Favorite non-first growth Bordeauxs?

[Howard_Cooper]

I love Ducru. Think it is one of a kind. More complex and texturally interesting than Barton (which I also have huge respect for), and never spoofed like my other favorite dirt in St-J, Poyferre.

Agree on all these points. As I said above, I think the best non-first growth wines from the over 50% Cabernet Sauvignon parts of Bordeaux are Ducru, Leoville las Cases, Palmer and la Mission Haut Brion.

[PCLIN]

VCC and LLC.

[Robert.A.Jr]

I love Ducru. Think it is one of a kind. More complex and texturally interesting than Barton (which I also have huge respect for), and never spoofed like my other favorite dirt in St-J, Poyferre.

Agree on all these points. As I said above, I think the best non-first growth wines from the over 50% Cabernet Sauvignon parts of Bordeaux are Ducru, Leoville las Cases, Palmer and la Mission Haut Brion.

I’d still take Montrose, especially since La Mish is now a merlot.

[Robert.A.Jr]

My local retailer must be reading! Just got an emailer offering 6 vintages of Ducru going back to 2010! lol.

[DanielP]

Would you be a buyer of 2016 Montrose at $134?

Now where can I find that?

[Gerhard_P]

…
Also this honest house admitted the problem, and as Mark mentioned, has been very diligent to rerelease only clean tested bottles from the taint period and to be very careful since.
…

It would be interesting if “this honest house” will refund all the tainted bottles I´ve got the pleasure to taste vintages 1985-1990 …

Once I had 3 guests from The Netherlands in my home - and we agreed to taste DB 1982-1990 …
out of 7 bottles 3 were heavily tainted and one mildly …

Agreed - wines after 1995 usually were fine …

[Jim_F]

Did I miss something here or do all of us basically adore the same < a dozen non-first bordeaux?

[G_Bienstock]

Rausan Segla
LLC

[Yao_C]

Pichon Lalande for me by a considerable margin. Then Lynch Bages and LMHB and VCC in no particular order

Ducru Beaucaillou has always been more a wine of the head than of the heart for me. I respect it, but it doesn’t move me emotionally. Same for Gruaud Larose. I’m not rich (or old) enough to have had sufficient Cheval Blanc, Ausone or Petrus to form an opinion

[Kris_Patten]

Would you be a buyer of 2016 Montrose at $134?

Now where can I find that?

Saw it at retail in Seattle.

[Ben_M_a_n_d_l_e_r]

I started getting into wine just as the non-firsts were becoming totally unaffordable, so I don’t get to drink them very often. In the realm of the still-manageable, I love Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Rauzan Segla, Kirwan, and Prieure-Lichine.

If cost wasn’t a factor: Ducru, Palmer, the Pichons, and Cos.

Right bank I’ve always had a soft spot for Figeac.

[Marc_Frontario]

Huge mistake.

+1
Ducru has released recorked bottles from the 1980s which have been checked for taint. I have had both 1986 and 1989, both wonderful.

But the wine that convinced me Ducru was back was the 1996, one of the great wines of the vintage. In terms of cost, Ducru is at the lower end of super seconds, older wines hovering at $200.

Love and respect you guys, but this comment is as silly, perhaps, as my so-called grudge. There is more quality Bordeaux than I can shake a stick at, and with the current pricing of Ducru, I really am not missing anything. Even at that $200 price for a 1996, wow, I can grab some other killer stuff that blows me away, like 2004 and 2001 VCC for even cheaper. Again, hard to say how anyone is missing anything but passing on one wine that caused you a lot of prior loss, it’s like asking me to like again a classic estate that went to Rolland.

Incidentally, I just remembered that I did grab some 2004 Ducru from a Chambers cellar sale. Have not tried it yet. I grabbed a lot of wine from that sale, and the pricing was great. So perhaps not totally DTM. But, it is my only bottle.

U had the '04 ducru with me last yr…it was good…not great

[Robert.A.Jr]

Haha, shows how memorable it was. I already forgot. Forgot that I was with you, too.

[Kris_Patten]

Haha, shows how memorable it was. I already forgot. Forgot that I was with you, too.

Could have been the company vs. the wine…

[Dinesh_Goyal]

This might be a repeat but in no particular order
LLC
Pichon Lalande
Pichon Baron

I like Montrose and Cos but never been floored away.

In terms of my favorites for QPR - Pontet Canet, Leoville Poyferre and Haut Bailey.

[Anton_D]

G-L-O-R-I-A, Gloria!

Lynch Bages

Château Pichon Baron

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

[Ed_Steinway]

My favorites are Pichon Baron, Pichon Lalande, Haut Bailly, Leoville Barton and Domaine de Chevalier.