The Biggest Bordeaux Myth

"You will almost never go wrong serving any wine with 10 years of age on it"

-Matt Kramer, Wine Spectator

The global spotlight is now focused on Bordeaux, and in particular the profusely lauded 2009 vintage. Prices are projected to be at an all time high for the First Growths, no doubt spiked by the newly emerging Asian market. All of which leads one to the impression that Bordeaux is too expensive. And for the first Growths that is undeniably true.

But the glory of Bordeaux is that there are many, many outstanding producers throughout the various sub-regions producing wonderfully satisfying wines at very reasonable prices. As Robert Parker has noted: " Modern-day Bordeaux is so much better than what it was a mere 20,30,40,or even 50 years ago, and the number of top estates making fine wine today is at an all-time high."

For this offering we want to call your attention to a dozen outstanding wines that are drinking superbly now that will give immediate pleasure whenever you pull the cork. We can't emphasize enough how enjoyable these wines are and what great value they offer to Bordeaux and Cabernet devotees. There is a reason Cabernet is the king of wines and these wines show why.

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1989 Ducru-Beaucaillou (750ml) List Price: $175.00       Our Price: $153.00				$153.00
Wine Spectator 91
"A rich wine, with plum and earth aromas and flavors, a velvety mouthfeel and an excellent, ripe tannin structure. The '88 may be a tiny bit better. Try after 1997."
Robert Parker 89
Ducru's 1989 was one of the more tannic, backward wines in the blind tasting. It is cleanly made, and well-crafted, with plenty of black-raspberry and cassis fruit nicely touched by minerals and a fragrant, floral component. Medium-bodied, elegant, and well-endowed, this is a potentially outstanding wine if all the tannin melts away over the next 5-6 years. One of the least flattering 1989s to drink at present, it requires 4-5 more years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2020.
Neil Martin, Wine Journal, eRobert Parker 86
1995 La Grange (750ml)				$65.00
Robert Parker 90
The 1995 Lagrange is similar to the 1996, but the fruit is sweeter, the acidity lower, and the wine less marked by Cabernet Sauvignon. The color is a deep ruby/purple. The wine boasts a roasted herb, charcoal, black currant, mineral, and new oak-scented nose. Medium to full-bodied and ripe, with copious quantities of jammy black cherry and cassis flavors presented in a medium-bodied, low acid, moderately tannic style, this well-endowed, purely made wine requires cellaring.
Wine Spectator 91
Licorice, blackberry and mineral undertones. Full-bodied, with silky and refined tannins. Long finish. Just about ready. Balanced and harmonious.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective.
1995 Leoville Poyferre (750ml)				$110.00
Robert Parker 90
While not as backward as the 1996, the opaque purple-colored 1995 is a tannic, unevolved, dense, concentrated wine that will require 8-10 years of cellaring. The 1995 exhibits pain grille, blackcurrant, mineral, and subtle tobacco in its complex yet youthful aromatics. Powerful, dense, concentrated cassis and blueberry flavors might be marginally softer than in the 1996, but there is still plenty of grip and structure to this big wine.
Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar 90
Deep ruby-red. Bright, enticing aromas of redcurrant, minerals and tobacco; not quite as ripe as the '96. Lovely sweetness and clarity of flavor in the mouth. More supple than the '96, and likely to be approachable much earlier. Finishes with substantial, tongue-coating tannins.
Wine Spectator 92
Black licorice and currants on the nose. Very fragrant. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a long finish. Still needs time to come together.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. 95/96 Bordeaux Retrospective, 2008
Neil Martin, Wine Journal, eRobert Parker 90
A deep garnet core with brick rim. The nose is very reticent at first, developing touch of blackberry, earth, hazelnut and sandalwood. Still comes across a little tight after 13 years. The palate is medium-bodied, very well balanced with a slightly spicy mid-palate. Mulberry, blackberry, a touch of tobacco and orange peel. Perhaps it lacks a little persistency on the finish and a sense of Saint Julien overall. A good wine, but I wanted more. Drink 2012-2025 Tasted March 2008.
1996 Clinet (750ml) List Price: $90.00       Our Price: $80.00				$80.00
Robert Parker 91
This is a backward, muscular, highly-extracted wine with a boatload of tannin, thus the question mark. The saturated plum/purple color is followed by an aggressively oaky nose with scents of roasted coffee, blackberries, and prunes. It is somewhat of a freak for a 1996 Pomerol given its richness, intensity, and overripe style. Medium-bodied and powerful, but extremely closed, and in need of 5-7 years of cellaring, it will be interesting to follow this wine's evolution to determine if the tannin fully integrates itself into the wine's concentrated style. If not, it will have a slight rusticity to its tannin and structure. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2020. I sense this wine will be much more controversial than I had anticipated.