Two More Inexpensive 2015 Bordeaux Wines from Grocery Outlet

A few days ago, I compared four inexpensive Bordeaux wines from the 2015 vintage from Grocery Outlet. Here are two more.

2015 Chateau de Reguignon, Bordeaux: Comparatively deep in color for a young wine, but looks youthful nevertheless. A medium purplish red. The deepest in color of the six young Bordeaux wines from Grocery Outlet I've recently compared [see below]. Leathery, meaty scents initially on the nose. On the palate, subtle fruit nicely balanced by tannins from the outset, tannins that linger through the mid-palate before receding on a moderately long finish. Something milky on the mid-palate as well. Overall, seems well made, compact, and honest. Not especially complex, but immediately appealing. Probably a bit too dry and too tannin-driven for consumers used to more fruit-driven California wines, but anyone familiar with Bordeaux will recognize this as an attractive "little Bordeaux" for everyday drinking. $6.99 at Grocery Outlet.

2015 Chateau La Cure, Bordeaux: Typical medium red of a young Bordeaux, but looks a bit thin, relatively speaking. Light floral scents with hints of something citrusy. Something reminiscent of those orange marshmallow peanuts that used to appear in Halloween candy bags--which is to say, oranges and marshmallow. Later, somewhat darker scents, but I'm at a loss to characterize them more precisely than that. Maple and wood perhaps? On the palate, light citrusy fruit but also with a hint of cherries. Tannins considerably lighter than in the Chateau de Reguignon, but not so distant as to make the wine seem unbalanced. Light, but immediately approachable. Already drinking easily. Tannins are soft enough that I suspect this won't be for long keeping, but delicious now. Another inexpensive, attractive little Bordeaux from a very good year. $6.99 at Grocery Outlet.

I have no financial or other connections with any producer or retailer of wine. For more wine reviews, use the "Wines I'm Drinking" label at top right.

Wines I'm Drinking: Four Inexpensive Bordeaux Wines from Grocery Outlet

It's been quite a while since I sat down and did a comparative blind tasting of cheap wines from Grocery Outlet, but, as 2015 was such a good year in Bordeaux, it's likely that even small, little-known producers made good wine. I tasted four wines from my local Grocery Outlet in the hope of discovering at least one gem worth going back to stock up on. Brief tasting notes follow.

2015 Château Jalousie Beaulieu Bordeaux Supérieur
Medium ruby red. Typical color for a young Bordeaux. Fairly closed at first, with vague hints or red fruit—cranberries, perhaps—and oak. Later something a bit metallic on the nose. Initially seems quite ripe on the palate but with pronounced tannins on the mid-palate that fade into a fruity, moderately long finish with decent acidity. Not exciting at first, but balanced, and with promise. With a little time in the glass, began to suggest cherries and roses on the palate, becoming richer, more approachable.  $6.99

2015 Château Saby Bordeaux Supérieur
Again, a medium ruby red. Typical color for a young Bordeaux. Closed at first, but with distinct earthy notes not present in any of the other wines. Later, some floral scents. Has considerable body and presence on the palate. Round, fruity, and with light tannins. A bit hot for a Bordeaux, and, checking the label, I see that this is 14%, the most alcoholic of the four wines. Immediately appealing for its up-front fruitiness, but could do with more tannin and a bit more acidity. Seems somewhat unbalanced—too alcoholic. Likely to appeal to California palates used to big, fruit-forward wines. This one is 100% Merlot. $7.99

2015 Château du Peuil Bordeaux Supérieur
Medium ruby red. Fairly typical color for a young Bordeaux but this was the palest of the four wines. Flowery, perfumey scent at first, with leather and candied citrus rind in the background, fading later in the direction of woody scents. Less fruity than the other three wines on the palate, at least at first. Flavors tending toward wood and leather with the citrus element present on the palate as well. Overall, light, very soft tannins, and a little low in acidity, yet with enough nuance in the flavors to make it interesting. My favorite of the four wines on first tasting (also see below). Only $4.99 a bottle.

2015 Château du Pin-Franc
Medium ruby red. Again, fairly typical color for a young Bordeaux but this was the deepest in color of the four wines. Initially very closed. Little scent on the nose at all. Later developed suggestions of cherries and wood. Quite closed on the palate as well. Good tannins. Likely to need time to develop. An attractive push of red fruit on the finish, but, ultimately, not very approachable at the moment. Would be interested to try this again in about five years. $6.99

Any of these four wines is a decent value. Ranging in price from $4.99 to $7.99, it would be hard to fault any of them. My initial impression was that the cheapest, the Château du Peuil, is the best, but given a little time to open up, the Château Jalousie Beaulieu began to seem more interesting than at first. The Pin-Franc may improve with time. That said, coming back to them the morning after, the Château du Peuil still seemed most appealing. Although it's a bit disappointingly light in body, it has a resiny, citrusy quality that I liked. I went back for more.

[Subsequently, I tasted two other inexpensive 2015 Bordeaux wines from Grocery Outlet: see also this post for details.]

I have no financial or other connections with any producer or retailer of wine. For more wine reviews, use the "Wines I'm Drinking" label at top right

Wines I'm Drinking: Opening Old Bottles

Clearly, wines meant to age get much better when allowed to. I learned that lesson years ago the first time I bought a decent Bordeaux by the case and opened the bottles over a period of seven or eight years.

When I left Tokyo for the United States, in the year 2000, I shipped back with me more than 30 cases of wine accumulated during my 19 years in Japan, wine meant to age. The oldest bottles I still have are now about 35 years old. I've been reluctant to open these wines, because they deserve a special occasion, special guests, special food. Despite repeated invitations, opportunities to share with friends who appreciate fine wine have not often materialized. So, my stash of old wine has dwindled only slowly.

