($41, Vintus):  Usually when you see “Grand Cru” on a label it represents a higher level in a classification or stratification of a region.  Not so in Saint-Émilion where it is an appellation, not an indicator of quality.  The appellations of Saint-Émilion and Saint-Émilion Grand Cru are identical geographically. … Read more

($24, Vintus):  Consumers often overlook Bordeaux because of an image that the wines are rarified, expensive, and need considerable aging.  That criticism may apply to the top few properties, but trust me, there are scores of estates that make well-priced wines that are ready to drink now, like this one. … Read more

($17, Vintus):  Château Recougne consistently displays the quintessential Bordeaux profile of fruit and what I like to call, “not just fruit” character.  This refined mid-weight wine entices with a subtle combination of red fruits, a dash of riper black fruit, and spice, not sheer power. … Read more

($50):  Château Talbot has consistently been a good value for top-end Bordeaux.  Though classified as a 4th Growth in the 1855 Médoc Classification, its recent vintages effectively rank higher.  Talbot’s 2nd wine, the 2018 Connétable, is especially noteworthy because of its luxurious texture and enjoyment it brings now. … Read more

($20, Monsieur Touton Selection):  The Barnard family, owners of the stellar Domaine de Chevalier, one of the top estates in Pessac Léognan, owns Clos des Lunes, a property located in the Sauternes region of Bordeaux.  The care they take with their wines from Domaine de Chevalier show in their dry white wines from Clos des Lunes. … Read more

($17, Quintessential Wines):  This is a perfect example of why place matters.  Here is the same blend of Merlot (85%) and Cabernet Sauvignon from the same vintage made by the same producer as Bouey’s Oh La Vache.  The only difference is the location of the grapes. … Read more

($20, Quintessential Wines): This third offering from Famille Bouey shows what happens when you substitute Cabernet Franc for Cabernet Sauvignon.  The blend is still Merlot-heavy (80%), but Cabernet Franc replaces its brother.  I assume the name, Les Parcelles No 8, refers to particular plots where Cabernet Franc and Merlot do especially well. … Read more

($50):  André Lurton, a master of white Bordeaux, saved this legendary estate (it was awarded Grand Cru Classé Graves in 1959) from extinction in the early 1970s when he purchased a portion of it.  He subsequently acquired the rest of it, rejuvenated the vines and the cellar, and, as they say, the rest is history. … Read more

($60):  This wine shows the majesty of white wines from Pessac-Léognan.  You would never suspect it is made entirely from Sauvignon Blanc because the focus is not on fruitiness, but rather on hard to describe flavors of wet earth and minerals. … Read more

($48):  Château Rollan de By is a perpetual overachiever, and one of the several properties that now comprise Jean Guyon led Domaine Rollan de By and includes Château Greysac.  The French wine authorities have awarded it Cru Bourgeois status, a category that sits just below the more prestigious Cru Classé. … Read more

($14):  If there is anyone who can made wine from Sauvignon Blanc, it’s Jacques Lurton, from the family that owns many properties through Bordeaux that produce a consistently stunning array of wines, both red and white.  This lean and crisp Sauvignon Blanc conveys an appealing herbaceous aspect. … Read more

($52, Sovereign Wine Imports):  California meets Saint-Emilion in this broad-shouldered Merlot/Cabernet Franc-dominant blend.  The unnecessarily heavy bottle predicts the wine’s style.  Though mostly black fruit-driven at this stage, a lovely mineral tarriness appears in the finish.  I suspect more complexity will appear with bottle age. … Read more

($14):  The Lurton name is famous in Bordeaux.  The recently deceased André Lurton was instrumental in carving out the Pessac-Léognan appellation from Graves.  The family owns more than 20 châteaux and nephew Pierre Lurton manages Château d’Yquem, the greatest property in Sauternes. … Read more

($11):  With its 15 percent-stated alcohol, this deeply colored and broad-based, bold Bordeaux emphasizes ripe and lush fruitiness, yet has sufficient balancing herbal character.  Good acidity keeps it fresh and a pleasant hint of bitterness in the finish adds to its character. … Read more

($37):  It’s not often you see Cru Classé Bordeaux that’s ready to drink for under $40.  Although you won’t see Cru Classé on the label, Château Lalande-Borie was formerly a part of Château Lagrange, which was classified as a Cru Classé in 1855, which means that technically, it still is. … Read more

