Situated about a half hour southeast of the city of Bordeaux in Entre-Deux-Mers, Château la Mazerolle delivers this classic Bordeaux at such a value thanks to its off-the-beaten path locale. Translating to “between two tides,” Entre-Deux-Mers lies between the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers and boasts one of the longest histories of wine production in France thanks to the Benedictine Monks. Although white wines from the region can carry the “Entre-Deux-Mers” designation, their red wines must be labeled as “Bordeaux” and can offer an incredible price to quality when crafted by the right hands. This is definitely the case with this particular producer. 

The 100+ acre estate of Château La Mazerolle has been in the Mandrau family for over a century. Before winemaker Jean-Louis Mandrau took the helm of the family estate, he had already garnered quite a reputation as a winemaker. With a doctorate in enology, he began as assistant winemaker and then, inevitably, winemaker for the legendary first-growth Château Latour until his return to the family business in 1986. Since that time, Mandrau has modernized the winemaking facilities at Château La Mazerolle and pushed the envelope for quality even further. Grown on limestone and clay hillsides with south and southwest-facing exposure, the estate vines average twenty-five years of age and deliver incredibly pristine fruit. Following harvest, the grapes are fermented in stainless or concrete and macerated for two or more weeks. The wine is then aged in only 30% new French oak for one year, which results in an elegant, approachable and classic expression of Bordeaux. The result is a near perfect expression of place.