2015 Chateau Soussans Margaux

2015 Chateau Soussans Margaux

with No Comment $30-$40BordeauxBordeauxFranceKevin Vogt

CHÂTEAU SOUSSANS

2015 MARGAUX 

2015 Chateau Soussans Margaux
Our weekly tastings are done unbiased, with the retail price often unknown until after a wine makes our selection. We choose them based on quality, varietal and regional standards, and many other determining factors. Once a wine passes that test, the price comes into play, and we look for wines that outperform others in the same price category. I had pegged Château Soussans 2015 Margaux as a $50-$60 outstanding and classic representation of the region and vintage. When I found out that I could offer it to you for $36, I grabbed all I could…
 
Shaped from the highly sought after 2015 vintage, which the Wine Spectator describes as “truly special” in Margaux, Château Soussans is the second wine of Château Deyrem Valentin. Christelle Sorge tends the vines and manages both Estates, and she stands apart for her pure, traditional processes in the vineyards and winery, where her wines are 100% organic and natural. 
 
Christelle’s wine team forged Château Soussans from a small 5-acre parcel planted equally to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and located within the Deyrem-Valentin property. The 25 + year-old vines follow the same routine as Deyrem-Valentin, and the wine balances elegance with power and beautifully defined flavors that are classic to the region. 
 
CHÂTEAU SOUSSANS
2015 MARGAUX
 
Your Price: $36
 
“The Chateau Soussans 2015 is a beautiful, elegant achievement that begins with an intriguing nose with red plums, powdered stone, white flowers, forest ferns, and saddle leather. The palate has waves of mixed berries, red cherries, liquid minerals, and vanilla spice. It is a beautiful balance between power and elegance, which is everything you want from a Margaux.”
94 Points
 
“Made with 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot the wine is soft and silky with perfumed strawberry jam on the nose. Ripe plum and cream come through on the palate which has supple tannins and an attractive, lively red fruit finish. This elegant Margaux will be lovely to drink, share and enjoy over the next decade.”

2016 Château Moulin De La Grangère Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux

with No Comment $30-$40BordeauxBordeauxFranceKevin VogtSaint Emilion

CHÂTEAU MOULIN DE LA GRANGÈRE

2016 BORDEAUX
SAINT-EMILION GRAND CRU

 
In many ways, wine is like a puzzle, and each piece would be factors such as vintage, winemaker, location, and price. Based upon these, Château Moulin De Grangère is a masterpiece.  Each sip is as satisfying as placing the last piece firmly in place, because finding a Grand Cru Bordeaux that drinks as well as this one and at this price level is incredibly rare.  The winery’s consulting winemaker is Michel Rolland who many would argue is THE top winemaker in the world, with customers spanning 13 countries.  The winery neighbors Château Pavie, one of Saint-Émilion’s most revered wineries that earns regular 100 point scores and goes for many hundreds of dollars per bottle…  And the Vintage?  The Wine Spectator rated the overall vintage 94 Points, noting “a very homogenous vintage”, and under $40 this wine needs to be experienced.
 
Saint Émilion is the oldest active wine producing region in Bordeaux, officially formed in 1199.  The Château Moulin La Grangère sits at the foot of the finest slopes of Saint-Émilion and the certified organic vines are planted in clay-limestone soils.  The 2016 is 100% Merlot and like many 2016’s, it’s profoundly structured, with great depth, penetrating fruit, beautifully integrated tannins, and perfectly balanced acidity.  I strongly recommend a case of this remarkable Grand Cru.
 
CHÂTEAU MOULIN DE LA GRANGERE
2016 BORDEAUX
SAINT-EMILION GRAND CRU
 
Your Price: $33/btl 

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Tasting Notes: “This Saint Emilion Grand Cru is made from 100% Merlot grapes and aged in oak barrels. The elegant red wine exudes a spicy-fruity bouquet with aromas of red and black berries. The palate is characterized by ripe red fruits with fine tannins. The taste is rounded off by subtle woody notes with vanilla and some licorice.”
 
