Best Bordeaux Wine Under $15

This well-known Bordeaux Superieur, which has a fabulous reputation for aging 20-30 years in certain vintages, comes from proprietor Xavier Milhad. The 2012, a blend of 78% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, has a dense ruby/plum color and attractive, juicy blackcurrant fruit. Supple, round and generous, this is an over-achiever and a sleeper of the vintage. Drink it over the next 5-10 years, although I wouldn’t be surprised if it lasts longer, given the fact that I’ve had the 1953 and 1955 in the last five years and both were still in great shape.

The meticulously tended vineyards of Bordeaux flank the Gironde Estuary which empties into the sea along France’s Atlantic coast. This is the home of some of the world’s most renown red grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. For centuries the blending of these varieties has evolved into a skilled art form where both man and nature play a part in the creation in elegant, full bodied wines with spicy dark fruit aromas and a rich, silky texture. Clove and dried fruits on the nose. Blackcurrant with notes of cherry lead way to toasty smoky layers that last. Pair with roast lamb with garlic and rosemary or a spread of hard sheep cheeses.

"Among my many passions, two have a particular place in my heart – wine and horses. The moment I first saw Cru La Maqueline in 2006, I fell in love. The huge fields surrounding the buildings make this the perfect spot both for growing vines and breeding horses; that’s why I was happy to invest – and to come and live here." - Philippe Castel It’s quite normal to see wine classified as a ‘cru’; it’s somewhat more unusual to see the name applied to a property, particularly in Bordeaux. This is a French blend of Cabernet, Merlot, and Petite Verdot. This was a soft and young Bordeaux with firm tannins and a robust backbone. Choke cherries, crab apples, blueberries, and mulberries made this come alive. Have this with a sour cream crab dip, pasta puttanesca, or bruschetta.

Merlot: 87%, Cabernet Franc: 8%, Cabernet Sauvignon: 5% Fruit and roundness, refinement and elegance, power and structured 16 months with oak aging for 8 to 10 months Aromas of mild spice and ripe red and black fruit aromas such as cherry, bilberry and blackberry, followed with airing by delicate oaky notes of roasted coffee-bean and vanilla. On palate, it shows smooth and succulent on forward fruit, especially cherry and bilberry. Fine tannic structure, delicate oak notes on the finish along with notes of spice, such as cinnamon and white pepper, and roasted coffeebean.

Discover Chateau La Maroutine Bordeaux Rouge

Bright nose of red and dark fruits; soft, well-rounded texture on the palate with a touch of Bordeaux “grip.” Fresh and satisfying finish. Outstanding value in an everyday Bordeaux.

Discover Chateau Andriet Bordeaux Superieur

Château de Pitray is acknowledged as the leading property in Castillon and is the equal of many St-Emilion estates. Its Merlot-dominated wine is dry, medium-bodied and rich in ripe supple fruit which is balanced by sufficent tannic backbone to ensure good medium-term ageing potential.

A worthy, everyday Bordeaux at the right price! No, this wine isn’t one of the region’s fancy crus classés that require a decade or more of cellar aging to be at their best. Château Saintongey is a simple Bordeaux rouge for everyday drinking from the vast area south of the city of Bordeaux called Entre Deux Mers. It’s the kind of attractive inexpensive Bordeaux red that the French enjoyed with Sunday dinner a couple of decades ago and that turned up on wine lists at French bistros in the U.S. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a California Cabernet or Merlot or an Argentine Malbec that’s as balanced and pleasurable to drink for the same price as this Château Saintongey. A classic Bordeaux blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc, it is full of fruit with a nice rich palate capable of accompanying most meat dishes. A Bordeaux blend, at its most basic, is any combination of those grape varieties typically used to make the red wines of Bordeaux. The phrase, which seems to have originated with British wine merchants in the 19th Century, relates as much to wines made from the blend as to the grape-variety combination itself. Red Bordeaux blends are known for their beautiful structure and deep flavors. This wine is filled with fruit and offers plenty of dark cherry in its Merlot character, soft tannins, medium body, and excellent purity. Enjoy this wine over the next year with burgers, roasts and even a nice rib-eye steak.

Nice structure, bodied, dense, very representative of the asserted character of the typicity of the reds from this appellation with a stunning quality-price-pleasure combination. This wine starts to really develop after two or three years in bottle, suitable with grilled meat, roast beef, stews, poultry and cheese.

A blend of 90% Merlot, bringing soft, ripe, rounded flavours, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon that adds structure and notes of forest fruits. Barrel-ageing adds hints of clove and sweet spice as well as smooth texture.

Crushed strawberry/raspberry jam notes on the nose. Silky tannins in the mouth. Fruity finish with good length. Makes an excellent accompaniment to grilled white or red meats.

Discover Chateau Paret Cotes De Castillon

Do you know anyone who can carry sixteen bottles of wine in each hand? Meet Nectar, the mascot of Nicolas. The famous cartoonist Dransy designed Nectar to promote the iconic Nicolas shops in France. Since the first Nicolas posters, Nectar has become a staple of vintage advertising from the 1920s. Celebrate the history of Nicolas... pick up a bottle of Nectar today!

Discover Chateau Fonfroide Bordeaux Red