Your personal Top10 Bordeaux Left bank

Dear all,

What is your personal favourite Top10 Bordeaux Left bank in the descending order?

I would very much appreciate for all your answers. [cheers.gif]

Favorites of all time or more recent purchase? I ask, as Gruard Larose, Talbot and Meyney from the 1980s would be on my list, but they might not be if we are talking wines post-2000.

I will start with my top in any of the categories, leaving aside the First Growths given the cost:

Montrose

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In no particular order: Haut Bailly, Gruaud Larose, Pichon Lalande, Palmer, Montrose, Issan, Haut Brion, DdeC Blanc, Sociando, Rauzan Segla

No ranking

Pichon Baron
Lynch Bages
Grand Puy Lacoste
Batailley
Gruaud Larose
Gloria
Montrose
Phelan Segur
Poujeaux
Domaine de Chevalier
Haut Bailly
de Fieuzal and many more

I’ve loved Domaine de Chevalier and Haut Bailly in the past but wonder whether they have become too glossy for their own good. GPL, Leo Barton, Ducru Beaucaillou, and Montrose are a good start

In no particular order, these are the ones I always come back to:

LĂ©oville Barton
Gruaud Larose
Lagrange
Domaine de Chevalier
Giscours
Grand Puy Lacoste
Pichon Comtesse
Prieuré-Lichine
Batailley
Brane Cantenac

But also Poujeaux, Chasse-Spleen, Armailhac, Cantemerle, HBL and countless others.

In no Particular order

Domaine de Chevalier
Montrose
Lynch Bages
Palmer
Pichon Lalande
Haut Bailly
Rauzan Segla
Leoville Las cases
Brane Cantenac

These are not in order of preference, but in order of quantity currently in my cellar:
Producer Bottles

Château Talbot 30
Château Lilian Ladouys 24
Château Marsac Séguineau 23
Château Lanessan 20
Château Sénéjac 17
Château La Cardonne 16
Domaine de Chevalier 14
Château Cantemerle 13
Château Cantenac Brown 13
Château Meyney 13
Château Siran 11
Château Rauzan-Ségla 11
Château du Retout 10
La Dame de Montrose 10
Château Fourcas Dupré 9
Château Léoville Poyferré 9
La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou 9
Château Lalande 9
Château Labégorce 8
Château Branaire-Ducru 8
Château Brane-Cantenac 7
Château Calon-Ségur 7
Château Giscours 7
Château Potensac 7

Thank you to all who shared their top lists. I am wondering why not giving those some order and prioritization?
There is price and label pressure, of course. We might tend buying/drinking more often those we can afford or we believe deliver more on a buck spent.
But if try to forget about the price for a moment and trust your own experience.

Based on your experience, Chateau A is more consistent to your taste than Chateau B. You prefer A over B. What would your list look like?

My top10:
(I haven’t tasted Haut Brion)

  1. Latour
  2. Lafite
  3. Margaux
  4. Las Cases
  5. Mouton
  6. Pichon Baron
  7. Palmer
  8. Montrose
  9. Barton
  10. Comtesse/Cos d’Estournel
  11. Lynch-Bages/Pontet-Canet

Well, the greatest left bank wines I ever had were firsts, e.g., 1982 Latour, 1989 Haut Brion, but these wines are for the most part not afgordable for me and excluded here. I won’t name 10, but the ones I typically look for, and enjoy, more or less in order are:

Montrose (Alfert was correct)
Lynch Bages
Leoville Barton
Pichon Baron
Pichon Lalande
Branaire Ducru
GPL
And in years such as 2014 where it seems affordable, Ducru.

FWIW, in Pessac I kind of move around between labes, such as Chevalier, Haut Bailly, Malartic Lagraviere. Never really settled into any kind of favorite Margaux wine, but the 2015 Brane Cantenac is stunning esp. for the price.

Leaving aside first growths

Cos d’Estournel
Leoville Barton
Montrose
Pichon Lalande
Leoville Las Cases
Brainaire Ducru in good vintages
Rauzan Segla in good vintages
Pontet Canet
Grand Puy Lacoste
Lynch Bages

Those are probably my favorite 10. I’ve not had much Ducru. Pichon Baron is close, depending on vintage.

All-time over many vintages

Haut Brion
Margaux
Gruaud Larose
Palmer
Lynch Bages
Talbot
Montrose
Pichon Baron
Pichon Lalande
LĂ©oville Barton

Obviously, can only go off what I’ve tasted. I am omitting some I’ve had only once that would absolutely make my list if they’re always that good (Haut-Brion; La Mission; Mouton; Margaux).

GPL
Leoville Barton
Pichon Baron
Haut Bailly
Domaine de Chevalier
Rauzan-Segla
Pontet Canet
Montrose

Ok, I’ll go with my favorites these past 20 years (leaving our First Growths as very few of us - not me - can really afford to drink them):

Montrose
Leoville Barton
Sociando Mallett - I own more of this from more vintages than anything else. Best QPR in the market. Load up on 2014.
Pichon Baron
Lynch Bages
Pichon Lalande
Haut Bailly
Grand Puy Lacoste
d/Armailhac
Lanessan - The value play. Tip: load up on 2014 (excellent, plus the wine style appears to be changing after that)
Les Carmes Haut Brion (had to add an 11th! Style also changing 2014 moving forward, so grab up 2010, 2005, 2000)

Some folks may think I’m nuts putting Sociando top 3. Does than mean I think it is qualitatively better than the rest on that list? No. But I love the style, its distinct profile, ability to age, remarkable consistency across vintages, and of course, the price.

If the list was all Bordeaux, Vieux Chateau Certan would be 2 or 3, and Figeac and Conseillante pre-2015 vintages, would be in the top 10.

Historically and in no particular order:

Haut Brion
Latour
Ducru
Domaine de Chevalier
Pape Clement
Montrose
Calon Segur
Leoville Poyferre
La Mission Haut Brion
Pichon Lalande

  • bumped Leoville-Barton when I realized I had forgotten LMHB

No order.

Lynch Bages
Leoville Barton
Pichon Baron
Pichon Lalande
Cos d’Estournel
Ducru-Beaucaillou
Malescot St. Exupéry
Pontet-Canet

10 different vintages of Lafite would fill my top 10,
although I have had some blinding Pichons (his and hers) and some lovely lynch Bages, and of course some sublime Margaux, Palmer etc etc.
But for me Lafite is without peer on the left bank

Haut Brion
Margaux
Lynch Bages
LLC
Pichon Baron
Mouton
Pichon Lalande
Montrose
Latour
Palmer

These are the ones that spring to mind:

  1. margaux
  2. latour
  3. mouton
  4. pichon baron
  5. ducru beaucaillou
  6. giscours
  7. durfort vivens
  8. calon segur
  9. rauzan gassies
  10. dauzac
  1. Margaux
  2. Latour
  3. Haut Brion
  4. Pichon Lalande
  5. La Conseillante
  6. Pichon Baron

After that it’s too close to call.