“Some
of Bordeaux's best wine value is to be found at the most conscientious petits
châteaux.”
Jancis
Robinson
Four wines from three different vintages, from four producers on the
left bank illustrate of the value for money and quality of wine made by conscientious
petit châteaux.
DiscoverVin are very
pleased to be bringing these high quality boutique wines to Australia at an
affordable price: wines from high pedigree sites, owners and makers, sitting
just outside the highest vineyards under the 1855 classification but
representing great value for money.
1. Château
Senilhac Le Prade, 2009
Website Price $25.00
The Producer
Appellation
Haut Médoc
The Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Merlot (35%), Cabernet Franc (10%)
Grapes are machine harvested and made using traditional Medoc winemaking
methods in a modern winery. The wine is aged in oak barrels for 12
months.
Cellaring potential
Well balanced with layers of fruits and tannins so will develop over
many years.
Our Tasting notes
Dark colour, a bouquet full of freshly picked berries from the
forest, tobacco notes, mid dense structure and a long finish. The layers
of tannins give the wine good ageing potential.
So many good Médocs to choose from the 2009 vintage but this was a
standout value-for-money wine, in a large line-up.
2. Chateau Moulin Pey-Labrie, 2006
Website Price $39.99
The Producer
Benedicte and
Gregoire Hubau made their first vintage in the Bordeaux commune of Fronsac at
Chateau Moulin Pey-Labrie in 1988. They have worked with influential Bordeaux
based oenologist Michel Rolland to make wines with finesse, elegance and
balance. Their philosophy is
“To make a fine wine one needs beautiful grapes, clean and ripe, grown
in a vineyard in touch with its "terroir".
Appellation
Canon-Fronsac
Possessing similar soil and climate to Saint Émilion
and Pomerol a few kilometers across the Dordogne River to the east,
Canon-Fronsac has a picturesque landscape made up of woodland and hills. It
also has a rich history reaching back hundreds of years, when the area was much
favored by French nobility. Canon-Fronsac is encompassed by the wider
Fronsac appellation.
The Wine
70% Merlot (70%) Cabernet Sauvignon (20%) Cabernet Franc (10%)
France’s prestigious Guide Gault-Milau gave the 2006 vintage 15/20 and a
“good value for money” rating.
Cellaring Potential
Drinking well but will keep for several years (2012-2020)
Our Tasting Notes
Lovely purple colour. Red fruit and plums on the nose. Palate is
soft, round in the mouth with minerals and fine chalky tannins. Great balance and
length. Delicious, classy Merlot!
When we were in Bordeaux for Vinexpo 2011, this wine was being served at
Bar à Vin run by the CIVB (Conseil Interprofessionnel du vin de Bordeaux) or local Vignerons association. From the many hundreds of wines available this wine
was being served on their short wine list, which is updated on a regular basis.
Website
Price $38.00
Situated in the commune of
Martillac, this 20-hectare property once belonged to Baron de Montesquieu.
Today, Mr. Eric Perrin owns the estate
and has set up a vast land clearing
and plantation programme in the 1980s, rejuvenating the vineyard from the
ground up.
The Appellation
The appellation of Pessac-Leognan
was created in 1987 from the section of the Graves district south of Bordeaux
city. Some of the vineyards are surrounded by the development of the Bordeaux
suburbs. Pessac and Leognan, the key towns in the appellation form part of the
suburban sprawl, with vineyards next to houses and industrial estates.
Graves means gravel and Bordeaux’s
reputation as a great wine region has been built on the gravel.
The red wines of Pessac-Leognan have
a rich and flamboyant style, developing deep and spicy flavours with age.
The Wine
Cabernet
Sauvignon (70%), Merlot (30%)
Cellaring Potential
Can be enjoyed now but
will keep for many years (2012-2025)
Our Tasting notes
A wine with very
pleasing aromas of black fruits (blackberries, black currant), red fruits
(raspberries) and with subtle roasted notes (grilled and smoky). Good fruit
weight and fine gravel tannins giving it a lovely mouth feel. Hints of minerals
and chocolate.
Typifies the silky tannins, minerals and structure of the wines
of Pessac-Leognan.
Website Price $110.00
The Producer
Clos des Quatre Vents is
a tiny 1.2 hectare plot planted with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The
proprietor is Luc Thienpont, former owner of Château Labégorce-Zédé. The estate
produces 6000 bottles/500 cases from a vineyard planted with very old vines
with an average age of 80 years old.
Quatre vents means
”four winds”. The passage of the four winds across this elevated vineyard
throughout the year ensures a fresh and healthy crop each vintage, and this
purity is translated through careful harvesting and vinification into a wine of
real elegance backed by restrained power.
Appellation
Margaux
The vineyard is
situated on a plateau at the entrance to the town of Margaux, surrounded by Cru
Classé vineyards.
The Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon
(55%), Merlot (40%),Petit Verdot (5%)
This wine was made by
Jacques Boissenot, wine consultant to four of the five First Growths of the
Médoc, and named Winemaker of the Decade in 2010 by the Chinese Bordeaux Guide
to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the publication.
Grapes were picked by
hand, fermented in cement tanks with malolactic fermentation in new oak,
followed by ageing in new French oak for 18-20 months.
Cellaring potential
A wine that will achieve full maturity a
decade from the vintage, but which enjoys such balance that it can be enjoyed
in its youth.
Our Tasting notes
Brilliant dark
garnet/purple colour. A very savoury nose with red fruits and some meaty
tones. The palate is soft and rounded with complex layers of red fruits
(raspberry, strawberry etc.), fine tannins, very long and well balanced.
We wrote down sexy when we first tried it! Very approachable - an amazing
wine.
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Chateau La Fleur Poitou, 2010 Website Price $25.00 per bottle 
The 2008 vintage from Château Le Croix Bonneau was one of only a few wines from this vintage to receive two stars in the French wine guide, Le Guide Hachette, 2012. New owners have renewed the vineyard. They use techniques such as disbudding and “vendage verte” or a green harvest (leaf stripping) to maximize fruit ripening. Minimal use of chemicals and hand picking and sorting are elements of the quality-orientated approach at Le Croix Bonneau. Michel Rolland, a renowned Bordeaux oenologist, consults to the winemaking team at the château. 
Merlot
is the dominant grape in the Château Rouget blend of Merlot (85%) and Cabernet
Sauvignon (15%). 
