Go for Bordeaux
Ch. La Grolet, Côtes du Bourg – 2021 $14.96 for a limited time
Some wines just have it all: great price, quality winemaking, and, most importantly, the delicious factor. This wine achieves it all through the diligent, careful attention of the wine-making duo, Rachel and Guillaume Hubert. Their family has been making wine since the 17th century, putting six generations of experience behind them. Their production has been biodynamic since 2000 (which is not easy in a Bordeaux). They use indigenous yeasts and keep their yields astonishingly low. This wine comes from clay and gravel soil in the Côtes de Bourg, which brings out supple fruit and spicy notes. A blend of mostly Merlot with Cab Sauv, it’s a concentrated, robust wine with classic notes of red cassis, graphite, and a great tannic structure. Utterly charming. – Amy Miller, Sales Manager
Ch. Peybonhomme-Les-Tours, Le Blanc Bonhomme – 2022 $21.96
Chateau Peybonhomme has to be amongst the top of the world list of quality to price ratio. The estate is currently run by the 5th generation of the Hubert family. All of their vines are farmed organically and biodynamically. The soils are clay on top of limestone. Here’s a wine made from a 50-50 blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Out of the glass, it has a nice golden color and an olive oil viscosity. It smells of roasted pineapple, apples, and a tinge of pine. The mouthfeel has weight and slickness and a brisk acidity appears mid palate. 40% of the wine is fermented in new oak and the rest in concrete. Lovely with a wedge of Aged Comté cheese. – Chung Park, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant
Closerie du Pelan, Bordeaux Rouge – 2000 $68.96
If you’ve been to Astor hopefully you checked out the Cool Room. Named for its constant 58F party atmosphere that keeps wines happy during their journeys, it’s also where you’ll find “that’s so cool” wines that you won’t find anywhere else, like this one. Don’t have time to wait twenty years for a Bordeaux to undergo the magical time transformation that makes a great wine even greater? Neither do I. This one was made down the road from Chateau Le Puy, from vines in the same soils, hailing from one of the greatest vintages of all time. Vibrant red fruit, perfectly integrated oak, savory mineral elements, simply gorgeous. From importer Neal Rosenthal: “Here, then, is the old, true, haunting style of Bordeaux that made the region famous, yet which is rare to encounter these days.” Stock up, they don’t make ‘em like this anymore. – Simon Gouldstone, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant
Crémant de Bordeaux Rosé, Amélie Constant – 2019 $28.96
Wow, what a delight! There is not a lot of Cremant that makes its way out of Bordeaux to our shores, so I am always on the lookout for it. This has a lot going for it, including 100% old vine Cab Franc, 2 years of lees aging, and biodynamic vineyard practice. All that, and it’s a brut nature, so there’s no added sugar at dosage! Bouquets of cut flowers and red fruits on the nose lead you to a crisp, dry wine with a wonderful textural component and a lingering finish. Can’t wait to try it with some cheese! – Josh Mizrahi, Sales Manager
Ch. Les Graves de Viaud, Réserve – 2019 $29.96
Organic, biodynamic and vegan red Bordeaux that can stand the test of the time for under $40? We must be dreaming! However, Château Les Graves de Viaud makes this a reality in the heart of the Côtes de Bourg. Here 11.5 ha are planted on south-facing slopes with gravelly-clay soil. A Merlot-dominant blend, this wine is made without the use of animal products throughout the vinification. This a dense and structured wine with fresh and ripe fruit notes of black and red plums, black cherry, and red raspberry. Spice notes of licorice, bay leaf and fresh tobacco add an extra layer of complexity. Freshly turned, clay soil with its rustic earthiness and mineral finish complement the fresh fruit. This wine will only get better with time or a healthy decanting. – Matt Goodyear, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant
Ch. Peybonhomme-Les-Tours, Les Vacances de Monsieur Merlot – 2023 $18.96
Les Vacances de Monsieur Merlot just means “the vacation of Mr. Merlot.” I think of this as kind of a break or a little jaunt for your palate, because this wine is so yummy and refreshing. It is made of 100% young vine merlot in the Cote De Bourg region of Bordeaux. The vineyard practice is Biodynamic and organic, and the wine making adds no sulfites and is totally vegan. All that, and the wine is yummy, too! Here the classic old world Merlot shines, bright (not stewed) fruit with the telltale cassis notes combines nicely with a herbaceous element that never feels too green or unripe. – Josh Mizrahi, Sales Manager