 96 “A flat-out stunner with waves of blackberry, black currant, and plum, while the vintage’s telltale iris/violet gilding weaves throughout. There’s a long tug of warm humus and alder smoke as well. Seriously long, with the fruit providing a steady grip. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. Best 2027 through 2042. 8,364 cases made.” Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 93-95 “Offering up aromas of rich blackberries, cassis, sweet spices, pencil shavings, and creamy new oak, the 2022 Malescot St. Exupery is medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with a broad attack that segues into a layered core of expressive fruit that’s framed by sweet, powdery tannins. A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, this is one of the appellation’s most flamboyant wines, but it retains good balance and boasts a healthy pH of 3.65.”

Château Giscours, Margaux, 2022 ($87.99) - Wine Spectator: 95 “Cassis and plum notes form the core, while lilac, violet, and iris accents stream throughout. Offers a flash of black tea on the finish, along with a beguiling, cashmere-like mouthfeel. Judicious toast lets it all play out beautifully. A pitch-perfect example of the vintage profile. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. Best 2026 through 2040. 15,000 cases made.” Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 94-96 “With the 2022 Giscours, this estate takes another step up, delivering a deep and characterful wine redolent of cherries, dark berries, violets, peony, and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, broad-shouldered, and layered, it’s deep and elegantly muscular, with impressive concentration, abundant but refined tannins, and a structural authority reminiscent of the great Giscours vintages of the 1970s. Why is it so good? There are many reasons, but one is the high proportion of old vines—almost 60% of the blend deriving from vines that are over 50 years old—in a vintage that favored vines with deep, well-established root systems. Another is the increasing precision of harvesting at this address: Giscours’s old vines are frequently co-planted with younger replacements that have filled any gaps in the ranks over the years; so, blocks are now picked in two or three passages instead of all at once, with the younger vines picked first."

Château Giscours, Margaux, 2015 ($89.99) - Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 94+ Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Giscours opens with expressive cassis, blackberry, and red currants on the nose with touches of cedar chest, roses and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied with a good core of muscular fruit and firm, grainy tannins, it finishes long.  Drink 2019-39” Neal Martin: 94-96 "The 2015 Giscours is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. That is in stark comparison to older vintages, for example the 2000 Giscours that was 50/50 Cabernet and Merlot. This vintage is matured in 50% new oak. Winemaker Alexandre Van Beek told me that the 2015 "...reflects the true terroir at Giscours that created the great wines of the 1960s and 1970s." That is something to live up to with fresh memories of the 1961 in my brain. The bouquet is very intense and almost "untamed" at first, but it calms down in the glass, revealing attractive scents of blackberry, raspberry, cedar, and graphite. This is a Giscours determined to make a good impression...and it does. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, very pure, a little spicier than recent vintages, adorned with a gentle crescendo in the mouth towards a really quite fantastic, tensile, complex, and compelling finish. Having tasted the 1961 and 1970 Giscours just a few months ago, I wager that the 2015 will be the best since the 1961. Time to fall back in love with this great Margaux property. Drink 2025-2060" LIMITED

Château Giscours, Margaux, 2016 ($94.99) - Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 93 "Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Giscours gives up aromas of cassis, chocolate, earth, tar, pepper, and hoisin with touches of flowers and a meaty nuance. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm, and grainy with a great core and a long finish. Drink 2019-35” 

Château d’Issan, Margaux, 2016 ($99.99) - TWI: 95; WA: 94+ “The 2016 D'Issan is blended of 64% Cab Sauvignon and 36% Merlot, aged in 50% new and 50% one-year-old French oak for 18 months. Medium to deep garnet-purple, it has vibrant black cherry and blackcurrant notes with chocolate mint, beef drippings, black olives, and cigar box. Medium-bodied with a well-sustained, intensely flavor-ed mid-palate, it has a rock-solid frame & a long savory finish. 2019-2037” 

Château Lascombes, Margaux, 2010 ($137.50) - Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 92 “Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Lascombes gives up notes of dried herbs, tilled soil and black olives over a blackcurrant cordial and plums preserves core plus a touch of crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers chewy tannins and bold freshness to support the savory flavors, finishing with an herbal lift.  2020-2038” 

OTHER EXPENSIVE GEMS - If you have to ask.......