But there's no point in waiting so long that the wine has died by the time it's consumed. A few of these bottles will still improve. Some are already too old. Many are at the end of their optimal drinking window. So, in the past year I've taken to opening a few--if only to go with an everyday family meal. I've been happily surprised. They have been stored reasonably well, and most have remained vibrant. Recently I've had a 1998 Guigal Chateauneuf-du-Pape, a 1990 Chateau Pez, a 1986 Chateau L'Angelus, a 1983 Chateau Lynch Bages, a 1986 Chateau Pontet-Canet, a 1995 Chateau Lafleur St. Georges, and a 1990 Penfolds Bin 407, among others. The Guigal  Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the '83 Lynch Bages, and the '86 L'Angelus were standouts. There's plenty more....

Wines I'm Drinking: 2009 Château La Verrière Bordeaux Superieur

I picked up this wine recently at my local (santa Rosa, CA) Costco for a modest $8.49 a bottle. I had high hopes for it as it was a gold medal winner (usually not a bad indicator in the case of less widely known Bordeaux wines) and because the 2009 vintage was generally good in Bordeaux. I wasn't disappointed. This is the kind of inexpensive but tasty little Bordeaux that I like to buy by the case and tuck away for future use on occasions that call for something solid but not extravagantly expensive. By the time seven or eight years have passed, they're usually markedly better than when new--and I always kick myself for not having bought more. Brief tasting notes follow.

A youthful-lookng, inky, deep purple-red. Fairly closed on the nose at first, but the initial impression was of an appealing, not unrefined, well-made wine. Initially the nose offered distant hints of roses and leather, but not a lot else. The palate was similarly restrained at first. The wine seemed flavorful but light--although a core of attractive fruitiness was apparent from the outset (this masked somewhat by light, soft tannins). A wine I'd call smooth, well-bred, attractive, and easy, but not without character. It gave the impression of being likely to get better with age, and, with a little time standing in a decanter, the wine started to develop a little more complexity. I began to get cocoa on the palate and there were hints of cherries and almonds on the nose. There was also a slight suggestion of iodine. While this wine may not appeal to palates raised on fatter, fruitier, more alcoholic California wines, it will be appreciated by those who know and love the wines of Bordeaux. I'd give this at least another three to five years in bottle before drinking it again, and I suspect it'll be tasty ten years from now, if well stored. If you drink it early, decant it and give it an hour or so before indulging. Not profound, but well made, tasty Bordeaux. Recommended.

I have no financial connection with any producer or retailer of wine. 

Wines I'm Drinking: 2003 Château d'Arcins Haut Medoc

I recently tasted the 2003 Château d'Arcins. This is a Cru Bourgeois from the Haut Medoc appellation--in other words, a "little" wine as the wines of Bordeaux go--and it is from what is generally considered to have been a difficult vintage, but I would judge this a success.

The Château d'Arcins is a deep blackish purple--with a hint of garnet  suggesting its age. The wine is already throwing a light, buoyant deposit. I'd recommend decanting this one. Brief tasting notes follow.

The nose was suggestive of blueberries and leather, but there was a distinct hint of anise as well. Later I got suggestions of rose water. On the palate, the wine at first seemed quite delicate, but with good tannic grip on the mid-palate. Lively acidity. Good length. With some time in the decanter, the wine began to fill out a little, and some suggestions of plums and cocoa began to develop. Nicely balanced between crispness and a sweet, fruity, almost buttery element. Overall, it's a bit lightweight, but the wine has enough nuance to be interesting. I suspect that this won't be a long keeper, but it's delicious right now. I bought six of these a few years back. I imagine I'll be drinking my remaining four bottles over the next 3-5 years--although it may be hard to resist opening another sooner rather than later. Recommended.

Wines I'm drinking: 2007 Château Ballan-Larquette Bordeaux

Last night I opened a bottle of the 2007 Château Ballan-Larquette, one of two wines I bought a few weeks ago at Beverages and More during one of their two-for-one sales (actually, during one of their buy-one-get-the-second-one-for-a-nickel sales, but that's much harder to type). I'm just getting around to trying these. Tasting notes follow.

A very attractive red--the color of dark plum skins or Kiwi Brand Cordovan Boot Polish (Hey, I used to dress up to go to work, too). Very full color in the glass. Looks youthful and vibrant. Scents of earth and leather. Closed at first, but a fairly typical if somewhat distant Bordeaux nose. Still cold from the garage, so I decanted it to give it some air and to help it warm up. The wine is already throwing a light deposit. Good body on the palate. Quite tannic at first (perhaps accentuated by the low temperature). Suggestive of plum skins (tart and astringent but fruity at the same time). Good acid. Seems youthful but promising. Good length with lingering fine-grained tannins. Probably best in another 4-5 years. Overall, seemed balanced and tasty, but young and a bit lacking in fruit.

With a little time in the decanter and as the wine warmed up, it began to evolve. The nose became noticeably more complex. I began to get white pepper very distinctly, along with roses and cayenne pepper. The wine kept getting softer and smoother. It gradually knit itself into a harmonious whole. Not a great wine, but a solid food wine. The kind of wine that restauranteurs like--clean, well made, and balanced, with no rough edges; that is, tasty but not so distinctive as to distract from the food. I enjoyed this. I'd call it a good value at the sale price of $19.99 for two bottles. I'm not sure I'd stock up on it at full price. Having said that, I preferred it to the 2006 Château de la Meulière Côtes de Bordeaux I tried a couple of days ago, also on sale at Beverages and More.

[Update: I subsequently tasted a white wine and a rose from the same château.]

For many more wine reviews, use the "Wines I'm Drinking" tab on the right.