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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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Really floral and pretty with currants, cherries and some violets and stones. Medium-bodied with a creamy texture. Attractive tannins and stony undertones. A large percentage of merlot with the cabernet, making it fresh and firm. Sophisticated. Better after 2024.
92 points, James Suckling (Mar 2022)
Coming from the Haut- Médoc and bottled in May, the 2019 Madame De Beaucaillou reveals a deep ruby/purple as well as a great nose of red and black cherries, leafy herbs, damp earth, and flowers. Medium-bodied, mouth-filling, and balanced, it has the vintage's purity and focus front and center yet still brings plenty of fruit, texture, and pleasure. Drink this beauty over the coming 4-6 years.
90 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Apr 2022)
A little austerity to the tannins on the opening, followed by a real kick of dark chocolate and tight rosemary spice, touches of orange rind adding freshness and focus to ripe blueberry and cassis fruits. Good quality, delivers plenty of Haut-Médoc signature, and easy to recommend. First year of bottling everything that isn't the Borie St Julien vines into this wine, meaning that it represents 55ha across Moulis, Listrac and Haut-Medoc (from vines in Cussac), vinified at the former Fourcas Borie. 20% new oak.
90 points, Jane Anson (Jan 2022)