Customers that enjoy Château Moulin De La Grangere Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, may also enjoy these two terrific Bordeauxs…  
2015 Chateau Grand Puy-Ducasse Prelude Pauillac Bordeaux 216 Chateau Clarisse Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion Bordeaux
CHÂTEAU GRAND PUY-DUCASSE
2015 PRELUDE
PAUILLAC BORDEAUX
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl

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From James Suckling: “Quite brambly summer-berry and dark-plum aromas with a thread of violets and cassis. The palate has a smooth, pastry-like tannin texture and is gently grainy and layered. Very fresh and elegant finish. Try from 2021.“ 90 Points
CHÂTEAU CLARISSE
PUISSEGUIN-SAINT-EMILION
2016 BORDEAUX
Retails at:  $48.00/btl
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl

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From James Suckling: “Very attractive, darker fruit on the nose with deep plums and mulberries, leading to a palate that has a smooth, concentrated and balanced feel with long, polished tannins, carrying plenty of flavor…”  93 Points

2015 Pavillon De Taillefer Saint Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux

with No Comment $40-$50BordeauxBordeauxFranceKevin VogtSaint EmilionUncategorized

PAVILLON DE TAILLEFER

2015 SAINT EMILION
GRAND CRU BORDEAUX

Across the world, critics are raving about the 2015 vintage in Bordeaux. The vintage set a record for perfect 100 Point wines from Wine Enthusiast, and around half of those were from Saint Emilion.  The Wine Spectator rated the overall vintage 97 Points, noting Saint Emilion was the sweet spot, and this was the appellation’s highest rated vintage since 2010.  Saint Emilion is the oldest active wine producing region in Bordeaux, officially formed in 1199.  This stunning representation of a Grand Cru Saint-Emilion was created by Catherine Cohen, who interned with the legendary Jean-Claude Berrouet at Château Petrus.  Jean-Claude immediately recognized her talents and installed Catherine at the famous La Fleur Petrus where she made the wines from 1995 to 2001.  At $45/btl, this wine had our entire panel in awe…
 
Created from half-century old vines, and revealing textbook Saint Emilion crushed red fruits, shaved rock and plush black plum, this wine leaves your taste buds yearning for another sip.  Catherine and her husband Phillippe purchased the Estate in 2006 after it was personally recommended by Jean-Claude Berrouet.  This Estate is now clearly on a positive trajectory and this is one journey that you don’t want to miss.
 
PAVILLON DE TAILLEFER
2015 SAINT EMILION
GRAND CRU BORDEAUX
 
Your Price: $44.99/btl
 
Tasting Notes: “The 2015 vintage of Pavillon de Taillefer has enticing aromas of black cherry, red plum, licorice, and spice, with hints of smoke, fine herbs, glove leather, cocoa powder, violets and dried tobacco. The elegant, velvety palate begins with plush Bing cherry, dried blueberry, baker’s chocolate, wet slate and crushed minerals.“
93+ Points, Kevin M Vogt, Master Sommelier
 
Customers that enjoy Chateau Pontete Bellegrave, may also enjoy these two terrific French Reds…
2015 Chateau Pontete Bellegrave Graves De Vayres Bordeaux
 2015 CHATEAU VIEUX POTANA LALANDE-DE-POMEROL
CHÂTEA PONTÊTE 
BELLEGRAVE
2015 BORDEAUX 
GRAVES DE VAYRES
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl 

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Chateau Pontete Bellegrave’s 2015 is beautifully detailed and firmly concentrated and packed inside of a generous yet muscular frame are micro-layers of red and black fruits, crushed violets, cocoa dusted chocolate truffles and hints of graphite.  A terrific value, this lovely Bordeaux is rarely imported into the US, and when it is, it unfailingly generates plenty of flattering comments and re-orders.   If you enjoy complex, delicious, full-bodied reds, this one’s an excellent value at under forty per bottle. 

 
CHATEAU VIEUX POTANA
LALANDE-DE-POMEROL
2015 BORDEAUX 
 
Your Price: $33/btl 

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Did you know that one of the most expensive wines in the world upon release is Chateau Petrus, and that it’s made from 100% Merlot grapes grown in the Pomerolregion in Bordeaux?  Lalande-de-Pomerolborders the Pomerol region to the north and of the two main villages Lalande-de-Pomerol and Néac, Néac has clay and gravelly soils commonly seen in Pomerol.   Chateau Vieux Potana comes from Néac and exhibits the dusty, chalky tannins, dark berries and gravely undertones that are classic to the region.

