Happy Friday! In honor of the coming of Fall, we thought it would be a great time to stock up on essentials.

You know, like Pomerols, Margaux, St. Emilions, Sauternes and the like…

So, without further rambling, let us welcome you to our Bordeaux Store Takeover!!!

We have a selection of Left Banks, Right Banks, and Sauternes to choose from. Scores are big as usual in the 94-100 range. Vintages span a decade, from 2009 to 2019. And prices are very real, of course, Spies-Style. All in the $27 to $199 range with discounts up to over 50% off.

We’re kicking things off with something truly special.

What if we told you that there is a Bordeaux made by the team at Smith Haut Lafitte. The same house that routinely cranks out 100-pointers. A little-known gem that earned 95-points itself. It already has loads of complexity from close to a decade in bottle but could cellar a decade more…

And you could have it for less than $35?!

You’re looking at it.

About 15 years ago, we were stocking the shelves of a small wine store in a classified location in Texas, and we noticed a new wine. One we’ve never seen before. Château Cantelys. Not that expensive. The label didn’t give too much away. But it was somehow intriguing.

So, we did what good Wine Spies would do, popped the cork. And WHOA!! Taut, with generous black fruits and fine tannins, with a lean, wiry mouthfeel that lends an energetic resonance to developing notes of tobacco and leather, carrying them like a pleasant melody. Beautiful out of the bottle with structure to improve.

We were utterly entranced. Wait, how much was this?! Went back and bought all we could!

Guess what? Today, we’re offering it for the same price it was all those years ago!!!

Let’s back up – what makes Cantelys such a screaming deal? Well, in a region like Bordeaux, where historic properties have developed their reputation over centuries, it is actually a very young winery. Like, just over four decades old. Established in the 1980s by Dominique Lurton (one of the three patriarchs of the family). It was soon sold in the early 90s to Florence and Daniel Cathiard of Smith Haut Lafitte – that’s right, the one that routinely cranks out 100-point reds!

However, this was in the early days of them owning Smith Haut Lafitte. And while may have been a little more focused on that brand, they put the very same passion and energy into Cantelys - completely replanting the vineyard when they bought it, using the same precision farming practices, making it at Smith Haut Lafitte under the watchful eye of long-time winemaker Fabien Teitgen, and even aging it in barrels made by their in-house cooper.

Still, it’s always flown under-the-radar, at least in the US. A best-kept secret is now busted wide open for the Ops in the know. We’ve been dying to share it with you. And, with a whole lot of negotiation, we managed to beat inflation at a cool $33 per bottle!

2016 was a great vintage for Pessac-Leognan – a long, very warm, dry growing season that produced excellent reds that are ripe and concentrated. Commenting on the team at Smith Haut Lafitte, Antonio Galloni praised how, “The quality of the vintage, especially in the reds, is evident in some of the more modest offerings.” When we opened it, we were taken right back to the moment we fell in love with it! Pliable from age but firm to its core, well-defined, and oh-so-long.

Decanter granted it a well-deserved 95 points in their panel tasting of 2016 Pessac wines - meaning not just one critic, but 3 agreed it is “Outstanding.” Of the 65 wines in their tasting, the only wine to score better, at only one point higher, was Pape Clement (which would set you back about $169!).

Now, there has been a small change worth mentioning since 2016. The Cathiard family has since sold Cantelys to the Helfrich family (owners of du Tertre in Margaux). While they promise to carry the property’s legacy forward, it is worth considering… this may be one of the last chances to secure Cantelys made by the Smith Haut Lafitte team.

Our recommendation? Now that you are in on this best-kept secret, do what we did years ago… Buy everything you can!

95 Points – Decanter “This 20ha estate has been owned since 1994 by Florence and Daniel Cathiard, who also own Château Smith Haut Lafitte. Today, its 15ha for reds are planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, on mostly gravel soils with some clay. Grapes are handpicked and sorted twice, whole-berry fermented in large oak vats before ageing 14 months in 25% new French oak barrels. Andy Howard MW: Damson and cherry dominate the nose. Fleshy palate, bright acidity and some firm but ripe tannins. Hint of bitterness on the finish, but this adds to the feeling of freshness. Long, lingering, a classy Pessac. Robert Mathias: Lots of detail: clove, anise, cedar and coffee. Great concentration, firm and fine-grained tannin. Energy with a spicy liquorice and black pepper finish. Tim Triptree MW: Rich and complex aromatics, great fruit intensity with well-integrated oak. Generous ripe plum, red and black cherry, with fine tannins and persistence. Drink 2022-2035.”