I love ’old school’ Napa Cab with age - Chateau Montelena, Togni, Dunn, Mayacamas. I also love Chinon (Raffault, Breton, Baudry). On the Bordeaux side I’ve liked the handful of aged Paulliacs I’ve had however it’s only been a handful - very little experience in this area. Below are the Bordeaux producers I’ve had and enjoyed previously:
Pichon Lalande
Pichon Baron
Haut Bailly
Haut Batailley
Grand Puy Lacoste
Chateau d’Armhailac
My question is the reverse of the “where in California can I find something similar to x French wine region”: given my preferences in Napa Cab, and the handful of Bordeaux that have resonated with me, what other Bordeaux producers would you recommend that align with that profile?
Edited for clarity based on feedback from Robert and Howard.
I’m having a bit of a hard time figuring out what you are seeking. I am an old school Bordeaux guy that also happens to love that old era of Napa Cabs. I love Dunn, Togni, Mayacamas, etc., but also love every Bordeaux you list. Seems to me, if you love one class of the listed wines, you will love the others. They are cut from a similar cloth, but clearly the California Sunshine shines through in the Napa Cabs, with classic restraint. I’m guessing that perhaps you are just seeking additional choices.
Other Bordeaux that I enjoy are:
Montrose
Leoville Barton
Sociando Mallet
Gloria
Cantemerle
La Mission Haut Brion
La Lagune
Domaine de Chevalier
And for a riper but still classic style (Pomerol, heavy merlot cut):
Conseillante
Vieux Chateau Certan
Given that you like this old school stuff, plus Chinon, you owe it to yourself to track down some mature bottles of:
I am not sure of your question. Are you saying that these wines do or do not meet your criteria. Are you looking for something somewhat similar to what you have liked or are you trying to find something different?
Certainly, there are wonderful wines being made in the Medoc that are still being made in a traditional way. Some include Ducru, Leoville Barton, Montrose, Rausan Segla, and Lynch Bages. Palmer and la Mission Haut Brion are also outstanding, but they are more expensive. Of these, only Lynch Bages is a Paulliac, so this list might get you out of your comfort zone with Paulliacs to explore further.
Robert and Howard, thanks for taking the time to weigh in. Looks like my original post could benefit from greater clarity in what it is that I’m looking for. I’ve reworded it based on your feedback, which I very much appreciate.
And Howard to answer your question, I’m looking for something similar - basically looking to understand what other Bordeaux producers I might like in a similar profile.
Ok, then I would try some of the wines on Robert’s list and my list. Lynch Bages is the easy one since it is a Paulliac. But, I might suggest you go to a St. Estephe, a St. Julian or a Margaux and broaden yourself a bit.
I struggle to imagine a scenario where someone really likes aged Pauillac and doesn’t like similar-quality wines from Margaux, St. Julien, St. Estephe, and Pessac-Leognan.
Give them a shot. You might even like them better. St. Julien has long been my favorite villages, but it really is more wine to wine. My favorite Medoc non-first growths are Leoville las Cases (did not mention this before because they generally take a long time to mature), Ducru and Palmer.
Another Pauillac to consider is Clerc Milon, especially since you liked d’Armailhac. I recall when I first got hooked on Bordeaux, Pauilliac was my benchmark. Later Graves and Pomerol started to wow me more, showing great complexity.
Pontet Canet
Fonbadet
Les Carmes Haut Brion
Leoville Barton
Gruaud Larose
Lynch Bages
Calgon Segur
Brane Cantenac
Cantenac Brown
Saint Pierre
Dauzac
La Louviere
You weren’t being particularly respectful, especially since he made a very good suggestion. The wines you listed suggest you like an intensive black fruit profile, with noticeable green elements and a large-scale, firm, tannic structure. Finding Bordeaux with green flavors and firm tannic structure is easy - throw a rock; it’s finding ones with a fruit profile that can match even ‘old school’ Napa cabs that is harder. Riper vintages for cabernet, like 1990 or 2005 (or 1996, 2009 or 2010) would be a good bet; if you want the equivalent of the Dunn experience (will the fruit ever overcome the tannins?), try 1986, maybe a Leoville Las Cases.
It wasn’t clear from your initial post whether you wanted to drink older Bordeaux now that would match the older California experience you like or whether you were looking for newer Bordeaux that could age into an ‘old school’ Napa-style cab. If the former is the case, I really would recommend riper vintages (1982, 1986, 1990) that would have had enough fruit in their youth to carry through to the present.
People are making good suggestions above, but almost any well-made cabernet-based Bordeaux should satisfy your desire.
Chris, thank you for taking the time to respond. And Arv I apologize for my terse response. Again, I have very little exposure to Bordeaux, so I lack the context for how many wines there may be that fit my palate. If it’s truly that many, I frankly had no idea.
Based on what I am reading, you may find that more Bordeaux fit your palate than Napa Cabs. Those old school style Napas are a dying breed. I’m not even buying that many new release Napa Cabs anymore.
Not sure about Pontet Canet. Certainly a seriously made wine that gets very high scores, but I think of it as more of a modern style wine than what the OP says he wants.
Ditto, and same thoughts on St. Pierre, at least through the 2010 vintage. I would not buy it. La Louviere has moved more modern as well. Forgot about Calon Segur and Gruard Larose. Great recs, I bought them in 2014 as well, plus Talbot.