I first started buying for longer term storage a few years ago. I was fortunate that 2016 Bordeaux was widely available alongside 2017 in stores and online. It has been a run of “vintage of the century” years since. I have mostly bought 2016, 2018, 2019, and now 2020.
Reading the Bordeaux 2022 thread, I have seen several comments from several people who are optimistic about 2014 and 2017. The only 2014 I have had is villemaurine, which I really enjoyed. I have not had any 2017 other than an occasional btg in restaurants.
I would love to hear some specific recommendations for 2014 and 2017 because they are still fairly available. My sweet spot in $40-75, pushing up to $125 if there is a great reason to.
Color me shocked that these are “off-ish” vintages. That’s crazy talk. An “off-ish” vintage would be 2011 and 2013, and even then you can find gems.
In 2014, look for:
Sociando Mallet - Outstanding
Pichon Lalande - one of the best left banks
Calon Segur
Carmes Haut Brion
Lanessan - killer QPR
Domaine de Chevalier
Grand Puy Lacoste
Haut Bailly
La Conseillante - delish
Vieux Chateau Certan - WOTV
Eglise Clinet
Many others, I went deep, but I will defer to others for more.
Robert has a very nice list for 2014. I would add the Pichon Baron and Leoville Barton towards the $125 price point if they are still available and the D’Issan and Beau Sejour Becot at a lower price point. The Domaine De Chevalier and GPL represent the best quality for the price to me right now of those in your price range.
I do not have enough experience on the 2017’s outside of the UGC tasting, but I recall liking both Leoville’s (LLC not poured) and both Pichon’s, but expect those to be above $125. Enjoy the hunt!
Agree with all points. We recently had a 2014 Cos d’ Estournel which was sublime after 2 hours of air. $160, so pushing the price point, but worth it imo.
Damn, great call! I forgot about the Leoville Barton. I grabbed six of that but have not tried it. This is one of those Classic estates that simply does not change styles with the passing of the tides, I know what it will taste like!
I had this in 2018 … I was starting my wine journey and this bottle was revelatory to me - it might have been my first classified growth Bordeaux even. As I “learned” more about wine and Bordeaux I had the impression that - oh wow there are so many more expensive estates and so many “better” vintages that I’m just gonna be swimming in great bordeaux but the bottles that have surpassed that one are few and far between. I need to go buy a case to lay down.
FWIW, I think 2014 is an OUTSTANDING vintage. This is a vintage for classicists. I think 2016 is a better vintage overall, but not every winery performed in 2016 better than its 2014 offering. I am not a fan of 2015 or 2018. I hardly bought any Bordeaux in these vintages. Thus far I am liking a lot of what I see in 2019, and I’m going deep.
And I think there is also a lot to like in 2017, but did not go anywhere near as deep as I did in 14 or 16, as the prices did not necessarily intrigue me.
I’m a big fan of Lanessan 2014. Not sure why but think it got bigger, but still good in 2015+.
Another is calon segur which updated the winery and selection in the 2010s and 2014 was the first good year of the new guard, which I have enjoyed (or plan to enjoy since I’m laying it down).
Will be following this thread as 2014 seems like a drinkers vintage if you can still find it priced well.
Chiming in to note that every 2014 I’ve had – particularly Grand Puy Lacoste, Domaine de Chevalier, and most especially Haut Bailly – has been awesome and right in my wheelhouse. As the '14 enthusiasts have noted, it’s a classic-skewing vintage so if your palate lines up with that, there’s a lot to like.
Off-ish was meant as tongue in cheek. I think many published vintage charts would be:
2014 - vintage of the decade
2015 - vintage of the century
2016 - vintage of the century^2
2017 - vintage of the decade
2018 - vintage of the century
2019 - vintage of the century
2020 - vintage of the century
2014 is IMO not at all a lesser vintage. I recall a Cos vertical tasting that included 2014, 2015, and 2016. For me - and I am not particularly a “classicist” - I loved the 2014, which was clearly better than the jumbled, sorta muddied ripeness of the 2015. 2016 was the most formidable, and at that time ( spring 2019) least enjoyable, although that was obviously a matter of youth.
I passed on most 2017s because I didn’t care for the pricing relative to the vintage reputation.
And FWIW the 2018s I have had ( and they’ve mostly been 2nd wines) I have really liked. I don’t think of them as similar to 2015.
You’ve defended 2014 and based on what I have had, I couldn’t agree more.
Similar results with a 2007, 14,15, and 18 vertical of La Conseillante this fall. I strongly favored the 14 for its balance and proportion. 15 was a touch too ripe with showy alcohol and while the 18 was one of the best examples of that vintage I’ve had so far, it’s one that I’ve begun to characterize as rather monolithic.
As far as 14 goes, I’m hoping not to be the only one putting together some 10 year retrospectives next year! So far they have not been lacking in weight, and often have a little edge to them that time will eventually soften.
Sorry, last one – 2014 La Mission was insanely good like a year ago too. And while it’s beyond the $125 limit in the OP – I think I paid $198 – it’s still within spitting distance, which is pretty nuts for a wine of that level.
For me, Latour and Montrose are more plausible contender for WOTV in 2014, and it’s best in the northern Médoc. But I certainly like all the wines you cite, and own some of them.
I don’t see 2011 as being in any way comparable with 2013, personally. Did you try many lately? They were a bit firm on release but there are some excellent bottles to be had today. Branaire Ducru showed very well blind recently.
To the OP’s other question: anyone have feelings about what 2017s are worth the plunge? I avoided it because of pricing and because separating the good wines from the lesser ones seemed to required a solid understanding of clay soil drainage and which way the wind was blowing across the Gironde, and I am dumb and lazy that way.
Finding them boring on release, 2017 consistently surprises me on the upside these days. 95pts for Figeac, Lynch, Ducru recently (LB, Figeac in blind tasting vs 15/16/18s!).
But my guess is, these won’t necessarly do it as much for you as the 14s, as my guess is that you like the structured/grippy part over everything else in the 14s. The 2017s are more about finesse (“burgundian” to keep it simple) but they have more depth than the 14s.
I’m with you on that. We did an extensive horizontal (blind) and I was surprised how much I liked it. So many wines in the 92-94pts category and even a few in the outstanding category (unfortunately, the expensive names only).
