Robin Garr wrote:Wine Tasting 101
OK, I've been shopping, with the forum's notes in hand. It's a little frustrating trying to find Bordeaux in large enough production that most people will be able to find them, but I think the top benchmark, Larose Trintaudon, comes about as close as any modestly priced Bordeaux can to a good balance of decent quality and wide availability. The others ... ehhh ... let's just say that I'll taste them during the month, and if you can't find the same wines, perhaps you can find something similar from the same regions at a comparable price.
WT101 Bordeaux
As primary benchmark, a good, widely available Left Bank Bordeaux with a long track record for good quality and value near the low end of "serious" Bordeaux:
Chateau Larose-Trintaudon 2000 Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois ($19.19)
Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, NYC.
(Vineyard plantings: 60 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 percent each Cabernet Franc and Merlot.)
For those who want a Right Bank comparison, look for something like this similarly priced example:
Vieux Château Haut Béard 2000 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru ($20.99)
Ex Cellars Wine Agencies Inc., Solvang, Calif.
And on the lower-priced shelves, consider a "satellite" appellation from Bourg or Blaye, like this one:
Château Bertinerie 2001 Premières Côtes de Blaye ($12.49)
Ex Cellars Wine Agencies Inc., Solvang, Calif.