Yes, Bordeaux Can Be a Bargain

Bordeaux red blends are often a harmony of multiple grapes which together yield textured, structured wines. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the lead in most blends, with Cabernet Franc, Malbec and sometimes Carmenère or Petit Verdot included. While single varieties can dominate the wines of illustrious chateaus, the larger regional appellations of Bordeaux offer wider interpretations often at an incredible value.

Blends from the Left Bank’s Médoc and Haut-Médoc offer elegant and balanced wines. The Right Bank regions like Montagne-Saint-Émilion and Castillon exude dense layers of fruit. Other larger region-wide appellations like Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérior combine the best elements of both banks into refined and juicy reds.

Enjoy these 10 Bordeaux red blends at a price that’s as pleasurable as the wines themselves.

Château la Tonnelle 2018 Cru Bourgeois (Haut-Médoc); $25, 93 points. This is already a delicious wine. Black fruits shine through the wood and tannin structure to promise a fine future. Rich while not at all overwhelming, the wine’s perfumes and black-currant flavors come from the high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. This is a wine to age well. Drink from 2024. Deutsch Family Wine and Spirits. Editors’ Choice. –Roger Voss

Château Grandchemin Monplaisir 2018 Saint-Estèphe; $30, 92 points. A ripe, elegant and balanced wine, this has some of the firm tannins associated with young Saint-Estèphe along with rich, perfumed blackberry fruits. Drink this blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from 2023. Monsieur Touton Selection. Editors’ Choice. ­–R.V.

Château Moulin des Richards 2018 Signature (Côtes de Bourg); $15, 92 points. This wine is dense and structured, with layers of tannins still very present. There’s a richness to the fruit that gives considerable potential to this still young wine. Drink from 2022. Mr. Wine. Best Buy. –R.V.

Château Haut-Vigneau 2018 Pessac-Léognan; $30, 92 points. The Perrin family of neighboring classed growth Château Carbonnieux has restored this estate, which now produces some impressive wines. This is elegant, structured, young and bold, with dark fruits and tannins that have potential. Drink this wine from 2023. Frederick Wildman & Sons, Ltd. Editors’ Choice. –R.V.

Château Reynon 2018 Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux; $25, 92 points. Owned since 1958 by global winemaking specialists, the Dubourdieu family, this elegant estate makes equally elegant wine. Bold ripe Merlot doesn’t disturb the wine’s equilibrium nourished by the perfumed Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot in the blend. Drink this wine from 2022. AP Wine Imports. –R.V.

Château Le Gardera 2018 Cuvée Bio (Bordeaux Supérieur); $18, 91 points. On the southern slopes of the Entre-deux-Mers, this vineyard surrounds a grand 19th-century chateau. This organic wine offers rich tannins and powerful black fruits. Its structure will soften and the wine will be ready from 2021. Wineberry America LLC. Editors’ Choice. –R.V.

Château Malescasse 2017 Cru Bourgeois (Haut-Médoc); $22, 91 points. Elegant, ripe and balanced, this blend has almost equal proportions of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. That gives a structured wine from the Cru Bourgeois estate, juicy with Cabernet freshness and with potential for future aging. Rosenthal Wine Merchant. Drink from 2022. Rosenthal Wine Merchant. –R.V.

Château Teyssier 2018 Montagne-Saint-Émilion; $19, 91 points. Almost pure Merlot, this wine balanced contrasts black fruits with generous, unforced tannins. Blackberry flavors shine through the dry core that is just beginning to soften. Drink from 2022. Misa Imports. –R.V.

Vignobles Gonfrier 2018 Marquis de Bern (Bordeaux); $13, 91 points. A blend of parcels goes into this rich, full-bodied wine. Generous textures are still developing while the spicy black fruit is full of young tannins and bright acidity. Ripe and concentrated, the wine will likely be ready from 2021. Misa Imports. Best Buy. –R.V.

Château Hyot 2018 Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux; $20, 90 points. A ripe and spicy wine, this shows rich tannins and a solid texture. Juicy blackberry-jelly flavors lighten the load of richness and shed an attractive light on the wine’s fruitiness. Drink from 2021. Fruit of the Vines. –R.V.

Published on February 12, 2021