Pavillon Rouge de Ch.Margaux 2005

Ch. Margaux 2006

GRAVES/PESSAC 

Château Martignac, Graves, 2019 ($19.99) - This is very impressive for a $20 Bordeaux; in fact, it would be quite acceptable at $30! The Graves district is one of the oldest parts of Bordeaux and lies directly south of the city of Bordeaux. The best and most expensive wines, given the designation Pessac-Léognon, come from vineyards that are actually within the city limits, slightly to the west, and just south. Martignac lies just south of Léognon on soil containing gravel, clay, and limestone. It is owned by Thierry and Denis Labuzon. Every year, the growers in Graves award the 10 best wines with the title of Ambassadeur de Graves. Martignac won this award for both the 2018 and 2019 vintages. The wine is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 12 months in 1/3 new French oak. It has an intense nose full of rich, ripe black fruit alongside sweet tobacco, licorice spice, and dark chocolate. The palate shows good structure and powerful layers of fruit with excellent purity. Quite the value! Ageworthy.

Domaine de la Solitude, Pessac-Léognan, 2018 ($31.99) - From the superior part of the old Graves district in Bordeaux, Solitude is best known for its white wine, but it also makes a lovely and nicely priced red. Wine Spectator: 92 “Tight, sleek style with red currant, loganberry, and bitter cherry notes flecked with savory and red tea hints. Nice flash of iron on the well-focused finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2022 through 2034. 10,000 cases made.” Solitude dates back to the 1820s when the estate was known as The Hermitage, a monastic order. Today it is both a monastic order and a vineyard. In 1993 Olivier Bernard of the esteemed Domaine de Chevalier agreed to manage the estate under a 40-year leasing agreement. The wine is vinified in traditional cement vats. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel. The wine is typically aged in 25% new, French oak barrels for 14 months before bottling.

L'Esprit de Chevalier Rouge, Pessac-Léognan, 2015 ($34.99) - The second label of the great Domaine de Chevalier! It didn't get a high score, but it got a very nice write-up, and it's drinking really well. Wine Advocate: 88 "The 2015 L'Esprit de Chevalier is medium garnet-purple in color with a nose of tar and tilled soil with dried herbs, warm cherries, and mulberries plus an accent of red currants. The medium-bodied mouth is firm, chewy, savory, and earthy on the finish."

Château Haut Bergey, Pessac-Léognan, 2015 ($45.99) - Wine Spectator: 91 "This has a sappy core of kirsch and plum preserve flavors, laced with bright, fresh bay leaf and savory notes. A well-buried iron spine holds the finish, letting the fruit play out. Fleshes out nicely in the glass. Very solid. Best from 2019 through 2027."

Château Latour-Martillac, Pessac-Léognan, 2019 ($46.99) - Latour-Martillac makes a terrific modern red Bordeaux that exceeds its price point. Wine Advocate: 92-94+ (reviewed before bottling) “Composed of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 8% Petit Verdot, harvested from the 19th of September to the 11th of October, the 2019 Latour-Martillac came in at yields of 45 hectoliters per hectare, with an alcohol of 14.2%, and pH of 3.7. It is being aged in French oak barrels, 40% new. Deep garnet-purple in color, it sashays out of the glass with alluring scents of kirsch, Black Forest cake, and warm cassis plus hints of lavender, forest floor, iron ore, and tree bark. Medium-bodied, the palate is elegant and refreshing, giving layers of blackberries and mineral notions with a finely-grained frame and lifted finish. Gorgeous! Drink 2020-37” 

Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Léognon, 2010 ($125.99) - One of the great Bordeaux properties that is still fairly priced. Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 95 “Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Domaine de Chevalier charges out of the gate with bold expressions of cassis, warm blackberries and boysenberries plus touches of menthol, chocolate box and cloves. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is finely crafted with bags of freshness and a finely grained texture, finishing long and with impressive energy. Drink 2020-2039” 

