The ‘right bank’ Bordeaux village Saint-Genès-de-Castillon, where this wine hails from, is about a 10 minute drive due east of the medieval village of St-Émilion—and ever-so-slightly past the point where the St-Émilion AOC ends and the Côtes de Castillon AOC begins. As longtime SommSelect subscribers know, these are the fringes we love to work, because this is where the greatest buys are so often found.

Domaine de l’Aurage, run with passion by Louis and Caroline Mitjaville, is literally down the street from St-Émilion ‘garagiste’ icon Château Valandraud, but the l’Aurage wines carry the Côtes de Castillon designation, which places them lower in the hierarchy—despite the fact that Saint-Genès-de-Castillon sits on the same plateau of limestone and clay occupied by some of St-Émilion’s greatest châteaux. So I think you know what I’m going to say next: This 2011 from Domaine de l’Aurage delivers the supple elegance of a great St-Émilion—and some of the velvety texture of a great Pomerol— at an extremely favorable price. The wine is beautiful at the moment and peaking now. When I taste it, the first thing that comes to mind is, “This is why we do this!”

Because it followed the benchmark 2010 vintage, 2011 doesn’t get enough attention from Bordeaux fans despite the very high quality of many of the wines—which may have played a role in the pricing here. There is certainly no shortage of ripeness in l’Aurage’s 2011 (a Mitjaville family signature), and yet there is nice freshness and balance as well. The wine is aged in 100% new French oak (but you don’t feel it) and it is ready to drink now. In the glass it is a deep ruby moving to magenta at the rim, it nose bursting with rich, pie-on-the-windowsill fruit: black currant, cherry compote, black plum, layered with a hint of dark chocolate and warm spice. It is resolutely yummy and palate-coating without being overblown, with well-moderated alcohol, soft tannins, and a hint of warm spice on the finish. It’s in a great place right now with a few years of bottle age under its belt, so don’t hesitate to pop one now. Decant it 30-60 minutes before serving at 65 degrees in large Bordeaux stems, and try to resist the urge to down it too quickly—it’s so luscious and inviting, without being heavy, that it’s hard to stay away! I’ve always wanted to try cooking short ribs with some cocoa/chocolate, and I can’t think of a better bottle to try it with; here’s a recipe I think will really bring out the best in this wine.