 

 
   
2015 Chateau Vieux Potana Lalande De Pomerol

2015 Chateau Vieux Potana Lalande-De-Pomerol Bordeaux, France

with No Comment $30-$40BordeauxBordeauxFranceKevin Vogt

CHATEAU VIEUX POTANA

2015 LALANDE-DE-POMEROL 
BORDEAUX, FRANCE

2015 Chateau Vieux Potana Lalande De Pomerol
Did you know that one of the most expensive wines in the world upon release is Chateau Petrus, and that it’s made from 100% Merlot grapes grown in the Pomerol region in Bordeaux?  Lalande-de-Pomerol borders the Pomerol region to the north and of the two main villages Lalande-de-Pomerol and Néac, Néac has clay and gravelly soils commonly seen in Pomerol.   Chateau Vieux Potana comes from Néac and exhibits the dusty, chalky tannins, dark berries and gravely undertones that are classic to the region.  The winery’s consulting winemaker is Michel Rolland, one of the most influential winemakers in the world with hundreds of clients spanning 13 countries… At $33/btl, I strongly recommend securing a case.  
 
Marrying 85% Merlot from 35 year old vines with 15% Cabernet Franc, Vieux Potana’s 2015 perfectly showcases the elegance and supple berries of Merlot with the power and aromatics of great Cabernet Franc.  Most people likely have never heard of Chateau Vieux Potana and with the tiny number of cases imported into the US, neither had I until I tasted it… 
 
CHATEAU VIEUX POTANA
2015 LALANDE-DE-POMEROL
BORDEAUX, FRANCE
 
Your Price: $33/btl 
 
Tasting Notes: “This wine displays a shimmering garnet/ruby color, with an elegant nose of tart cherry pie filling, cocoa dusted chocolate truffles, forest ferns and freshly turned earth. The palate is beautifully focused with concentrated red cherry, liquid minerals, fresh currants with a mouth quenching freshness that triggers your swallow reflex.  The finish is long and complex with the perfect combination of power and elegance.”
 
Customers that enjoy Chateau Vieux Potana Lalande-de-Pomerol, may also enjoy these two terrific French Reds…
 
2013 Paul Jaboulet Aine Gigondas 2013 Moulin De Tricot Margaux
PAUL JABOULET AINÉ
2013 GIGONDAS
PIERRE AIGUILLE
Retails at:  $35.00/btl
 
Your Price: $27.99/btl 

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From Vinous: “Limpid ruby. Perfumed aromas of ripe red berries, peppery spices and potpourri, complicated by a woodsmoke nuance. Silky, expansive and gently sweet, offering concentrated raspberry liqueur and lavender pastille flavors and an allspice quality that builds on the back half. Finishes sweet, sappy and persistent, with firming fine-grained tannins adding grip.” 
 90 Points
MOULIN DE TRICOT
2013 MARGAUX
BORDEAUX, FRANCE
Retails at:  $65.00/btl
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl 

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Tasting Notes: “With striking aromas of crushed violets, black raspberry, wild rose and plum, Moulin de Tricot’s 2013  Margaux
 is deep, plush and remarkably elegant. Well-integrated and precise flavors of dark red fruits, spices, floral components and minerals all intermingle effortlessly throughout the looonnnng and highly-pleasurable
2016 G of Chateau Guiraud Bordeaux White

2016 G of Château Guiraud Bordeaux White

with No Comment $30 and underBordeauxFranceSauvignon Blanc

G of CHÂTEAU GUIRAUD 

2016 BORDEAUX WHITE
BORDEAUX, FRANCE

2016 G of Chateau Guiraud Bordeaux White
Variety is the spice of life and while California, Sancerre and New Zealand offer Sauvignon Blancs with bright, sometimes searing acidity and super-crisp flavors, Bordeaux brings a more rich, opulent and lime-infused style that’s impossible to ignore.  Detailed, round and broad are all perfect descriptors for Chateau Guiraud’s Bordeaux White which opens up to limestone-scented baked yellow-apples, mandarin orange, tangerine, wet stone and crème brûlée.  A palate quenching kaleidoscope of finely detailed flavors keeps you coming back for more, and with a 90-93 Point score from the Wine Spectator, I wouldn’t hesitate to secure a case. 
 
Château Guiraud isn’t just one of Bordeaux’s preeminent producers of First Growth Sauternes, they also produce stunning dry whites wines.  A blend of both Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, the 2016 is remarkably expressive, rich and assertive.  If you haven’t experienced a dry white from this renowned wine region, here’s a terrific opportunity to try one of the best.
 