ST.-ÉMILION/POMEROL/SATELLITE VILLAGES 

Château Pont de Pierre, Lussac St.-Emilion, 2018 ($16.89) - St.-Emilion is part of the right bank of Bordeaux. It sits up-river along one of the two tributaries that join to form the estuary separating the two primary Bordeaux sections. St.-Emilion wines are of very high quality and often high price. Northeast of St.-Emilion, there are several “satellite” villages with wines that are similar but generally not as refined; they are certainly less expensive and can represent great value. The wine estates are generally family properties, averaging about 25 acres in size. Château Font de Pierre is in Lussac, about 5.5 miles from St.-Emilion. Lussac has a diversity of soils on plateaus, on the sides of the hills, and in small valleys. The wine has a lovely bouquet of dark berries, old wood, & tobacco. The palate features blackberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, a little pepper, integrated wood, and a hint of tobacco. 

Château Moulin Noir, Lussac-St. Emilion, 2016 ($19.99) - Lussac-St.-Emilion is one of the satellite villages surrounding St.-Emilion. Its wines never reach the same heights, but they are often great values. This one has a lot of nice fruit and the benefit of a few years in the bottle. It’s a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. The 2016 hasn’t been reviewed, but it’s a little more structured than the 2015, which received a respectable 88 points from the Wine Spectator: “Ripe, soft, and friendly, with warm plum sauce and melted licorice notes that linger on the rounded, toasted finish.” 

Château Franc Laporte, St.-Emilion, 2017 ($22.99) - Here is a value Bordeaux that is already drinking well. It shows nice refreshing acidity and just a little tannin for near-term resolution. It’s a medium-weight and medium-fruited wine with classic Merlot (80%) and Cabernet Franc (20%) character. Enjoy it over the next 3-4 years.

Château Teyssier, St.-Emilion, 2008 ($26.99) - This value wine is made by John Malthus, a "garagiste" rockstar winemaker. Wine Advocate (Parker): 90 "The 2008 exhibits a dense ruby/purple color and soft berry fruit, with hints of cedar, vanilla and foresty, earthy notes. This medium-bodied 2008 displays outstanding fruit, impressive purity, and a nicely textured mouthfeel. Always made in an up-front and satisfying style"

Château Pierre 1st, St.- Emilion Grand Cru, 2016 ($27.99) - Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 92 “The 2016 Pierre 1er is medium garnet-purple colored and delivers scents of kirsch, redcurrants, and black cherries with suggestions of roses, powdered cinnamon, and fallen leaves. Medium to full-bodied, the palate features a great intensity of spicy red berry flavors with a velvety texture and oodles of freshness, finishing long and perfumed. Drink 2019-32”

Château Pierre 1st, St.- Emilion Grand Cru, 2018 ($27.99) - Wine Spectator: 91 “Ripe and solid in feel, with a toast and licorice frame wrapped around a core of steeped plum and black currant preserve flavors. Tobacco accent on the finish adds some cut. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2030.”

Château Teyssier, St.-Emilion, 2015 ($29.99) - This value wine is made by John Malthus, a "garagiste" rockstar winemaker. Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 90 "Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Teyssier (a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc) gives up lovely black and red cherries notions with cinnamon stick, fragrant earth and potpourri nuances. Medium-bodied and fresh with a satiny texture, it's earthy and elegant in the mouth with a perfumed finish. Drink 2018-2030."

Château Côte de Baleau, St.-Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2020 ($30.99) - Château Côte de Baleau is a small property situated just outside of the village of St. Emilion village on limestone and sand soils, not far from Château Beau-Sejour Becot. It was founded in 1643 and remained in the hands of the Reiffers family for generations dating back to the reign of King Louis XIV. Sophie Fourcade sold it to the Cuvelier family, headed by Matthieu Cuvelier, in 2013. The family also owns Clos Fourtet and Château Poujeaux. The vines average almost 40 years of age. Of the vineyard’s 17 hectares, 14 are classified and were upgraded to Grand Cru Classé status in the reclassification of 2012. Since 1998, a slow program of replanting has been taking place with the new vines being planted to a higher density of 8,500 per hectare. Michel Rolland consults and vineyard management includes tilling every other row, debudding, deleafing, crop thinning, and hand-harvesting. Following a 4-day cold soak at 50 F, the fruit is fermented in stainless steel tanks for a 30-day maceration period, then pressed and aged in French oak barrels for up to 18 months before bottling. Serve at 60 degrees Fahrenheit with all types of classic meat dishes: veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, or roast chicken.

Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 89 “The 2020 Côte de Baleau is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc weighing in with an alcohol of 14.2%. It is being aged for 16-18 months in 20% new oak barrels, 60% second-fill barrels, and 20% in vats. Deep garnet-purple in color, it has youthful notions of crushed blackberries, mulberries, and kirsch plus hints of tar and dried Mediterranean herbs. The medium-bodied palate is tightly wound with crunchy red and black fruits with a chewy texture and a lively backbone lifting the finish. Drink 2023-32”

Chateau Haut Brisson, St.-Emilion Grand Cru, 2015 ($34.99) - Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 91 "Aged for 16 months in barrels, 35% new, the 2015 Haut Brisson is a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it opens with savory smoked meats, sauteed herbs and dusty soil scents plus touches of cedar chest and iron ore over a core of black cherries, red currants and warm plums. The medium-bodied palate is firm and crunchy with a chewy backbone, finishing with great freshness and length. Drink 2018-29"

Château de Sales, Pomerol, 2020 ($36.99) - A bargain! Of the major Bordeaux areas, Pomerol sells the least well for us. That’s surprising because it is even more prestigious than neighboring St.-Emilion. Perhaps it’s because the estates are smaller and the prices generally higher; it’s certainly not because of the quality. De Sales is well known because it’s the largest Pomerol estate (117 acres of vines). Except for 7 acres that were lost during the French Revolution, the property limits are the same as they were in 1464! And it is still run by the same family! In 2017, the 25th generation took over. When their uncle and father retired, the 14 direct cousins and co-owners appointed one of their number, Marine Treppoz, to chair the company and Vincent Montigaud (of Baron Philippe de Rothschild) as CEO. To up the quality of the wine, they brought on Jean-Claude Berrouet, the retired winemaker at Petrus and Dominus(!), as consultant winemaker. We searched our records and found that the last time we carried de Sales was the 1998 vintage. The price? $37.99! Told you this was a bargain!! Wine Advocate (William Kelley): 91 “An attractive, elegantly fruit-driven Pomerol with aromas of sweet berries, dried herbs, and spices followed by a medium to full-bodied, supple, and seamless palate. With a core of vibrant fruit and melting tannins, this is a success for this large estate, where Jean-Claude Berrouet consults. Drink 2023-43” The 2020 is a blend of 79% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Cabernet Franc. 

Château Simard, St.- Emilion, 2015 ($42.99) - Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 91 'This property is owned and managed by the Vauthier family of Château Ausone. The 2015 Simard is composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. It sports a medium to deep garnet-purple color and is vibrantly scented of red currants, black cherries and warm plums with hints of violets and fragrant earth. Medium-bodied, very fine, fruity and elegant with ripe, fine-grained tannins and wonderful freshness, it finishes with a red cherry lift. 2018-2031"

Château Tour Saint Christophe, St.- Emilion Grand Cru, 2016 ($44.99) - WA94 'The 2016 Tour Saint-Christophe is made up of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. It was aged in 40% new, 40% one-year-old, and 20% two-year-old oak for 18 months. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it sings of roses, chocolate-covered cherries, redcurrant jelly, and cinnamon stick with touches of cigar box and forest floor. Big, full-bodied, and richly fruited yet with great tension, it has a compellingly perfumed palate and gorgeous velvety texture with great persistence. 5,000 cases produced. Drink 2021-44" 

Château Poesia, St.- Emilion Grand Cru, 2016 ($46.99) - Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 94 "The 2016 Poesia is a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple, the nose delivers vibrant Black Forest cake, redcurrants, and Morello cherry notes with touches of cinnamon stick, rose hip tea, pencil shavings, tobacco, and milk chocolate. The medium-bodied palate charges out of the gate with bright red berries layers and loads of herbal sparks, framed by rock-solid, ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing very long. It should offer very good aging potential. 2020-38" 

