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SOS: Need an inexpensive Bordeaux!!

post #1 of 5
12/23/09 at 11:56am
Thread Starter 
My attempts to find a decent red Bordeaux have been EPIC FAIL. All my selections lack the epic nose, soft tannins, and big flavor of the Bourdeaux I had at Pigalle three weeks ago. Max I can spend is $30. Need it for dinner party tomorrow.

All I can remember about the glass of Bordeaux that it was a Bordeaux Superior, 2005 vintage.

Please help. My alternative will be to serve a pedestrian Aussie or Cali cabernet with the Chateaubriand.
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post #2 of 5
12/23/09 at 12:10pm
If you have a knowledgeable merchant, ask for one of the more modest 2005s (or 2000s) or one of the better-behaved 2003s.

Otherwise, there are sometimes some insane bargains in the off-years-- Pavie-Macquin 2002 got roasted by a critic who tried a bad bottle, but what I bought is excellent and about 1/4 of the price of better years.

For good matches with red meat, think also about a southern Rhone from-- oh, there's been a winning streak of vintages there. 2002 was a disaster and 2003 was a little hot, but since then it's been hard to go way wrong. And before that, there was magnificent stuff at least back to 1998. So try a good CDR from 2007, or maybe branch out to one of the villages -- or even a modest CDP. Most of the stuff that's non-drinkable now should be priced over $30, so your risk is not enormous.
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post #3 of 5
12/23/09 at 12:15pm
it's going to be tough recommending for a dinner tomorrow as there are thousands of producers.

My suggestion is to walk to the biggest store in your area and poke around. Look for some wines from St. Emillion or Pommerol, they tend to me more approachable in their youth. They can really keep up the price, but I have had many great examples for less than $30. The store staff should certainly be able to help you narrow down the choice from there. Best of luck.
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post #4 of 5
12/23/09 at 1:16pm
I picked up a Margaux "village" wine bottled by the Brane-Cantenac people for $28 recently. 2005. Very good. Needed to breath for a long time, though, but it opened up nicely.
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post #5 of 5
12/25/09 at 11:42am
So-- what did you get, and was it good?
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