There are a few wines mentioned which are a little funky; Montrose, Calon etc, which I happen to like, but may not be to your taste. From your post, the one wine that seemed to be obvious was Pichon Lalande, which has a slight herbal quality,and ages with a similar profile to Togni and Montelena. A different kind of wine which may also suit are some Graves, particularly HB and LMHB, and Haut Bailly. Cheaper but interesting is Malarctic. And of course 1998 and earlier Pape Clements.
Overall I am not sure about your premise. As a Bordeaux lover you may want to explore on its own terms rather than as substitute for those wonderful old California Cabernets.
Outside of a vintage like 2009, where weather forces you to deal with ripe fruit, I disagree. When you are making wines organically and biodynamically farmed, with horses, native yeasts and the like, you make what nature gives you.
Mark, you said it better than I did. That’s dead-on; I love a bit (or even a bit more) of an herbal quality in wines.
I think you read my initial intent pretty accurately - as a way to ‘replace’ those old Napa Cabs. That said based on this thread it sounds like I’d really benefit from some further exploring. Thanks to you and everyone else who has weighed in.
Lalande is spectacular in 2014, and that’s a vintage that showcases the herbal more than a riper vintage. Sounds from your further posts, that you might really like Sociando Mallet as well. Sociando is the QPR of the 2014 vintage, IMHO. If you can find any 2000, it’s a wow vintage for Sociando as well.
I have come to accept that while my California Cabs (not restricted to Napa alone) preference is “old school”, I don’t really love Bdx. I have had the occasional bottle that impresses me but more often than not I find myself underwhelmed. Producers mentioned in this thread that I had on mulitple occassions and would count as my favorites when drinking Bdx include
No worries. I’m the other way around…I like the restrained California wines that have some European sensibility to them. Got whipsawed with a 2005 Arrowood CS the other night…that used to be a generally reliable fishinghole.
Even though Bordeaux is somewhat hotter/riper today, than prior decades, if your baseline is California, I think there will always be some disconnect between fruit/earth.
There seems to be plenty of buzz about 2015 and 2016 vintages in Bordeaux, so perhaps if you have the patience, and cellar slots, you could put a few examples away and try them at your leisure.
I am not a fan of Corison wines (young or old) and it is hard to explain why. Yes, the wines are still made in the old way. No, the wines don’t have too much oak, alcohol, etc. These should be wines that are right in my wheelhouse. But, when tasting them, there is just something in the flavor that does not appeal to me. Could be just something in the terroir, don’t know. Always has been puzzling to me.
Agree about Smith-Madrone making decent old school wine. I have had a couple of great Corisons but most have been ok and not worth the tariff.
Domaine de Chevalier is slightly on the spoofy side; the consultant used to be and I think still is Dererencourt, one of the nicest people in Bordeaux, but not a fan of his wines.
To the original post:
Haut Bages Liberal
Branaire Ducru
ring that way for me. HBL is never spectacular but it sure drinks well above its price point after 10-12 years. Regards
For me, no Bordeaux quite matches old California Cabernets. California has always produced riper fruit. Old Chateauneuf is closest in style despite the difference in grape varieties.
If you are willing to travel a bit the Union Des Grand Cru’s tasting in Las Vegas is on 1/26. There are about 70 wineries participating. Amazing experience for a new to Bordeaux taster.
Even though it’s not cabernet driven, I think this traditional St Emilion is worth exploring for OP. The 2000 Cote de Baleau [St Emilion] drinks well over 3 days, and is a quaint 13% abv. Tannins are resolved and the fruit is balanced by the acidity. This was a Rolland consulting project during this era, but its hard to see any of his putative style markers here. The wine is medium bodied, balanced, and avoids plummy/black fruit/raisin characteristics. There are a range of these smaller St Emilions that have never made the Premier Grand Cru A and B lists that still offer delight and ageability for those willing to look at sub $100 price points. I’ve still got a few bottles left and this gets an A- in my personal scorecard.
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