($27):  Château Ducluzeau is a sleeper, in part, because the production is small, about 5,000 bottles annually.  The 2015 is an extraordinary value, well worth the search.  Owned by Bruno Borie’s mother (he’s the managing director of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou), it is uncommonly suave for a wine from Listrac. … Read more

($117):  In a word, show-stopping.  Léoville Poyferré has really upped their game beginning with the 2010 vintage.  They made significant changes in the winery that year, installing smaller fermenting vats to allow them to have even more precision in fermenting grapes from the different vineyard parcels. … Read more

($55):  The 2015 vintage for red Bordeaux is, by and large, wonderful.  In general, the wines deliver ripe flavors accompanied by sufficient structure  — tannins and acidity — that prevent them from falling all over themselves.  Château Lagrange, which has just gone from strength to strength over the last two decades, made an impressive wine in 2015. … Read more

($40):  A Merlot-dominant blend, the Château Rollan de By has been classified as a Cru Bourgeois, a group of 200+ properties lumped just below the Cru Classé level, Bordeaux’s top strata.  For me, the wines from these estates, such as Château Rollan de By, offer Bordeaux’s greatest value.… Read more

($44): Sweet wines, such as this one, need to be judged on their verve and acidity, not just their luxurious richness.  On that count, the 2014 Château Coutet is a winner.  It has plenty of energy to balance its honeyed character so it’s not cloying at all, but rather refreshing. … Read more

($40): Under Véronique Dausse’s management Château Phélan Ségur has catapulted into the top ranks.  Her team produced a positively gorgeous wine in 2014.  Though refined and polished, it retained the attractive gritty earthiness that makes the wines of St. Estèphe so engaging. … Read more

($58): Olivier Bernard, owner of Domaine de Chevalier, believes that the wines from Pessac-Léognan should be “feminine, not a powerhouse.”  In keeping with his philosophy, Domaine de Chevalier red is never a block-busting powerhouse.  But it’s always a majestic wine.  The 2014, while less concentrated and less dense than others from Pessac-Léognan, is exciting to taste. … Read more

($18): Château Coufran, an oddity on the Left Bank because of its high proportion of Merlot, combines a leafy earthy component with fine tannins in their 2014.  It’s a steal.  And just because Coufran is not a “classified growth” (that is, it was not classified as Grand Cru Classé in 1855) do not dismiss its ability to develop with age. … Read more

($40): A wine from a Chateau listed in famous 1855 Classification of Bordeaux — a so-called Classified Bordeaux — for $40 is a rarity.  Especially when it’s not the Chateau’s “second” wine, but actually their “grand vin.”  Château La Lagune has always been under-rated, delivering more than its price suggested. … Read more

($29, Jackson Family Wines): This, the second wine of Château Lassègue, a property in the Jackson Family portfolio, is a marvelous buy.  More polished than many second wines, it conveys a savory, almost funky — in a nice way — complement to its bright fruity flavors. … Read more

($74): As the table of guests sipped this sweet wine with a cheese course they fell silent.  Animated conversation drew to a halt — all that was heard was “ah” or “wow, this is good!”  Sweet wines in general, and Sauternes in particular, are an under-appreciated category. … Read more

($38): I highly recommend the second wines of the top estates in Bordeaux, especially as the prices of the grand vins make them unattainable for most of us.  Vivens from Château Durfort-Vivens is an especially attractive one. Château Durfort-Vivens, classified as a 2nd growth in the Médoc classification of 1855, is regaining its former stature under the guidance of Gonzague Lurton, part of the family whose name implies excellence in Bordeaux. … Read more

($35): Although this is comprised of a blend similar to that of the 2005 Les Arums, the richness in the 2012 comes across as heavy.  While it may be going through an awkward stage now, I doubt it will ever deliver the pleasure the 2005 provides.… Read more

($35): A lovely firm stony quality offsets the toasty richness.  At this stage, the elements are not fully integrated and it lacks the elegance of the 2005.
88 Michael Apstein Dec 15, 2015… Read more

