Bordeaux is full of expensive wines that need cellaring — here’s a humble, inexpensive, delicious wine with loads of character that’s ready to drink.
Vigneron: The Negrier family is a tiny domaine based in Saint-Estèphe. Their two miniscule properties amount to less than 2 hectares (5 acres) in total. But both cuvées — today’s and their Fleuron de Liot Saint-Estèphe — regularly win acclaim from wine press. They’re among the best-value Bordeaux we know.
Appellation: Moulin de Blanchon wine is a Cru Bourgeois from the Haut-Médoc. The Haut-Médoc encompases the areas surrounding the famous towns Bordeaux, in this case from outside Saint-Èstephe. Cru Bourgeois is a wine-based (rather than chateau-based) certification that is renewed each year.
Wine: The 2017 Moulin de Blanchon is young, vibrant, and punchy — think a bold brasserie red with unusually sophistication and class. The nose shows raspberry jam, black pepper, fresh leather, and forest. The palate is long and inky with fresh fruits and an intense but delicate chalky finish.
Pairing: Serve this with a rich beef stew or well crusted steaks. Put it in a decanter and give it an hour — your guests will swear you paid twice as much.
You might also like: Bouquey St-Emilion, Fleuron de Liot 2014, Larrieu-Terrefort Margaux 2016
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Moulin de Blanchon
Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois 2017
bottle price: $24
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