Whoops, we kinda knew that Côte-Rôtie wouldn’t last but that went FAST!

So here’s another superb Frenchie deal with a story…

This respectable, high-scoring Margaux is a Wine Spies Exclusive import that got - not Lost in Translation - but Lost in Transition somehow because of the logistical mess the world is still in! We upset quite a few of you dear Operatives when we featured this first a while ago, but you held onto your Lockers, heroically keeping your faith - in our faith - that it would be tracked down… sitting safely at the wrong warehouse all this time! Well, here they are! Finally, found, rerouted, and landed in the pristine unopened OWCs (Original Wood Cases) they left the winery in.

So to celebrate that adventure and the kind patience, here are a few more cases of this double 93 pointer…

For when you don’t want to spend $100+ on Margaux as you normally would. Or $60. Or $50.

We got your guilt-free, wallet-friendly, “oh yea that’s the ticket” selection right here.

Enter Château Grand Tayac. Here’s a hidden gem that tastes like it should cost easily 2-3x the price. A small production wine that consistently earns high scores every year. With an outstanding pedigree.

For $42.

What’s their secret? How does a virtually unknown Margaux producer like Grand Tayac make such a fantastic wine?

For starters, they’re perched on the same terroir as Chateau Margaux and Palmer. With 50+-year-old vines. That helps. Margaux, who names the appellation, has their 2018 averaging at $800, the equally legendary Palmer can fetch north of $500. At the release price of $105, Grand Tayac is an outstanding bargain. We beat the SAME terroir down to under $40. So when Robert Parker called it “relatively expensive, no doubt because it’s from the Margaux appellation” he sure did not see this coming.

Or maybe it has something to do with winemaker Eric Boissenot. He works with a few legendary properties you may have heard of. How about 4 of the 5 First Growths? That’s experience making Margaux, Lafite, Latour AND Mouton folks… and before taking almost all super-2nds that matter into account, Châteaux Léoville Las Cases or Ducru-Beaucaillou, to name a few. Decanter sums it up nicely by putting Boissenot on the pedestal he deserves, as “arguably one of the most influential figures in Bordeaux, particularly the Médoc.”

Obviously, he knows something about crafting elite-level Bordeaux wines.

Hailing from the terrific 2018 vintage for which Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate raves “Margaux seemed to stand out for consistency of quality, even at the more modestly priced end of the market” this shows off big, bold blackberry, black currant, cigar box, and oak up front, with the telltale Margaux violets hanging in the background. Extraordinarily delicious upfront and early on, but it has a long life ahead of it and a few more years in the cellar will reward.

This could be the Bordeaux bargain of the year. Not much remains though… so back Le Camion up once again!

93 Points – James Suckling

“Very attractive ripe fruit with floral, cedar and sandalwood aromas that follow through to a medium to full body with intense, chewy tannins that give the wine excellent structure. They remain polished. It’s a wine that needs time to come together. Try after 2025.”

93 Points – Wine Enthusiast

“Rich tannins give a wine that has spice and a ripe black currant flavor. Its wood aging is showing in the smoothness of the tannins and the density of the texture.”

91 Points – Decanter

“A large number of 50-plus year old vines make this a vineyard well set up to withstand dry summers such as 2018, and this is an enjoyable wine with a light touch and plenty of Margaux finesse… delivers layered black fruits, touches of baked earth and liquorice, and is easy to recommend.”