($40): A rich wine, no doubt a result of the vintage and the inclusion of Muscadelle and a healthy amount of Sauvignon Gris in the blend.  Creamy and glossy, it has developed nicely after a decade, retaining a surprising vigor.
91 Michael Apstein Dec 15, 2015… Read more

($34): There’s magic in this wine.  Fresh and precise, it conveys citrus notes and engaging bit of spice.  It maintains plenty of richness, which is buttressed by freshness and vivacity.  The pungency of Sauvignon Blanc is more apparent here since the proportion of that variety has been increased at the expense of Sémillon and Sauvignon Gris. … Read more

($35): The 2014 vintage was the first that came entirely from Lagrange’s new plantings.  Compared to the 2013, the 2014 is slightly more intense without losing any elegance or precision.  It conveys a marvelous combination of floral notes, grapefruit rind-like punch and even a hint of white pepper. … Read more

($102): Château Magdelaine, one of only two properties in St. Emilion owned by the Pomerol-focused Moueix family, has always been one of my favorites from that appellation.  The 2010 is particularly appealing with a glorious and impeccably balanced mixture of floral, fruity and mineral components wrapped in fine firm tannins. … Read more

($54): The wines from the 2008 vintage in Bordeaux are overlooked because they were firm upon release and were followed by the opulent and immediately appealing 2009s and then the refined and stylish 2010s.  But, as is always the case, talented producers, such as Château Phélan-Ségur, make excellent wines even in less revered years. … Read more

($17): This, the second wine of Château Castera, a property classified as one of the Cru Bourgeois of Médoc, shows the value of Bordeaux.  The current owners acquired Château Castera in1986 from famed Bordeaux merchant and property owner, Alexis Lichine.  The last 30 years have seen enormous renovations in the winery and the vineyards that explain the current high level of quality, even of their second wine. … Read more

($21): This property, classified as a Cru Bourgeois, a category that accounts for less than 5 percent of all the properties in Bordeaux, reinforces the idea that Bordeaux is, indeed, the place for value-packed red wines.  Less weighty and fruit-focused than California Merlot, this blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc has a beguiling combination of fruitiness and earthiness supported by firm, but not aggressive, structure and uplifting acidity. … Read more

($23): This is the kind of wine that made Bordeaux famously popular in the past and could be the kind to revive people’s interest in Bordeaux.  Unusually charming for a young wine from St. Estèphe, it leads with herbal aromas followed by plenty of intensity without pandering to over ripeness. … Read more

($40): This wine shows that Bordeaux need not be super expensive nor put in the cellar for a decade or two before pulling the cork.  Its slightly burnt ash character identifies it as a wine from Pessac-Léognan, the prestigious subregion of Graves. … Read more

($20, Old Bridge Cellars): Although the producer is always the most important information on the label, sometimes the importer’s name makes me sit up and take notice.  For example, if Jeanne Marie de Champs’ name were on the back label, I would buy the wine. … Read more

($150, Sovereign Wine Imports): The 2005 vintage was exceptional in Bordeaux, and, indeed, throughout France.  The weather was perfect throughout the growing season.  The right amount of sun and the right amount of rain at the right time brought the grapes to perfect maturity. … Read more

($25): Montagne-Saint-Emilion, a “satellite” appellation of Saint-Emilion, lies adjacent to the north of that revered appellation.  The wines from this satellite are never as grand or complex, but then again they’re never as pricey.  Indeed, good values, such as Chateau Faizeau, are everywhere in Montagne-Saint Emilion, especially in a great year, such as 2010. … Read more

($20, Advantage International):  A Cru Bourgeois, which is a classification level just under the Cru Classé, Château Lestage Simon is an excellent example of what Bordeaux does very well.  It balances plenty lush fruit flavors (a predominance of Merlot speaking) with hints of savory notes and a lovely austerity. … Read more

($20):  Château Greysac, a consistently value-packed wine, is one of the most widely available Bordeaux in the U.S. marketplace. The 2009 is particularly successful because the fleshy ripe fruitiness and power of the vintage marries nicely with the savory, slightly bitter notes characteristic of wine from the Médoc.… Read more

($39): When consumers consider Bordeaux, they rightly remember the names of the chateaux more than the names of the people behind them.  Well, the name André Lurton is worth remembering because the Lurton family has a spectacular track record of producing excellent wines from a variety of properties all over Bordeaux. … Read more