Ageworthy Bordeaux Under $20 from Carbonnieux’s Second Label

Bordeaux has a reputation for being an expensive luxury, which is an understandable sentiment looking at prices of the renowned First Growth bottles. Everyone can agree that these are incredible wines and perfect for special (or very special) occasions.  

What I think Bordeaux does even better, though, is at the other end of the spectrum. Nearly a billion bottles are produced in the region each year by thousands of diverse producers, and, if you look diligently enough, you’ll come across a few flying under the radar, making great wine and not charging very much. We sift through a lot of these to find the best deals so you can enjoy that excellent, world-class terroir on any night of the week, with any meal. 

This week, we’re featuring such a wine, in the form of the 2015 Château Tour Leognan. You may have already heard about their excellent white from Clyde. This isn’t an actual château, per se. It was. It was purchased by the Perrin family in 1956 along with another famous château right next door: Château Carbonnieux. Now it exists only as a label, as Carbonnieux’s second, value-driven label, to be exact; made from the younger vines at the château. (Insider tip: In a great vintage like 2015, younger vines also make great fruit—many second labels are particularly good values.)

I’m a sucker for 2015 Bordeaux under $20, so I tried their red, which clocks in at $19.99. It is everything you’d expect from a great château in a great vintage! The thing about a great wine from Pessac-Léognan is this unmistakable minerality in the wines, and you’d better believe the Carbonnieux terroir is full of it. That is definitely in this wine, alongside smoky, ripe, red currant/morello cherry fruit, a pleasant savory edge, a plush silky texture, and wonderful balance and acidity. In fact, I’d bet that this is every bit as ageworthy as many much more expensive bottles from the area.

So do yourself and your bank account a favor and grab a few of these to keep on hand while your First Growths age in the cellar, and even put a few of these down there with them for a pleasant reward down the road.  

- Alex Schroeder