Château Poesia, St.- Emilion Grand Cru, 2015 ($45.99) - Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 91 "Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Poesia opens with gorgeous kirsch, black cherry compote, and baked plums notes with hints of blueberry pie and spice box plus a touch of rose hip tea. Full-bodied, the palate delivers lovely savory layers that are well-framed by chewy tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing long and layered.  2019-33"

Château Berliquet, St.- Emilion Grand Cru, 2015 ($47.99) - Wine Spectator: 92 "Has some heft. Shows a grippy feel thru the finish,but the fruit keeps pace, with an iron element lingering. Best from  2022 thru 2032."

Château Cap de Mourlin, St.-Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2016 ($49.99) - This young Bordeaux is very promising, even better than its rating. Wine Advocate: 89 “Medium to deep garnet-purple colored. Gives up cigar box, earth, black plums, and red and black cherries with wafts of wild blueberries and pencil shavings. The palate is medium-bodied, firm, grainy, and lively with an herbal lift. 2019-31" 

Château Fleur Cardinale, St.-Emilion Grand Cru, 2020 ($55.99) - We’ve been carrying this property for many vintages, simply because the wines are wonderful and very reasonably priced for their high quality. It clearly deserves to be a Grand Cru Classé. Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 93-95+ “Composed of 77% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, with an alcohol of 14.5% and a pH of 3.57, the deep purple-black colored 2020 Fleur Cardinale bursts from the glass with powerful notes of crushed blackberries, stewed black plums, and Morello cherries plus suggestions of star anise, pencil shavings, and black truffles. The medium to full-bodied palate is chock-full of softly textured, juicy black fruits, countered by fantastic tension, finishing with great length and loads of earthy layers. Drink 2025-45.” 

Château Fleur Cardinale, St.- Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2018 ($56.99) - Wine Spectator: 92; Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 93 "The 2016 Fleur Cardinale is medium to deep garnet-purple colored and bursts from the glass with crushed blackberries, mulberries, and chocolate-covered cherries with hints of spice cake, dried herbs, and fragrant soil. The palate is medium to full-bodied and wonderfully elegant with soft, rounded tannins and a great backbone of freshness, finishing perfumed. Drink 2019-33"

Château Fleur Cardinale, St.- Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2022 ($55.99) - Wine Spectator: 92 "Offers a lovely mouthfeel, with a velvety edge to its mix of blackberry and black cherry compote notes that drive along, with graphite, sweet tobacco and black tea accents. Fruit and savory elements echo together through the lengthy finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2036. 7,100 cases made."

Château Barde Haut, St.- Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2016 ($59.99) – Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 93+ "The 2016 Barde Haut is composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored, it gives up expressive wild blueberries, kirsch, baked plums, and spice box notes with hints of cracked pepper, lavender, garrigue, and Provence herbs. Medium to full-bodied and richly fruited in the mouth, the palate bursts with blue fruits, framed by firm, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long. Drink 2020-34" 

Château Grange-Neuve, Pomerol, 2016 ($59.99) – Here is a Pomerol that’s 100% Merlot! This still-young, but substantial Bordeaux is rich, bold, and concentrated with aromas of black fruit, tobacco, flint, and dark spices. It’s a classic, stately, well-balanced, and assertive wine aged 12-18 months in 33% new barrique. Grange-Neuve was once part of Château Bourgneuf, near Château Trotanoy. The Gros family purchased the first plot at the end of the 19th century. They built up vineyard land over the years through a succession of small purchases, and it now stretches over 18 acres of vines replanted in 1956. Harvest is done by hand, and the bunches are fully destemmed. Wine Enthusiast: 93 "While this wine, mainly Merlot, still has its structure and dry core, it is just showing richness from the generous black fruits. The wine has power and the potential for opulence. Drink from 2022. Roger Voss"  

Château Monbousquet, St.-Emilion Grand Cru, 2019 ($67.95) - Monbousquet is making very modern-styled wines. Not quite California, but… Wine Spectator: 95 “Drips with warmed raspberry confiture, plum sauce, and blackberry pâte de fruit flavors, delivering light anise, apple wood, sweet bay leaf, and black tea notes along the way. The seamless, lengthy finish has very fine detail despite its heft. Merlot, Cab Franc, and Cab Sauvignon. Best 2024 - 2034.”