G of CHÂTEAU GUIRAUD 
2016 BORDEAUX WHITE
BORDEAUX, FRANCE
 
Your Price: $19.99/btl 
 
From The Wine Spectator: “This is still a bit tight, with a racy lemon pith frame around the core of white peach, tangerine, chamomile and straw flavors. Shows weight and zip, and should fill out nicely.”   90-93 Points
 
Customers that enjoy G of Chateau Guiraud’s Bordeaux Blanc may also enjoy these two terrific white wines…
2017 Alma de Cattleya Sauvignon Blanc 2017 Domain La Croix Saint-Laurent Sancerre
ALMA de CATTLEYA
2017 SAUVIGNON BLANC
SONOMA COUNTY
 
Your Price: $19.99/btl 
 
Immeasurable talent… gifted… Midas touch… These would all be fitting descriptors of winemaker Bibiana Gonzalez Rave.  Her artistry has allowed her to climb the ranks and become winemaker at Pahlmeyer… She’s also made wines at Lynmar and has extensive experience making wine in France.  Bibiana applies her vast skill-set and remarkable abilities and crafts wines that exceed all expectations…
DOMAINE LA CROIX 
2017 SANCERRE
SAINT-LAURENT
 
Your Price: $29.99/btl 
 

Created from nearly half-century old vines, this wine bursts onto your palate with textural bliss, and a well balanced, keen thread of acidity that leaves your palate craving another sip.   

A pure expression of Sancerre, this immensely appealing 100% Sauvignon Blanc (as all white Sancerre’s are) is highly nuanced, intriguing and loaded with pristine fruit and rocky minerals.
2013 Chateau Moulin De Tricot Margaux

2013 Chateau Moulin De Tricot Margaux

with No Comment $30-$40BordeauxBordeauxFranceKevin Vogt

MOULIN DE TRICOT

2013 MARGAUX

2013 Chateau Moulin De Tricot Margaux
If you’ve ever wondered why Margaux is an often-used name for women, and what that has to do with wine, one sip of Chateau Moulin de Tricot’s 2013 Margaux will give you your answer. Of all the regions in Bordeaux, Margaux is most recognized for producing powerful, yet beautifully elegant wines. The best Margaux will even have you thinking about the wine for long after enjoying it.  For me, they have all of the best qualities that I love in Bordeaux.  And while First Growth Margaux can easily top $1000/btl, Moulin de Tricot’s 2013 Margaux is an excellent value at under forty per bottle.  Our panel was absolutely shocked by the quality, and this wine perfectly represents classic Margaux.  
Remaining true to old-world, classical styled Margaux, Chateau Moulin de Tricot blends 75% Cabernet Sauvignon with 25% Merlot, while many producers in the area are Merlot dominant.  The 2013 offers the absolute perfect combination of striking intensity and soft elegance, gliding across your palate with penetrating black cherry, dried rose, red plum and hints of potpourri.  With few cases imported, don’t wait too long to secure your case because this one over-performs on every level.  You’ll definitely thank me later!
 
MOULIN DE TRICOT
2013 MARGAUX
Retails at:  $65.00/btl
 
Your Price: $39.99/btl
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Tasting Notes: “With striking aromas of crushed violets, black raspberry, wild rose and plum, Moulin de Tricot’s 2013 Margaux is deep, plush and remarkably elegant. Well-integrated and precise flavors of dark red fruits, spices, floral components and minerals all intermingle effortlessly throughout the looonnnng and highly-pleasurable finish…” 
 
Customers that would enjoy Moulin de Tricot’s Margaux, may also enjoy these two terrific wines…

 

2014 Department 66 Cotes Catalane Grenache 2011 Chateau Trapaud Saint-Emillion Grand Cru
DEPARTMENT 66
2014 GRENACHE
COTES CATALANES
Your Price: $37.99/btl 
 
From Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate: “A blend of 80% Grenache, 15% Syrah and a splash of Carignan… This inky colored, downright sexy 2014 offers terrific notes of blueberries, blackberries, violets and chalky minerality. Big, concentrated and textured, yet still playing in the more elegant style of the 2014 vintage, this beauty will drink well for a decade..” 
 
93 Points
CHATEAU TRAPAUD
GRAND CRU BORDEAUX
2011 SAINT EMILION
Your Price: $31.99/btl 

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