I’ve had my fair share of 60’s and 70’s Bdx that clocked in at a mere 11.5%. Now, I’ve never quite had the chance to drink these low boys in their youth, but I usually love the light and perfumed things they turn into with decades of bottle age. Have these super low abv Bordeauxs all but disappeared? Or am I simply not looking hard enough?
Global warming.
Pursuit of physiological ripeness! 
Seriously, there’s not much around 11. (And remember that ABV is one of the least certain things we know from the label.) But if you like the throwbacks, I’d recommend some of the second wines from the top houses, and especially in middling vintages. Case in point: 2004 Les Pagodes de Cos – instantly recognizable as Bordeaux, which is kind of a strange compliment, but modern Cos is a different animal. (It’s not bad for an Amarone.) 2004 Les Pagodes reads 12.5, and that’s plausible, and it’s also just about as throwback as you’ll see.
I suspect there are exceptions, but that’s my experience.
They can be found for cheap in the basements of mom and pop liquor stores in greater Chicago, I think.
11.5%? I am not sure that is the case from the 60’s and 70’s, unless it was a very bad vintage. If you prefer low alcohol BDX, look for the off or cooler years like 02, 04, 07, 11 & 13.
FWIW, I looked back at my phone’s camera roll and compiled the following:
'66 Latour @ 12%
'70 Brane-Cantenac @ 11-12%
'71 Branaire-Ducru @ 11.5%
'75 Rauzan-Segla @ 12%
'78 Ausone @ 12%
'81 Rauzan-Segla @ 11.5%
Under ripe off vintages 
Labels are not always acurate. Next time you open an older Bordeaux send a sample off to ETS.
u can still find some around 12,5% not sure about that low l11-12%)…those days may have sailed
Mark,
I sure agree with you!
When I first arrived in Bordeaux, in 1978, the wines I was drinking were mostly 11.5%
I’ll never forget a couple of years ago when someone said they had returned from Angélus and that the wine was 15 point something degrees. I said “You must be joking!”, and called the château.
They confimed…
Some people think that most of Bordeaux has gone “modern”, i.e. producing wines that are overly extracted, oaked, and strong. That, however, only applies to a limited number of wines, especially ones rated by critics. It is not true by and large.
That having been said, the average degree today is more like 12.5/13 these days. I attribue that to two things:
- global warming (yes)
- longer “hang time”
To me, Bordeaux is a wine I can drink half a bottle of at lunch and still work effectively in the afternoon w/o falling asleep on my keyboard.
At 14/15% this is no longer the case…
Best regards,
Alex R.
Very cool Alex! Thanks!
Ahh… luncheon Bx!
Chateau Fleet Street or Chateau Thames Embankment?
Please do not take this as a troll, but maybe the winemakers of Bordeaux have closely monitored the goings-on in places like Napa and Sonoma where people are enjoying wines younger and seeking more of a phenolic ripeness (as mentioned up-thread) to add to the overall fruitiness? Just a thought. Interesting take on an age old discussion. First they came for…
Cheers!
ps-let it fly! I am ready!
Comparing the last 14 vintages to the previous 9 (back to 1991) in Europe as a whole, clearly fruit has ripened more fully (phenolicly and level of sugar) and consistently during the former. I’m inclined to believe that this has more to do with weather making it possible, than a conscious decision not to from 1991-1999.
I hear what you’re saying but it isn’t like the classified growths started having issues selling their wines in modern history (not including the last 2-3 vintages). Its hard for me to believe that a region so steeped in tradition would change when business as usual (including repeated price hikes) was doing just fine.
Let what fly? The reasons are probably numerous but the overall result is the same. There are those who don’t “enjoy” the change, a somewhat vocal (on this bb) minority. If more were displeased, the trend wouldn’t be as widespread.
RT
Strip lables from those days show a range of alcohol levels or fixed levels. In fact, my 66 Latour shows 11-14%. I would not rely on those as gospel. I think most wines in those days were 12-12.5%. If alcohol levels are important, aside from light years, smaller, Cabernet Sauvignon based wines can also be lower in alcohol and of course, even more so in cooler, wet years.
Try some of the 2000 or more winemakers in that area which still make the juice like in the old days.
Eezz not expensive.
It does rather not make sence for winemakers who want to piss against calicabs or aussieshiraz who can command major $$$:.
times are changin`. Lotsabucks for lotsawines or decent money for decent wines.
But we doen`t have to tell ya, almost a case of Montrachet guy…)
Indeed, in many cases the ABVs on the labels were not changed year to year because of the 1.5% allowable of margin of error. So they really don’t mean much.
That said, there are more ripe clarets with higher ABVs than there were 20 or 30 years ago, to be sure.