Bordeaux wine can be hard to shop for. Is the $20 wine a good one to pick? Why not splurge on a $50 wine? What about the first growth wine? Is it all hype? I honestly can say that I have no real good solution for all of this except don’t go broke on wine. Most of the time 2 $25 bottles will make you much happier than 1 $50 bottle. I also pay attention to what regions I like. Haut-Medoc and Medoc seem to be my favorites.

Today’s selection, I picked up at my local Wegmans , is the 2009 Chateau Lousteauneuf Cru Bourgeois from the Medoc region. According to Girl on Wine blog, the Cru Bourgeois is a special designation for this region for those growers who make excellent wine but was left out of the original 1855 Bordeaux designation.

There is very little other information on this wine and even less in english. What I can surmise is that this wine is good and at a good price. Wine Spectator rated this 88-91 points and the winemakers notes from Snooth:

Excellent concentration of fruit here, with crushed blackberries. Full and juicy, with medium chewy tannins and a fresh finish. Impressive. Best ever from here. (2010)

Not a whole lot to go on on this one but it is a start. So what did I think is it a good wine at a good price?

Color – Deep dark bold red.

Nose – Blackberry cassis but mostly earth and possibly lavender.

Taste – Black currant and spice with a hint of vanilla.

Finish – Long with high acid and rounded bold tannins.

Overall, this is a good wine at a good price. It is velvety and bold. It is a good balance of fruit and earth for those who like a little more fruit forwardness to their wine. I was a little surprised by how much because I am used to the more earthy Bordeaux wine. I guess there is a little slice of California in Bordeaux.

Rating: A

~Justin