Gentlemen and ladies, I am using my 2024 EP$ to backfill on Bordeaux this year. My only rule is the backfill has to be under $50 a bottle. I need/have budget for one more case…please help! The less expensive the better (maybe if low enough I can squeeze two more cases). What is the best 2016 in this range?
So far my backfilling purchases have been:
12 Cantemerle (a standard purchase for me)
12 Sociando (a standard purchase for me)
12 Ferriere (new to me)
6 Meyney (a standard purchase for me)
I have far less experience than many of the folks on here, but I’d consider:
Haut-Bage Liberal (Claire Villars-Lurton’s other estate)
Tronquoy-Lalande (same ownership as Montrose, very strong year for them and an estate that is really firing well, believe William K has posted that he bought like 3 cases of this or something similarly large if that endorsement moves the needle!)
Lagrange (under $50 at some online discounters but you may have to search a bit)
Good question…I am loaded on 2014. Not too enthusiastic on 2015. 2019/20 very attractive but I am fairly full and unsure about my desire to wait (even though we are only talking about a 4-6 year gap). That was my rational to go deeper on 2016. Make sense?
All the Bordeaux that I list in that first post, I’m pretty sure I bought all of them in 2016. And I completely agree with your strategy, this is a phenomenal vintage of Bordeaux and it is still readily available in the marketplace at very favorable pricing.
If you can find 2016 Lafon Rochet for less than $50, grab them! Agree on those who have already mentioned Tronquoy, and everything on the list that @Robert.A.Jr provided on the other post.
Depending on what kind of blends you prefer even the second wines from this vintage can be great. One of my favorites has been 2016 Baron de Brane (Brane-Cantenac). It’s more of their Merlot plots, but has been beautiful through the whole arc from 2020 until now, of which I’ve had 5 bottles with one left.
Otherwise, I’ve had good bottles of 2016 Larose-Trintaudon and 2016 Monteil d’Arsac, both about $20/per.
Branaire Ducru is flat out phenomenal, as is it’s 2019. I don’t know if you can still find it for 50 bucks though.
As a fallback, Ferriere is excellent. After buying both the 2016 and the 2019 and trying them, I doubled down and ordered more. I may own more of this château than any other winery in these two vintages.
I can push, but $100 plus for RS and LB is not going to keep me in my budget for spending my EP2024 budget (though I love the thought). Maybe can lean toward a bit north$. I bought the Malartic 2016 on EP. While I have not opened any, I also bought a bunch of the Malartic 2012 which were/are delicious. Anyhow, I digress, I am in for one more case of 2016 for my backfill and thought/continue to appreciate the thoughts. Thanks all
