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B-21 Top Recommendation Read More
A treasure trove for Bordeaux bargain hunters, these top rated Left and Right Bank selections offer superb value for anyone seeking to enjoy exceptional red Bordeaux more often, offered in a range of styles and vintages and all affordably priced under $35 for stocking the cellar to enjoy often.
- Crafted of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from estate vineyards near the edge of Pauillac, the powerful 92 pt. 2018 Chateau Peyrabon boasts lush, layered fruit hinting of flinty gravel, cedar and spice with elegant, silky tannins described as a “mouthwatering” by Inside Bordeaux’s Jane Anson and an “enjoyable good value wine.”
- Declared “fabulous” by Vinous critic Antonio Galloni, the lush Merlot-dominated 92 pt. 2016 Chateau Larrivaux Haut Medoc offers fresh, ripe dark fruit with bright acidity and distinctive minerality, already drinking well and summed up as “a wine of total harmony and class.”
- A blend of Merlot and Cab Franc with small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, the outstanding 92 pt. 2010 Chateau De Belcier reveals powerful fragrant dark fruit and beautifully integrated tannins from a legendary vintage “living up to high expectations" according to Inside Bordeaux’s Jane Anson and benefiting from over 10 years of pristine aging.
- From the 100 pt. winemaking team of “Super Second” Ducru-Beaucaillou, the elegant Merlot-dominated 92 pt. 2019 Madame de Beaucaillou is a “an outstanding wine as well as a smoking value” according to Jeb Dunnuck and built for “a decade’s worth of drinking pleasure” according to Vinous critic Neal Martin.
- Produced as the second wine from St. Emilion powerhouse Clos Fourtet, the rich 2018 Chateau Clos Fourtet La Closerie de Fourtet is a harmonious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot offering dark toned fruit hinting of leather, cedar and spice and capturing “all the energy that is the signature of Clos Fourtet” according to Antonio Galloni of Vinous.
- Boasting “good acidity and freshness,” Decanter’s Georgina Hindle describes the muscular 93 pt. 2019 Chateau Chasse-Spleen as “clearly powerful with well-handled, ripe fruit and a core of licorice that gives it a more serious tone,” the blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot ready to enjoy over the next decade.
- A blend of 73% Merlot and 27% Cabernet Franc described by the Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth as “fresh and direct,” the silky and voluptuous 95 pt. 2018 Chateau de Ferrand offers “ripe, seamless tannins, wonderful purity of fruit, and outstanding length” according to Jeb Dunnuck, promising to evolve over the next 15 plus years.
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Very beautiful purity of fruit on the nose with currant, cherry, blackberry and dried lavender. Full-bodied, yet balanced and refined with beautiful, fine tannins and a fresh, vivid finish. I am impressed with the intensity and balance to this wine. Best ever? Try after 2026.
95 points, James Suckling (Mar 2021)
Fresh and direct, with cassis and bitter plum fruit stitched together with chalky minerality while subtle dried lavender, tobacco and alder notes emerge through the finish. There's some depth in reserve here too, so cellar for maximum effect. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2023 through 2036. 10,000 cases made, 500 cases imported.
94 points, James Molesworth, Wine Spectator (Mar 2021)
Lots of smoky cherry and currant fruits and meaty, spicy, cedary notes emerge from the 2018 Château De Ferrand, which comes from a beautiful, cooler terroir on the eastern side of the appellation. Medium to full-bodied and beautifully textured on the palate, it has ripe, seamless tannins, wonderful purity of fruit, and outstanding length. This outstanding wine will develop additional complexity with 2-4 years in the cellar and will drink brilliantly over the following 15+ years.
93 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Mar 2021)