How would you characterize its style, Craig? My wife loves VCC, and I’d love to find a reasonable alternative. I do understand that there’s only one VCC, I’m looking for something that rhymes, not a twin.
I racked my brains and cannot think of a substitute. Possibly La Tour Figeac, but I have not tasted it in several years.
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Haven’t tried this yet. What are some of your highly recommended vintages of this? Preferably ones that are under 14% alcohol. 2010 is probably great but might be a little too much for me to enjoy. 2014 is tempting, especially for the price.
Here’s what the original Robert P. said on the 2009:
Dominated by Merlot (95%) blended with a small amount of Cabernet Franc (5%), with 14.5% natural alcohol, it exhibits an opaque blue/purple color as well as a bouquet reminiscent of blueberry pie intermixed with espresso beans, black raspberries, charcoal and graphite. Full-bodied, thick and juicy with undeniable purity, a layered mouthfeel and abundant but sweet tannins, this exceptional Pomerol should be ready for prime time drinking in 5-8 years and last for at least three decades. Unfortunately, there are just over 1,300 cases produced
I’ve had this many times and it’s great!
I would try 2012, 2008, 2014. Great wine for the money. ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
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“Blueberry pie”, “thick and juicy”, “sweet tannins”…this sounds like the review of a warm vintage Napa Cab! 14.5% alcohol is pretty high for Bordeaux too. Is it your experience that these wines drink more like New World, or do they have a profile typical of other R Bankers?
Lol my thoughts exactly.
That “sweet tannins” is a descriptor that has confused me for such a long time. I see it used both here and professional reviews everywhere and I have no idea what that means. I can understand tough, grippy, silky, grainy, powdery, smooth, resolved, gritty, assertive and nonexistent tannins - but “sweet”? Nope. How can a compound that is basically only felt, not tasted (unless the tannins are bitter) and has no means whatsoever to manifest itself as sweet can be described as “sweet”?
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This review from Parker is from the big 2009 vintage. So it’s a solar vintage with higher alcohol. The wine drinks like a top notch right bank from Pomerol.
Smith Haut Lafite
Canon-La-Gaffeliere
Pontet Canet
Pichon Lalande
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I don’t think you can really speak about second labels in general terms; it’s a case-by-case basis. I have never flirted with second labels in your stated price range, as I much prefer the idea of getting an expensive Grand Vin over an extremely expensive second label.
At, or around, $150 I am a huge fan of Pichon Baron. Other favorites of mine (DDC; Haut Bailly, Leoville Barton; Grand Puy Lacoste) aren’t quite there yet, for the most part (depending on market). Montrose is worth a look, too. Allllll that having been said, Pichon Baron, man. Pichon Baron.
Brian
Have you ever tried the Pichon Baron 2nd wine?
Les Griffons
2018
I grabbed a couple of these and am eager to try.
The Pinchon Lalande 2015 2nd wine…Reserve de Comtesse I wasn’t impressed with.
I actually returned them for a couple Barnett’s and Chapp Signatures.
LOL
So maybe the Baron 2nd wine is better.
But can try sooner than the Grand Vin.
But the 2018 La Croix Ducru Beaucaillou 2nd wine (tried one) was good.
Again…referring to my bordeaux thread…Young…but probably drinkable in a couple more years.
Always enjoy your perspective.
Karl
I haven’t tried Pichon Baron’s second, Karl — I’ve looked at it, but never pulled the trigger. I’m eager to hear what you think of it!
It’s a bit coincidental you mention Pichon Lalande’s second wine — I gave it a try after reading multiple glowing reviews from people I trust about the 2016. I bought a tester bottle and thought it excellent — what was it about the '15 that didn’t meet your hopes or expectations?
There’s a big difference between the old Feytit Clinet and the ‘new’ ones. We had an 82 a while ago, and it was pretty forgettable. This might be a case where one should not go looking for one with some bottle age.
You know Brian…
The truth of the matter is that I had brought a Croix de Beaucaillou 2012 that night, and, after starting with some other starter wine…the 12 Croix had opened and we were all blown away by the aroma and taste.
Then the15 Reserve de Comtesse was tried and it was probably more that it paled in comparison to the 12 Croix de Beaucaillou that I was like…wow, this is kind of flat or benign in contrast.
Probably a shot from the hip that I made a snap judgment on that would or may have been different had that one been decanted for an hour or more.
I had gotten this for a good price and was able to (trade up) for wines that I knew and liked so I did what I did.
The only real revelation that came out of all that was… the realization that Ducru Beau’s 2nd wine is stellar.
I would be willing to try it again and should have held onto one but…
I’m happy with what I have.
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I couldn’t agree more, Otto! I love the inimitable “natural alcohol” too! You can imagine what it would be like if it wasn’t even natural. At least he omitted “achieved” that time. But each to their own, I’ve never tried it.
BTW a good Feytit-Clinet for drinking now at a reasonable price is the 2007.
Related to the most recent couple of posts, I was surprised to see a review of the 2015 LMHB that put ABV at 15.1%! I bought two bottles from Garagiste on a very expensive whim (probably after drinking a glass or two of something else, and without doing any other research). The only other vintage I’ve ever bought and drunk is a single bottle of the 89 and I can’t imagine that they’ll have any relation. First world problems for sure.
Very cool. I’ve not tried Ducru’s second, but it sounds like I should! Cheers, Karl.
Find a likely score for a wine . Farr Vintners is good: I use the scores of Neal Marti and particularly Antonio Galloni, but they give various scores. Wine Searcher gives the prices and availability for many wines. I never buy wine in quantity unless I have liked it from a bottle. For 2016, a fine year in all sub-areas of left bank red Bordeaux, wi 
nes of very low to low first growth quality can be had at very reasonable prices from Domaine de Chevalier and Grand-Puy- Lacoste. The 2016 Pape Clement seems reasonably priced, while Haut-Bailly and Leoville Poyferre are to me borderline cases. Of course I do no know what your palate likes. Good luck! RTPL
Just to add to the conversation, in the past (and now) I see comments about not buying pre-arrival and waiting for Bordeaux to be available retail since they’ll often be similar or less in price. This has not been my experience at all, virtually every wine that’s been released since 2014 has been more expensive at retail, sometimes significantly so. Same for 2015 and 2016. That may change here soon due to a string of good vintages, but I do think that buying futures is another means of doubling-down on the value of Bordeaux with futures sometimes netting a 20-50% discount relative to immediate and later retail pricing. (Especially if scores get revised up in scores after being tasted in bottle). Again that may not hold up in the coming years, but that has been my experience thus far.
My approach thus far has been to buy pretty broadly at value points I find compelling where I can find some type of consensus on reviews. Not necessarily points, but some type of profile from Neal Martin, Galloni, Panos, Jeff etc. to determine whether this is the type of wine I would like - in addition to being reputable chateau/domaine that are known to be long-lived. That’s lead me mostly to Leoville Barton, Domaine de Chevalier, Grand Puy Lacoste and Haut Bailly. Although I’ve also picked up some Giscours, Branaire-Ducru, Calon Segur and Cantenac Brown depending on a combination of reviews/price.
Look at scores and CT ratings for Haut Bailly and Pontet Canet since 2005 versus the pricing and it is obvious that both offer excellent QPR.