Bordeaux red wines are not given. Sometimes, you can pay more than a 1k bottle or more for a classified growth such as Château Lafite-Rothschild.
This does not surprise me at all. The finest wines of Bordeaux are like museum pieces. Sadly, for most mortals, they are out of reach even once in a lifetime. It’s why I recommend young wine drinkers to make friends with older collectors with more fortunate means who own a fine wine cellar.
The top elite of Bordeaux wines, with their haute couture price tags and high status are just a tiny minority of the region production. Affordable wines are often mass-produced using poor farming practices, though, so finding a true bargain, with excellent value at an affordable price is like a treasure hunt.
Bordeaux wines to try
Château Moulin Borie Listrac-Medoc 2015 SAQ # 14029736 $28.30
Listrac Medoc is one of the 8 appellations of Medoc (left bank of the Bordeaux region), adjacent to prestigious areas such as Margaux, Pauillac, Saint-Julien or Saint-Estephe.
The wines are typical of Medoc, delivering cellar worthy wines at a very competitive prices with all the usual style of Medoc.
How you can’t love Bordeaux with a wine like this. Juicy red fruit, a touch of cedar, roasted bell pepper and espresso bean covered with dark chocolate. Succulent taste with a satiny palate and velvety tannins
Haut Medoc de Mauvesin Barton Haut Medoc 201. SAQ# 13983000 $21.10
The Haut Medoc Bordeaux wine appellation is quite huge This is the largest area under vine in the Medoc with a total of 4,198 hectares planted with vines.
Around 400 different chateaux make wine or operate vineyards in the Haut Medoc today. Out of that number, about 250 produce and sell their own wine. The remaining 150 growers sell their wine or grapes to local cooperatives or negociants.
Luscious red fruit with a touch of cocoa, cumin and green peppercorns. On the mouth, full body with a silky mouthfeel and soft tannins. Retronasal brings to mind moka and eucalyptus flavours with a long finale reminiscent of cassis.
Château La Raze Beauvallet Medoc Cru Bourgeois 2015 SAQ# 14029891 $21.05
Created in 1932 in response to the meager market conditions of the post-war and post-Depression years, the purpose of the Cru Bourgeois classification was to identify and give a commercial boost to these lesser known estates. Although never officially ratified by the Agriculture Ministry, it is a name that has struck a chord with consumers, providing a light to guide them through the thousands of Bordeaux’s Petits Châteaux.
Even if there is a wide variation in quality, Cru Bourgeois wines have increasingly built a reputation for quality and value. Today, they represent about 40% of the Medoc’s total production.
This Bordeaux wine has aromas of warm cherry notes with a touch of graphite, plum, coffee and star anise. Polished mouthfeel with velvety tannins and a warm finale.
Château Francs magnus Bordeaux Superieur 2015 SAQ# 13983026, $20
In the hierarchy of Bordeaux wines, the Bordeaux AOC category offers interesting expressions of the region’s wines, made to be enjoyed in their youth with straight fruit-forward characteristics. They are generally have a short passage in barrel and offer an easy-drinking style. Take it one step further and you get a bit more quality—or at least the promise of—than Bordeaux AOC wines: Bordeaux Superieur.
Beautiful nuances of licorice with leafy blackberry. Very balsamic alike with fig cream and cocoa undertones. On the mouth, it is beautiful on the palate. Rustic yet with fleshy tannins and a long persistance finale. Incredible wine for $20.00
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