By Rick Riozza
I don’t know what it is, but we can’t seem to shake off our continual discussion of the fabulous 2022 Bordeaux vintage. On our first article (coachellavalleyweekly.com/bring-on-big-bang-bordeaux), we we broke the news of the wonderful vintage; and then, we then went on to covering white Bordeaux https://coachellavalleyweekly.com/savvy-blancs-blends/.
This piece may well conclude our 2022 vintage coverage—but don’t take any huge bets on it: one never knows.
Our purpose this time is to persuade you to step out and finally try a classic, or at least a bone fide, Bordeaux wine. For many of you, this was the wine your dad or grandfather used to drink and it may well still carry a stuffiness in attitude—whatever that means these days.
Another huge reason why many of the younger folk don’t seek out red Bordeaux is that it can be so expensive! And the wine can be! Château Petrus goes for around $6,000 a bottle! (Okay—In the Petrus market there is a finite supply—they cannot produce more than is possible with the grapes grown on the very small Petrus estate; the market is extremely limited while the demand side exceeds the supply by a whopping amount.) At least the popular Mouton Rothschild sells for only $800. I know—for the price of one bottle, we could pick up a couple three of cases of California wine.
But here’s the thing in the Bordeaux region: With a great vintage, quality of the vast amount of wine is across the board. That means great vintages trickle-down, and quality can be found in very low-priced Bordeaux bottlings. So this is the time to taste what all the fuss is about. Do you or will you love red Bordeaux—you’ll find out.
That’s it—if you’re so inclined, check out the great wine deals below and perhaps you’ll step-up your wine game. And why not take a bottle or two over to your friends for dinner and impress. Cheers!
Our favorite 2022 inexpensive red Bordeaux wine is the 2022 Château Féret-Lambert Bordeaux Supérieur. The reason we love this Bordeaux is that it sells for around $19 a bottle and tastes like a high-end wine. Yup—step right up and taste the deal of the day for less than 20 bucks!
This estate produced about 9,000 cases, which is six thousand more than Petrus above, and 5,000 cases have been allocated here to the states. But the Féret-Lambert has become the darling of the critics, below, and will probably sell out sooner than later.
Vinous France writes: “Attractive, fresh nose of blackberry, cedar and minty aromas, full of vigor and very well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, well-judged acidity and vivid black fruit.”
James Suckling chimes in with, “Dark plums, mulberries, dark cherries, walnuts and spice box on the nose. Medium-bodied with chalky tannins. Fruity, lively and tangy finish. 90% merlot and 10% cabernet sauvignon. “This juicy red has notes of fresh plums, chocolate and blueberries. It’s medium-bodied with creamy tannins and a plummy finish. 90% merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.”
And Wine Spectator adds, “Fresh and sleek with the vintage’s vivid plum and dark cherry paste flavors mixed in with violet and anise and carried by a sleek graphite edge. Overdelivers for its AOC. 91 points.”
We found the wine to be all that, and, an exciting wine for the price! Definitely dark but was it juicy! Our bottle showed raspberry and cherry compote flavors, a little bramble, along with our favorite Bordeaux note of graphite—nothing like pencil lead to round out a nice bottle. We can see this wine on the table with hearty game, roast lamb, and beef stews.
We also enjoyed the 2022 Château Pey La Tour at only $18. This also shows fresh and tasty with plum and cherry puree and notes of anise, savory spice, and violets with a slightly singed finish. There’s Cab Franc and Petit Verdot in the mix which may explain that type of finish. Again, just delicious for the price!
As you can see here, there are fantastic buys for bone fide Bordeaux!
The 2022 Château Malescasse from the Haut-Medoc, ($20) carries a good traditional heritage—indeed, we’re surprised it’s selling for so little a cost. We get blackberry and cherry fruit flavors along with tobacco and cast iron on the finish. These are classic Bordeaux notes. Cab Sauv, Merlot, and Petit Verdot in the blend.
Another amazingly inexpensive Bordeaux is the 2022 Château Grand Mazeroles from the Blaye Cotes at only $15! Here we get kirsch and currant paste flavors laced with singed vanilla and tobacco notes—and to boot, there’s a slight finish of violets, for a nice finale. WS gave this wine 89 points.
So what’s going on here! Another Blaye Cotes Bordeaux, Château Luc de Beaumont is selling for only $12 a bottle! Here find cherry and red currant preserves with a slight singed vanilla note. WS gave it 88 points.
Finally, I just tasted one of the Bordeaux in the Ralph’s Market wine aisle. “My friend Copine” is the English translation: “Ma Copine Celine” is what’s on the label. It sells for only $7 when you do the Ralphs’ 6 bottle mix or match deal. The label itself states: “This wine is effortlessly chic, a little mysterious, and leaves you longing for more. Pairs perfectly with good company.”
I like the wine; it’s tasty, inexpensive and it’s indeed a 2022 Bordeaux we can drink every night! A la nôtre! A la tienne!—Cheers!
