Bordeaux Month Continues!2nd Stop ... MARGAUX & HAUT MEDOCfrom $19.99 - $125/bottle
During en Primeur week, we spent time visiting top estates and created unforgettable memories in Margaux and Haut-Médoc.
Margaux is a very famous, sought-after region known for their Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blends, with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot blended in smaller %'s. The incredible perfumes of Margaux reds, and their polished, supple, deep styles make them a favorite among Bordeaux lovers. We visited Châteaux Margaux and Palmer, with our last 'Margaux' stop being the great Château Giscours. We cannot give enough accolades to this special estate, crafting world class, delicious, elegant, rich wines. Giscours is a leader in organic viticulture as well as sustainability for land, animals AND humans. Vegetables are grown, forests are preserved, all of the staff lives on the property...so many great things are happening here.
When Giscours was classified as a Third Growth Grand Cru Classé in 1855, their vineyards were planted on lands later designated as Margaux and Haut-Médoc. This puts the quality of the wines of Haut-Médoc in a much clearer perspective. Planted to the same grapes as Margaux, and located very near, or often directly next to Margaux vineyards, Haut-Médoc wines offer such stunning values.
It is in this spirit that we begin our offer with a small vineyard, Laroze-Labatisse, headed by Vincent Bouges who worked with the Cazes family at Lynch-Bages. We challenge anyone to find a $19.99 Cabernet with this level of complexity and style. Next, a Bottle Shop favorite, Lanessan, a 91 pointer with tons of richness. And, Haut-Médoc Giscours creates a trio for this value-priced region. Silky, refined, fresh and balanced with excellent concentration, this wine is 'very Giscours'.
Onto the Margaux's : 'Les Plantes' from Durfort-Vivens is one of three 'second wine'-type wines at this trailblazing organic & biodynamic estate. Owner Gonzague Lurton has an unparalleled passion for Durfort that Wine Advocate said 'unquestionably lives up to its 1855 second growth status' during tastings of the 2019 vintage.
And finally, our cherished Giscours wines: both the 2020 and 2010 are relative values, not to missed to experience Margaux. The 2020 should be laid down (ideally until 2030, but you could decant in the years leading up to that). It has many press accolades, and 2020 is a fabulous year in Bordeaux. Many winemakers during our visit waxed poetic about 2020. And the 2010 Giscours, hold onto your hats! How in the world can you find a wine of this level @ $125? You can't. With power and elegance, she is seductive and poised, complex and intense. Giscours says that 2010 is one of their top 3 vintages ever produced, along with the mythical 1970.
Cheers! the Murray family
CLICK HERE FOR ALL MARGAUX WINES IN STOCK
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Chateau Laroze Labatisse Haut Medoc 2020 750ml |
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RATED 93 BOTTLESHOP.COM : 'Look for aromas of blackberry and black cherry mixed with spices and herbs. The palate is fleshy, ample and the finish is long and tasty. Its power and finesse will make this wine an excellent accompaniment to all types of grilled and braised meats, cheeses and charcuterie, and it will even hold up to spicy dishes like spiced lamb chops or chili con carne.' |
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Chateau Lanessan Haut Médoc 2019 750ml |
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| RATED 91 VINOUS : 'The 2019 Lanessan is a powerful, deep wine. Grilled herbs, pepper, sage and mint lend notable aromatic intensity. There is quite a bit of Cabernet savoriness and tannin.' Located across from Gruaud Larose in St. Julien, this Cabernet-based estate has vines averaging 25 years and is a superb value in Haut-Medoc. | ||||||||||||
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Chateau Giscours Haut-Médoc de Giscours 2020 750ml |
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RATED 92 BOTTLESHOP.COM : 'Fresh and floral with deep, crunchy red fruit flavors, this is incredibly complex and intense in this price level. Becomes more supple as it opens in the glass, and quite stony from the terroir. The Giscours Haut-Médoc vineyard borders their Margaux vineyard. An extraordinary cellar wine for collectors on a budget.'
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Château Durfort Vivens Les Plantes Margaux 2019 750ml |
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RATED 93 JAMES SUCKLING : 'Blackberries, cherries, sesame and salted chocolate notes. Peach stones, too. It's medium-bodied with silky, creamy tannins. So juicy and pure. From biodynamically-grown grapes with Demeter certification.' Château Durfort Vivens has a long history of winemaking in the Margaux appellation of Bordeaux.
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Chateau Giscours Margaux 2020 750ml |
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RATED 96 VINOUS AND 95+ WINE ADVOCATE : 'The 2020 Giscours is every bit as compelling as it was from barrel. Succulent dark cherry, plum, new leather, licorice, menthol and mocha fill out the layers nicely. There's a good bit of Merlot in this year, which lends quite a bit of mid-palate juiciness and textural depth, but there is also plenty of supporting structure underneath. The 2020 is both flamboyant and serious, a pretty appealing combination, I have to say. Tasted two times.' |
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Chateau Giscours Margaux 2010 750ml |
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RATED 95 DECANTER, WINE ENTHUSIAST AND JAMES SUCKLING : '2010 has power and elegance combined. The nose has a dark fruit, floral and mint complexity, the palate a firmness but finesse of tannin and plenty of fruit, zest and freshness. The energy is apparent, the finish long and clean. It's a wine that should age gracefully over a long period of time. This is the 'as good as it gets' pick.' |
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