Changing Bordeaun't to Bordieu

Okay guys, feel free to hammer me for the hard time I’ve given you about Bordeaux. However, include a recommendation for a bottle that ready to drink within these parameters:

• Less than $250 per 750ml, hopefully between $100 and $175.
• As little pencil shavings odor as possible, preferably none.
• 1995 seems to be a go-to year for me, but open to other possibilities.

Fire away!

1989 Ch. La Dominique, $100 from HDH.

That’s actually a generous price altitude, and will open up doors to great examples. Although Bordeaux has the perception of being costly, enthusiasts can find estates, vintages, and sales/deals where maximum stupidity is mildly thwarted.

And Dennis, I think we have a similar palate given our mutual fondness for Arrowood, Chappellet etc. (I’m assuming you didn’t care for my QPR suggestion of Charmail many threads ago, but I’ll proffer up more names in cheery chauvinism)

86 Talbot - I think its the best Talbot they’ve ever made, and within your price range. Some snobs might sneer, since Talbot is a large production wine, and not ‘rare’. But Cordier as a house was really hitting it out of the park in the 80’s. It is more ‘funky’ than pencil leady, at least in my recollection, but it’s an amazing Bordeaux.

90 Canon-la-Gaffelière - This is/was an expensive wine on release, but 1990 never went up in price later as much as comparable quality wines, nor recent releases. It’s a candied, rich example of a right bank wine, in a modern style rather than the old school Talbot above.

96 Pichon Lalande - this has tripled in price over recent years and may have exited your price ceilings. Despite that unhappy fact, it’s been a great wine every time I’ve had it. I really don’t think there is much difference between it and the 82 nor 86. They are all extraordinary, but hopefully less fraud risks with this year.

Those are all ready to be drunk now, and (hopefully) do not have that much fraud risk if acquiring bottles from unknown sources, today. They are also reasonably consensus choices (I think) in that they are not extreme points from any style/vintage camps, as well as being great benchmark/best examples of the estates involved.

Obviously there are tons more potential ideas – I’m eager to see what other names people offer up here – but I’d be remiss if I didn’t reiterate that there is tons of great BDX, at lower price points (and prestige levels) than what you’ve allocated. Bordeaux is the main feedstock for our household drinking machine, and its not at the exalted 1e, 2e, 3e levels.

PS: there is actually a Medoc with the name le Bourdieu. I’ve got an (untasted) 2009 sitting nervously on my ‘to drink’ shelf.

1995 Clinet and L’Evangile should fulfill all your criteria. Have had both within the past 6 months.

They haven’t yet reached full-on tertiary complexity yet but given an hour or two of air they are drinking very well. Foresty and piney notes and plenty of tannin but the fruit is there to balance, and no pencil shavings. WSPro is showing multiple offers in the $150-200 range.

+1 on '86 Talbot

And another vote for 1986 Talbot. I prefer it to either of my Pomerol suggestions for drinking now. Was one of my first ever case purchases but sadly they are all gone.

Working on a few of these suggestions, including one via PM from Mark.

ps - there’s already a '95 Clinet in one of the Danby fridges.

FWIW, there are stacks of Bordeaux under $100 that are really fine, although those are often young, 10 years or under in age. You can spend more, but you do not have to. If you do not like lead pencil, which is not something I find often, but when I do, it’s in Pauillac and St. Julien mostly, avoid those regions, especially with bottle age.

Personally, 1995 is one of my least favorite vintages, because I find it hard and very strict in style. But we all like different things in wine.

As the years have gone by, I too have been less and less enthused about the 1995s, except for the St Emilion/Pomerols.

I’m open to suggestions, especially if it’s relatively cheap.

It doesn’t have to be 1995, I just threw that year out because I liked a lot of Burgundy, Cab, and Vouvray from that vintage. Got an excellent recommendation for 1998 La Conseillante from a Berserker last year.

Reg. 1995 vintage.
I agree with Jeff. It was praised on release by Chateaux and critics. The previous years, 91-92-93-94, all had their issues. Finally 1995, which looked superior. Wait and You will be rewarded, was the word.
-I’m still waiting.
“…hard and strict in style” , exactly ! Most left bank 95’s are disappointing today, compared to 1996, and IMO, even to a few 1994’s.
The right bank 95’s should be better, I hear. But I haven’t had enough 95’s lately, to tell.

Btw. I love the cedar/lead pencil, when drinking old/very old Pauillacs, and feel disappointed if these notes are weak…

I hope You’ll find a juicy, mature Bordeaux, or a couple.

Best regards, Soren.

1998 excellent year for right bank. Almost buy blind, if price is right.
I went deep, in right bank that year. Full power wines. Remember the “New Pavie” was born 1998. (and many other St.Em. and Poms changed style around 98.)

-Soren.

I too agree re:1995, which is why I suggested Pomerols. 1998 Pomerols are much better, though you’ll likely find them closer to the top of your price range.

Yes, and that guy already recommended a wine here. Get that one.

I would have said '01 La Conseillante but haven’t had the '98.

If you had come to the Berserkerfest, you could have had 1966 Clos Fourtet, 1966 Gruaud LaRose and 1978 Palmer. That would have given you a nice education to start off with.

I know I missed out on a fun time. Working in retail sucks. Maybe I’ll sell my soul to get one day off on a holiday weekend next time.

A tad more, but worth it. My best wine of all time.

http://m.wine-searcher.com/merchant/9279?wine_id_F=25026

Bought! I’m hoping your batting average remains perfect.

Sort of bought - none of the bottles of '86 at HDH had fill levels I was comfortable with, so I grabbed a '90 after checking CellarTracker. Seemed like a decent substitute and I know that was a pretty good vintage.

So far, so good.

1996 Pichon Lalande would be my first choice. If you are strictly looking for 1995, the 1995 Pichon Lalande and Ducru are both excellent.

Thanks,
Ed