New Bordeaux Part 2

Hot on the heels of Oz Clarkes Feature article on the New Bordeaux in Decanter magazine September 2012 (and in part reproduced in our blog) comes another article on the good value for money of "New Bordeaux". 

Chateau D'Aiguilhe in Castillon-Cotes de Bordeaux

DiscoverVin wants to bring good values and interesting wines to Australia. We can see that there is almost a mini-revolution occurring in Bordeaux with some great value wines being produced by producers sitting just outside the vineyards included in the 1855 classification system. It seems like the less well known appellations of Bordeaux are starting to get some recognition. These are wine regions held in high esteem since the time of the Romans. Taking grapes from these proven sites/terroir and using modern viticultural and winemaking techniques is leading to a surge in quality and interest amongst discerning wine lovers.

The term "New Bordeaux" is being used to encompass these "new" wine making regions and producers.

Written by John Mariani in Bloomberg Business  on August 6, 2012 and reproduced in the Sydney Morning Herald and entitled Bargain Bordeaux 99 Percenters Can Afford- a reference to the fact that the top classified chateau chased by unprecedented world-wide demand can only be afforded by the top 1% of income earners.

"Despite some softening of prices in the past year, first-growth Bordeaux wines are still at levels only a few can afford.

While the first growths get all the hype and stratospheric prices — a 12-bottle case of 2008 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild recently sold at auction in Hong Kong for $US11,800 — second through fifth growths have shown little in the way of price inflation.

Bargain bin for Bordeaux is found in the estates and appellations that fall into categories as Bordeaux Superieur. Look out for local names such as Fronsac, Cotes de Bourg, Cadillac, Cotes de Castillon and others that make up 95 percent of the region's wines. 

After all, it's what the French drink on a daily basis.

stocked up on Bordeaux from such unheralded appellations and have been drinking them with pleasure, sometimes with real surprise. It hardly needs noting that none rises to the levels of complexity that one finds in first and second growths, but I would be hard put to discern many from an array of third, fourth and fifth growths.

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The vintages went from 2006 to 2010, and all of them were ready to drink right now, although a year or two more on some of the more recent vintages will prove interesting. All were typical Bordeaux blends of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec, and cabernet franc."

Here are some examples of wines from the appellations of Blaye, Fronsac, St Emilion satellites and Castillons that are available from DiscoverVin. Click on the links to read more!


Chateau Fontblanche (Blaye-Cotes de Bordeaux)
Chateau Haut-Larriveau (Fronsac)
Chateau Moulin Pey-Labrie (Canon-Fronsac)
Chateau D'Aiguilhe (Castillons-Cotes de Bordeaux)
Chateau La Fleur Poitou (Lussac St Emilion)
Chateau La Croix Bonneau (Montagne Saint Emilion)