Château La Pointe, Pomerol, 2016 ($79.99) – Neal Martin: 92-94 "The 2016 La Pointe is a blend of 83% Merlot & 17% Cabernet Franc this year. It has a charming, perfumed bouquet with dark cherries, red plum, and quite intense incense aromas that are well-defined. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and well-judged acidity. This is a well-focused, classically styled Pomerol with seams of tobacco towards the persistent finish. This is a very fine Pomerol from Eric Monnoret, in fact, it is the best La Pointe produced so far. Drink 2020-40" 

Château Beauregard, Pomerol, 2016 ($99.99) - Youthful but very pretty. Pomerols are never cheap, but they do deliver. Wine Advocate (Lisa Perotti-Brown): 94 “Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Beauregard is a little closed on the nose, opening to warm black plums, blackberries, and mulberries with touches of chocolate box and dried herbs plus violet hints. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm, grainy, and packed with muscular fruit, finishing long and earthy. 2020-43” 

Château Beausejour-Becot, St.- Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2016 ($116.95) - Wine Spectator: 94; Wine Advocate: 95 "Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Beau-Sejour Becot (80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon) is just a little closed to begin, opening out to reveal beautiful chocolate-covered cherries, preserved plums and black raspberries scents with touches of stewed tea, tobacco, red roses, and cinnamon stick. Full-bodied and jam-packed with perfumed fruit layers, it has a rock-solid frame of ripe, finely-grained tannins and layer upon layer of provocative black fruit and savory layers on the finish. Drink 2020-37"

OTHER

Château La Rose Belair, Bordeaux Supérieur Vieilles Vignes, 2019 ($18.99) From a property of nearly 100 acres of vines in Mouliets-et-Villemartin, near Saint-Émilion. The diverse soil ranges from limestone clay to marl, gravel, and flint. This is perfect for Merlot. Not surprisingly, this wine is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. The use of the property’s oldest vines ensures great depth of fruit. The wine may not have quite the elegance of a Saint-Émilion, but it has a lot of nice Merlot flavor with some Cab notes for complexity and structure. Winemaking is traditional with fermentation in stainless steel and maturation in oak barrels, mostly used. The wine shows intense color and delicious aromas of ripe red and black raspberries & currants with a touch of spice. Enjoyable now with some airing, it will continue to mellow with another year or two in the bottle. A great value!

Château La Verrière Bordeaux Supérieur, 2022 ($19.99) – Surprisingly, some of the best red wine values today come from Bordeaux. Despite its reputation for very expensive wines, there are hundreds of less well-known properties (called petite châteaux – small in reputation, not necessarily in size) that are making better and better wines. Ch. La Verrière is one of them. Located in the village of Landerrouat, 38 miles due east of the city of Bordeaux, it has been owned by the Bessette family for four generations. André Bessette purchased the property in the 1960s. He restructured the 50 acres of vineyards with more suitable grape varieties and rootstocks and improved the drainage of the new plantings. A new cellar was built in the 1980s. Having worked at a different property for 10 years, André's son, Alain, joined his father in 1999, expanded the property to now 186 acres, and built a new winery with the latest in modern equipment (temperature control, pneumatic press, micro-oxygenation) to produce a higher-quality wine.

Alain is named among the "Talents de Bordeaux Supérieur" every year, a shortlist of top winemakers in the AOP. This vintage received a gold medal at the Concours Général Agricole – Paris. It is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc aged 18 months in a variety of different cooperages (the barrels are one-third new), all medium toast, mostly French with a couple of American ones from Mendocino. The wine has a beautiful deep purple color with aromas of red cherries and blackberry and smooth, powerful flavors of juicy raspberry and toasted notes from barrel aging. It makes an excellent accompaniment to beef, lamb, game, and hard cheeses.

