Hi everybody. I have never tried Bordeaux before and am getting overwhelmed by all of the information out there. I want to buy a bottle of Bordeaux that is representative of the region (or one left bank, one right bank) but everything I see online says that young bordeaux should be held for aging. The pics are from my local store. Is there anything here worth buying that is representative of the region that won’t be “infanticide”? Hoping to keep within the $40/50 range, but that also seems difficult in bordeaux.
I can also look around at different shops if there are certain estates known for value at my price point, etc.
by DeepFriedDisapproval
26 Comments
Gloria, branaire ducru, phelan segur are good entry points.
Talbot, brane cantenac are next level.
Haut bailly, troplong mondot, and cos are closest to the best.
Les Griffons de Pichon Baron is a really nice second wine. Or if it’s their third wine, can’t really remember. But good! Phelan Segur also very nice.
If that’s a Cos d’Estournel 2005 for $199, that’s probably a very, very good start: https://www.bbr.com/products-20058004367-2005-cos-d-estournel-st-estephe-bordeaux?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA1eO7BhATEiwAm0Ee-ByPy3CSQ6A_qDb_bPJlfL0381pOX3vAqfaB_bcpEcNF7TVnUxNohxoCYrUQAvD_BwE
For white BDX, that Château Carbonnieux Blanc right down on the left hand side bottom visible shelf will be excellent as well.
Hey DeepFried. Send a pic of that bottom shelf. There’s plenty of good young Bordeaux that’s ready to drink now that you can get for less than $40, they’re just normally not well known chateaux. In Bordeaux, locals drink plenty of regionally-representative entry level wine on a daily basis, and you know they’re not spending a lot of money on it. That being said, I bet that 2015 Chasse Spleen, 2015 Barde Haut, and 2018 Ormes de Pez are gonna taste pretty nice right now.
I’d say most of the left bank wines 2010-2016 for $40-50 would be a lovely intro. If you don’t know if it’s left bank or not, just google it and eyeball where the chateau is in proximity to the river! Hint: left bank is on the left side of the river.
You can reasonably drink any one of them. That is a pretty solid selection at market prices. They are big reds so expect some intensity. Decant for a bit (30min – 1hr) if you want it to sell down and open up. Pessac-Leognan is undervalued imo. The area close to city of Bordeaux. Cabernet Sauvignon leaning blends.
That is a nice selection. I would start with the Marjosse for around 30, and either of the Barde-Hauts. Years ago, that 2001 was gorgeous. Truffles for days.
There are so many great options here!! If you want super classic and historic producers, look up the 1855 classification- this lists wineries that have been around forever and their second labels are often amazing value and made with the same care and attention to detail as their Grand Vin.
Off the top and in your price point take a shot with any of the following-
Chateau Biac- while not part of a classified winery, I have stayed on property and met with Gabe, the son of the family, several times. They are honest, down to earth, real wine makers who care deeply about their land and their product. They make wine that showcases well beyond the price point listed here.
Le C by Calon Segur- Third label of Calon Segur, this is a classic St. Estephe, 2020 was a HOT year, so expect some riper fruit notes here, I have not tried this label from them, but their Grand Vin and second label usually have a great balance of tannin structure and acidity without being overly dominating.
La Dame de Montrose- this is the second label of Chateau Montrose, a leaner style of left bank Bordeaux for me personally, 2019 will be showing nicely without you committing you’re aforementioned infanticide too badly 😉 think more red fruit and silky tannins, very much a medium bodied wine.
Haut Bailly 2- Again the second wine of a famed producer, and at 2018 you’re edging closer to that more ideal start of the drinking window for some of these wines. Good balance of black and red fruit here, softer tannins than the above mentioned wines.
Esprit d’ Pavie- this would be my personal pick. Chateau Pavie wines command a MUCH higher price point and finding their second label at this price point is a solid deal. a right bank blend, which I personally believe drinks better younger than left bank.
Chateau Ferrier- classic Margaux here, again 2020 was hot, and this is young, so expect fruit dominance, I serve the 14/15/16 vintages on my list and fully stand behind the wines.
Ormes de Pez- owned as a second property by the same family as Lynch Bages, they invest a TON of time and effort into making this an exceptional value wine. Nice couple years of age on this one too.
Hope this helps!
Idk if your grocery store has an app, but I do all my ordering online so I can read reviews and research on Wine Searcher and Vivino. My grocery store and Total Wine both allow online ordering, and I found that to be a better experience than standing in a store. You can research the producer and the specific vintage (different years can be very different for the same wine producer!).
Biggest thing with Bordeaux is left bank (Cab blends) vs right bank (Merlot blends). Maybe try one of both to see what you like more?
Also, most young Bordeauxs can use a bit of decanting. Most people who don’t like Bordeaux bought a 2 year old bottle, opened it, and poured a glass. The tannins can still be pretty harsh on young Bordeauxs and can throw some people off.
If you want to learn a bit more, read a bit about the 1855 classification of left bank. Things have changed since the system was put in place, with some producers being better or worse, but it’s still a helpful way to understand the different levels (which often correlate with both price and quality).
Happy hunting!
Barde haut is a killer producer
Thank you for all of the input!!
Also you should snag the Jean Royer that’s in the top left corner of the first picture
Looks like Kroger in houston
Chateau Marjosse is a solid pick.
I have some Chateau Gloria in the wine cellar, haven’t opened one yet but purchased from reputable wine shop and it’s currently sold out so I’d say a good choice!
2001 Barde Haut. You’ll like that one!
I’m surprised no one mentioned the chateau Martet!! That one’s phenomenal! Last i checked it was 4.6 on Vivino.
2002 Haut Bailley for $87. Sign me up. I don’t care about the vintage.
Ormes de Pez has already been mentioned but I’ll say it again. Cazes family makes great wines.
The other one I haven’t seen enough love for is the Poesia. Excellent QPR. And I love Right Bank wines, with this one in particular boasting like 30% Cab Franc. Big ol bottle of yum.
Enjoy!
2015 Troplong – younger high end producer
2001 Barde Haut – great age on mid year producer
Note: I have idea if either was a specifically bad or good Bordeaux vintage.
Where is this store?
You should go by region instead of wine first. Pick two wines from the same region such as Margaux on the left bank or St emilion on the right bank. That’ll give you a good reference point for the style of wine from mthat region, and will give you a safety bet in case the particular bottle is a bad representation. I usually just go on wine searcher and look up wines I don’t know about in the shop, it should show some reviews. Cellar tracker is even better from reviews in particular. Also wine searcher will allow you to see if you’re getting a good price or not as it will show you all the wine shops in your region that sell it online
Don’t sleep on the white BDX. That carbonneuix is great stuff.
I apologize for not taking the time to look through the bottles in the photo, but at that price range, I would see if you could find a Monbousquet, although, I’ve never had one young. If you get one, give it a big decant.
There’s tons of good Bdx for $25 and under if you just want daily drinkers that give you a sense of the style before diving in deep
Nice set. Get the Clos du Marquis or Chateau Gloria for left bank. I don’t see it there but I like Chateau de Sales for intro Pomerol.
After I tried a few different wine varieties I decided to focus on a region and started with Bordeaux. Not something i saw on the list but I tried a Sauternes for the first time on Christmas and it was awesome!