As we all know, Bordeaux is one of the world’s favorite winegrowing regions…and certainly one of the world’s most famous. Bordeaux, in the southwest corner of France, has historically produced wines of surpassing elegance and refinement. And expense.A lot has happened to the wines of Bordeaux in the last several years. Mainly, the prices have gone into the stratosphere. Not long ago, we could buy premium wines from the finest chateaux for $200 or $300 a bottle. Sounds like a lot, but it’s a paltry sum compared to what they’re charging now. Today, for a so-called First Growth Bordeaux (like Lafite Rothschild or LaTour) you’re looking at dipping into your kid’s college fund for $1,000 a bottle and up. Ouch.Have the wines become that much better? Are they worth the price? Not in my book. You can thank the Chinese for the insane escalation, because their relatively recent economic prosperity has moved the middle class toward the upper range. They want famous wines, famous labels, and they don’t care how much they have to pay. Especially the highly-placed government officials, and there are zillions of them.Fact is, China and Hong Kong buy almost 25% of all Bordeaux wines, though the figure has declined a bit in the last year or so. Regardless, the situation has forced us Bordeaux fans in the West to look a little harder for good examples of the unique Bordeaux blend. But despair not. I’ve done the work for you, buying and sampling dozens – even hundreds – of wines and drinking heavily to find some in the $30 range that offer the flavors and aromas most typical of the Bordeaux blend. (Memory refresher: The wines of Bordeaux are generally a blend, in various proportions, of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec). The bargain bottle secret? Mostly, I steered away from the “classified growth” wines (the ones that say “grand cru classe” on the label) and tried wines from producers a little off the beaten track. Incidentally, that strategy works pretty well for most types of wine. When you’re shopping, consider wines that say Medoc on the label, or Bordeaux Superieur. They’re not produced in the famous regions like Margaux or Pauillac, but they don’t cost as much, either.You’ll also find value wines from some lesser-known areas, such as Bourge, Blaye, and Cotes du Castillon.When you try them, expect deep, intense flavors and aromas of cassis, black currant, leather, smoke, and earth, and consider decanting them before you swirl and sip. And for the best bargains, try some of these (the prices are approximate):Ch. Lagüe Fronsac $19.95Chateau Malleret Haut-Medoc $29.95Clarendelle Blanc $13.95 Chateau Les Trois Fronsac $37.95Chateau de la Coste Margaux $29.95Chateau Vignots St-Emilion $37.95Sample widely. Write me.
