Of course you can easily find a clean, ripe, technically sound, tasty wine for $20. There are hordes to choose from. But what about a $20 wine with some actual character—one that tastes like it was grown in soil and smells like something other than toasty oak and sweet fruit? Can that be done for $20? Our answer, of course, is a resounding yes.
For us, that’s the Holy Grail, and we keep finding it in Bordeaux. That’s right—staid, unhip Bordeaux. This 2011 Haut-Médoc from Château Valentin not only delivers genuine Bordeaux depth and complexity, it checks the ‘authenticity’ box, too: Far from supermarket-scale production, this bottling hails from a tiny, organically farmed property in the commune of Macau, just south of Margaux. Sold mostly to restaurants and private clients in France, it’s not something you’ll see on retail shelves here; however, its US importer has made a generous amount available to us, so if you’re inclined to pick up a case, we’ve got you covered (although we must cap purchases at 12 bottles per client). It’s one of the best bottles of Bordeaux I've tasted in this price range in quite a while.
This is a very satisfying, complete wine for $20; in fact I’d say it performs like something twice its price (I taste a lot of inexpensive Bordeaux, most of which is either stemmy/dirty or super-sweet and manipulated). In the glass this 2011 is a saturated dark garnet-red with just the slightest bricking at the rim. The nose is deep and evocative, with red plum, black currant, a hint of cassis, damp flowers, tobacco, and graphite. On the palate it is silky-smooth, showing some maturity, the tannins soft but not overly sweet. As velvety and palate-coating as it is, there’s enough acid to lend lift. I’d say it’s peaking now, but if stored well it should go another few years. But why wait? Decant it about 30 minutes before serving in Bordeaux stems at around 60 degrees. This would make a classy companion for Tuesday night burgers, or a party wine that’ll have your guests snapping photos of the label. I’d like to get a bunch of friends over and try a bottle (or four) with this Braised Lamb Shanks recipe. I can’t stress enough what a great value this wine is. I will be bringing home a case for myself!