The 2019 Ferriere was fantastic QPR at the $28 it was going for last summer. My first Ferriere and I was quite impressed.
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Yep
And itās all different kinds of QPRs anyway. Even the first growths are QPRs when you compare them to what you have to pay for top Burgundy now. But every Bordeaux appellation at the moment has wines - at all sorts of price points - that leave you dumbfounded why they arenāt much more expensive.
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Style is another key variable too. Iāve long championed the petit chateau La Tour St Bonnet (Medoc) as a poor manās Grand Puy Lacoste and in bigger vintages like 05 (which cost like $8 on release) and 10 it can punch way, way above its weight. But even in 05 itās in a drier, rustic, leaner, food-friendly, earthier style. Lanessan for $15-ish used to fit in this genre as well, but with more structure.
But if one has any fondness for this bistro-styled profile, these types of unclassified Bordeaux offer value that competes (and often trounces) any price point in the world, even Chianti (which admittedly owns the $5 or less category).
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I thought Chianti under $5 came from Spain?
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Like olive oil.
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No, that comes from Tunisia.
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I feel like a broken record and a little sad it will eventually go away, but itās still available in the US to those in some states for $29.99 (+shipping).
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Hereās the trick that turned me on to Bordeaux above all others:
You have to spend time figuring out the proportion of varietals in the blends that suits your palate. For me to really dig a Bordeaux, it has to be at least 65% cabernet and although Left Bank Bordeauxs are almost always cab-dominant, they can be 50/50, 55/45, etc. and that is not enough for meāI enjoy a 65% cab from a ālesserā estate much more than I do a 50/50 (or 30/70) from a ābetterā estate. When I find it, I buy it with confidence, price point (and not Chateau) being the controlling factor. The consistency amongst producers is fantastic. I donāt want to say they all produce great wine, (but they all produce great wine), so donāt feel like you have to search out a recommended Chateau. Your time is better spent figuring out the blend ratio you prefer.
So, my advice is to first figure if you have a strong preference for a particular ratio. If you do, then stick to it and enjoy various producers and appellations at whatever your price range is.
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Could not disagree more with that one. After 25 years drinking Bordeaux there is no way I would ever be able to guess the varietal percentage of anything Iām drinking. I also confuse left bank and right all the time. Better to figure out what chateaux you like and buy them regularly even when the blend fluctuates.
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To be clear, Iām not suggesting I can guess varietal percentages, and I certainly have had some that I thoroughly enjoyed (or not enjoyed) to be surprised at the makeup. And, sure, if you find a chateaux that you like, stick with it.
But, if someone is trying to figure out Bordeaux, all of the appellations and chateaus and general theories of terroir can be overwhelming and not very helpful. And just because I like a chateau doesnāt mean they will.
Although not foolproof by any means, I found paying attention to the ratio of the makeup of the wines to be the single most consistent predictor of whether I would like a producer I had not previously tried. And itās certainly more consistent predictor than following recommendations of people whose palate I donāt know.
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So, Rauzan-Gassies over Rauzan-Segla. Got it! 
i must admit I pay almost no attention to the makeup by variety of a Bordeaux in deciding what to buy. i mean i have a general idea based on the region, but beyond that I never pay any attention
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I do but only as a data point. I really do migrate toward those with a heavier Cab Franc cut, and for left bank, prefer a lower cut of Merlot. But as Keith notes, whether I could pick this out consistently in a lineup, blind, is very doubtful.
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If I can offer some advice, the appellation, the terroir, the producer, and the vintage provide the character. The varietals and blends are not that important. If you prefer Cabernet over Merlot, look to the Left Bank over the Right Bank.
Joseph,
Have you tested yourself blind? If you have and are consistent with your professed preference then great! If you havenāt then thereās a good chance you will surprise yourself.
Hmmm, and yet it seems some vintners are migrating toward greater cuts of Cab Franc, your darling Les Carmes Haut Brion as an example. The varietals do matter, everyone can place that into whatever hierarchy they choose, yours just happens to be lower.
āLes Carmes Haut Brion maintains a large portion of Cabernet Franc in the vineyard. In fact, over time, they plan to continue adding more Cabernet Franc to their plantings, while decreasing the Merlot, until about 50% of the vineyard is planted to Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Franc works perfectly here, due to the limestone and gravel in the soil.ā
Read more at:Learn all about Les Carmes Haut Brion, The Complete Guide
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It is the terroir that dictates the plantings. LCHB has a lot of limestone, so it is a good fit. LCHB has always maintained a lot of CF in their vineyards. Have you read my Cab Franc page lately? Iāve added a lot of 100% CF wines to the page. Go to the page, and search for 100%, and read the paragraphs around there. You will be happy to see so many wines.
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Have you thanked your global warming today?
I remember Robert Parker writing that basic Bordeaux was usually not very good because it only got fully ripe two years out of ten.
That was then. This is now.
So yes; the ptrid swll that for hundreds of years was lean, mean and green is now almost (gasp!) lush!
Dan Kravitz
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Satellite Saint-Emilions
Graves
Medoc
Dan Kravitz
And in case you wanted to buy yourself an early Xmas gift, LCHB produced a one off bottling of 100% old vine Cab Franc in 2017 thatās being released now. Very limited production.
HOMMAGE AU SIECLE 1917- 2017
Format 2.25L Marie-Jeanne
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