Château d’Issan Moulin d’Issan, Bordeaux Supérieur, 2018 ($23.99) - D’Issan is a third-classified growth in Margaux. It produces its flagship wine, a second label called Blasson d’Isssan (which we also carry), and this Bordeaux Supérieur from an adjacent property. The soil here is closer to the Gironde Estuary and is mainly clayey limestone, so it is particularly suited to Merlot, and this wine is uniquely 90% Merlot (and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon). Made by the D’Issan winemaking team, it is aged for 14 months in 25% new barrels. The 2018 vintage featured very ripe fruit, and the wine came in at 14.32% alcohol and shows lavish red fruit, soft tannins, and prominent oak at this young stage. It is quite showy and modern

Château d’Issan Moulin d’Issan, Bordeaux Supérieur, 2022 ($23.99) - One of our favorite Bordeaux is Third Classified Growth Château d’Issan in Margaux. Owned by the Cruse family, it has upped its game in the last decade and produces three wines. The flagship Château d'Issan is superb, and we carry the 2016 and the 2018, both $89.99. They also make a second label from the main property called Blasson d’Isssan ($36.99), which is even better than its price suggests. The third wine is this Bordeaux Supérieur from an adjacent property just outside Margaux proper. The soil here is close to the Gironde Estuary and is mainly clayey limestone, so it is particularly suited to Merlot, and this wine is uniquely 90% Merlot (and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon). Made by the D’Issan winemaking team, it is aged for 14 months in 25% new barrels. The 2022 vintage featured very ripe fruit, and the wine came in at 14.32% alcohol and shows lavish red fruit, soft tannins, and some oak at this young stage. It is quite showy and modern.

Château Donjon de Bruignac “Premium,” Bordeaux Supérieur, 2022 ($25.99) - We LOVE this wine! It may seem a little expensive for a “lowly” Bordeaux Supérieur, but it really delivers! It helps that the Michel Rolland laboratory consults for this small property. The owners are Louise-Aimée Dufour and Denis Collart, a lovely, older couple who met in Quebec where she lived and he was doing a teaching gig as part of his French military service. After his career working for a multinational company, they retired (very comfortably, apparently) and purchased this property 10 miles southeast of St.-Emilion in Bossugan in 2005. 

The couple lovingly restored the impressive château and cellar, added beautiful gardens, and built a hot house so they could grow some of the exotic plants they had come to love from a stint in Haiti. The château consists of a tower (donjon) erected in 1300 and a manor house rebuilt in 1480. Six hundred pages of records for the property (in Latin and Gascon) were found at a neighboring farm and go back as far as 1000! The 75-acre property has only 6 acres of vines (with the potential for 11 more) and a lot of truffle oak trees. Severe pruning and green harvest keep yields low at 38 hl/ha (2.81 tons/acre) and optimize maturity; you can tell from the deep color of this beauty. Two wines are produced, this “Premium” from free-run juice and a Bordeaux AC from pressed juice. This is 78% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Franc (They replaced all the Cabernet Sauvignon, which barely ripens, even in the warmest years). After a manual harvest, the bunches are sorted in the field, destemmed, and sorted again at the winery. After fermentation, further warm maceration, and malo, the wine is aged for 12 months in 30% new barrique, then five more months in stainless steel before bottling. The result is deep in color and flavor with beautiful dark fruit and a surprisingly lengthy finish. Really good stuff!

Château Fontenil (Michel Rolland’s home estate), Fronsac, 2016 ($29.99) - Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown): 91+ "The 2016 Fontenil is medium to deep garnet-purple colored and gives up exuberant red cherries, black raspberries, wild blueberries, and cinnamon stick scents with hints of wild sage and forest floor. Medium-bodied, refreshing, and wonderfully elegant, it has beautiful vibrancy and a perfumed finish. Drink 2019-33"

Château Reignac, 2009 ($31.99) - Wine Advocate: 90 “One of the strongest Reignacs from proprietor Yves Vatelot, in 2009 this over-achieving estate has turned out a modern-styled Bordeaux with a viscous texture and notes of coffee bean, black currants, earth, and vanillin in a delicious, front end-loaded, yet surprisingly deep, textured, full-bodied wine."