Unknown Bordeaux Crus Bourgeois can be something of a gamble, both for quality and maturity. Something you haven’t heard of in a good, sturdy vintage probably won’t make 50 years, but peak could be 5 or 35. Roll the dice.
Never heard of it, bought a bottle on line, probably paid ~$15, decided to open tonight with local ground lamb patties.
Good move. Medium dark ruby color. Nice secondary aromas feature red raspberries, black currants and a touch of conifer. The palate is light to medium in body. There is good fruit, mostly black, noticeable but fine and balanced tannins, some spicy tones with a touch of black pepper. The finish is moderately long, especially for a wine that does not have a lot of weight. Really pleasant and ready to drink, although I would not hold it more than another few years. Rated 89.9.
Thanks, Dan. Timely note. I have a bottle of this (forgot where I bought it) on deck. I figured that I would give it a go the next time we fix hamburgers.
I have good memories of the 1996 version. Owned 6 bottles and that wine peaked at about age 10. Last bottle a bit tired but good wine. Never had another vintage. Thanks for the note.
Drank a bottle if this last night, really a nice traditional style Bordeaux…some some nice leathery tobacco notes…def. at it’s plateau…found this for $25 local…this checked alot of boxes for me…questions why I would ever purchase expensive bottles of Bordeaux…a solid qpr
We all love QPRs, Marc, but there is another level of drink. I’ve seen you swoon over mature bottles of classified growths! But yes, these $25 bottles can be true pleasers. Speaking of which, the 2014 Sociando can still be found for under $35.
Thanks for the note, Dan. Petit-Bocq is quite highly regarded over here. I think it was originally given a thumbs up by Bernard Burtschy. I enjoyed the 00 but haven’t gone back for more because the price has risen to around 20 or 22€, which is a bit too much when you can get similar wines for half the price or nearly. Certainly a good drink though.