B-21 Top Recommendation
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"Exceptionally consistent and impressive"
Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
When the headline reads "Petrus Winemaker's Highly Rated Bordeaux for Under $20," a healthy amount of skepticism is expected, but savvy B-21 Bordeaux fans know the show stopping 94 pt. 2020 Vieux Chateau Saint Andre is the real deal, offering rich black fruit and vibrant acidity with smooth, supple tannins. Produced under "Master of Merlot" Jean-Claude Berrouet, the legendary winemaker at Petrus for 44 vintages and named one of the Top 20 Great Value 2020 Bordeaux by critic Anson, past vintages have sold out at record speed, so while you might be tempted to test the water on this incredible Bordeaux value, my advice is simple - jump in with two feet and grab your stash while you can.
Retiring from Petrus in 2007 and handing over the reins to his son Olivier, Jean-Claude Berrouet had quietly been establishing "another" Right Bank chateau in the small and lesser-known Montagne AOC for decades, an area critic Robert Parker asserts produces "some of the deepest, richest wines" among the appellations surrounding Saint-Emilion. Traveling throughout the region for his negociant work at the time, Jean-Claude befriended the owner of a small estate north of the village of St. Emilion, purchasing his original four hectares of vines and producing his first vintage in 1978. Now spanning 12 hectares of sustainably farmed vines, Vieux Chateau Saint Andre's vineyard is planted mainly to Merlot with around 25% Cabernet Franc in heavy clay soils similar to those of its famous neighbor, boasting unique veins of limestone that add a distinct minerality to the blend. Crafted by Jean-Claude's "other" winemaker son Jean-Francois, known as "Jeff," the powerful 2020 Vieux Chateau Saint Andre was aged in 20% new French oak for 12 months, yielding fresh layered fruit and integrated supple tannins, already drinking beautifully and built to age over the next decade or more.
Known for producing perfectly balanced wines that reflect their impeccable terroir, patriarch Jean-Claude has mentored hundreds of young winemakers throughout his career, with many going on to produce some of the top wines in the world, including Alvaro Palacios and Daniel Baron of Silver Oak, earning him the 2018 Winemaker's Winemaker Award from the Institute of Masters of Wine. Reflecting the extraordinary wine making legacy of a Bordeaux legend from a Bordeaux vintage described as "superlative" by James Suckling, the 94 pt. 2020 Vieux Chateau Saint Andre beautifully balances purity of fruit with rich complexity at a price that really is hard to believe, a leap of faith you'll want to take without hesitation and reap the rewards for years to come. | 
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