Category Archives: Bordeaux

Top Value Medocs

Arriving February 21st, several attractively priced Bordeaux reds from vintages with stories to tell.

2016 is considered by many to be the finest vintage of the last decade. It was a year that had a bit of everything, rain in the spring, drought in the summer, but through it all the grapes on Bordeaux’s left bank underwent the perfect amount of stress to yield exceptionally ripe yet fresh fruit.

2008 witnessed rain during much of the growing season, but was fortunately saved by a dry autumn. This led to inconsistent quality, but many great wines for those who knew where to look, Chateau Larose Perganson’s 2008 Haut-Médoc amongst them.

Chateau Larose Perganson

An estate with a history dating back 300 years, today Chateau Larose Perganson produces modern styled Bordeaux with intense fruit, subtle oak (over 30% new barrels), and smooth tannins.

… Read the rest

2015 d’Yquem: Definitive Sauternes 10-2017

2015 Chateau d’Yquem :

The One Against Which All Others Are Compared

Arriving in March 2018

“Chateau d’Yquem is arguably the most prestigious sweet wine in the world” –James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

“What Nature bestowed in 2015 is everything you could possibly desire in a Sauternes” –Neal Martin, Wine Advocate

Chateau d’Yquem, Sauternes 2015 750ML ($499.95) Buy Now: $419 pre-arrival special, ETA March 2018
Chateau d’Yquem, Sauternes 2015 1.5L ($1,099.95) Buy Now: $849 pre-arrival special, ETA March 2018
Chateau d’Yquem, Sauternes 2015 375ML ($259.95) Buy Now: $219 pre-arrival special, ETA March 2018
Wine Advocate 98-100 points “The 2015 Château d’Yquem is a blend of 75% Semillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc that was picked on the gravelly soils as early as 3 and 4 September until 21 October, four tries through the vineyard.… Read the rest

Wine of the Day: Chateau Haut Brion 1989 11-1-16

Chateau Haut-Brion, Pessac-Leognan 1989 750ML ($1699.95) Buy Now: $1299 special

A wine of firsts. Haut Brion was Bordeaux’s original grand vin: the first Bordeaux to be grown, branded, and marketed as a single-estate, château wine; the first to receive written mention as such, in Samuel Pepys’ famous 1663 diary; and the first on the 1855 classification list. Even oenophile/diplomat Thomas Jefferson visited Haut Brion in 1787, to sample and purchase one of his favorite wines. Quality has always remained the passion at this 111-acre estate in Pessac. Arnaud de Pontac, Haut Brion’s 17th-century savior, and president of Bordeaux’s parliament, could afford low yields, new oak, and elimination of moldy grapes and inferior wines. The rest of the Médoc gradually followed suit, creating the classed growths we know today, with wine estates around the world eventually embracing the same pursuit of absolute quality.… Read the rest

Rare & Classic – Bordeaux: Clos Fourtet 2012

Clos Fourtet, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2012 750ML ($149.95) Buy Now: $119

If you’ve driven to the town of St. Emilion you’ve probably seen Château Clos Fourtet, its rose bush-ended vineyard rows, and the classic château itself. Built in 1790, the stone manor sits atop one of Bordeaux’s best limestone-hewn cellars. And ever since Philippe Cuvelier purchased Clos Fourtet in 2001, the wines laid down in that cellar have only been better: the 2009 Clos Fourtet garnered 100 points from Robert Parker. Few vintages deliver like 2009, but 2012 was kindest to Merlot, which constitutes 86% of this Premier Grand Cru Classé (the rest being 10% Cab Sauvignon, 4% Cab Franc): a decidedly Right Bank year. Praised by critics from the USA, France, and the UK, the 2012 Clos Fourtet is drinking well now, but has a long life ahead still.… Read the rest

Chateau Margaux Bordeaux 2009

Chateau Margaux, Margaux, Bordeaux 2009 750ML ($1,199.95) Buy Now: $999 special

Robert Parker 99 points “A brilliant offering from the Mentzelopoulos family, once again their gifted manager, Paul Pontallier, has produced an uncommonly concentrated, powerful 2009 Chateau Margaux made from 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest primarily Merlot with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. As with most Medocs, the alcohol here is actually lower (a modest 13.3%) than most of its siblings-. Abundant blueberry, cassis and acacia flower as well as hints of charcoal and forest floor aromas that are almost Burgundian in their complexity are followed by a wine displaying sweet, well-integrated tannins as well as a certain ethereal lightness despite the wine’s overall size. Rich, round, generous and unusually approachable for such a young Margaux, this 2009 should drink well for 30-35+ years.”… Read the rest