Ten years ago (in March) I first arrived to visit Bordeaux city and countryside. In 2017 I wrote a post about that arrival, which included being in a bar where others were dancing on tables when police raided, blowing whistles, because the music was too loud. Several of us escaped out back and went to some woman’s apartment to continue the festivities. What an unusual way to become familiar with a city.

A few years ago, I moved here to live.

During the past four years I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Printemps des Vins de Blaye, a public gathering where, for the price of about $8, you can spend two days visiting the magnificent 17th century Citadelle of Blaye and sampling limitless wines from a hundred local producers.

This year we were graced with excellent sunny weather, and visitors formed a far more international and cosmopolitan gathering than ever before. There was live music (🎼), ample food booths, demonstrations of barrel making (and barrel racing) and plenty of tastings. Altogether, it was a convivial and stellar gathering.

I managed to taste and take notes on dozens of wines. The wines listed below are a few selected based on those that would ‘score,’ on a 100 point scale, between 91 and 96 points, and are also of either excellent or superlative quality in terms of price (as scored using my proprietary Vino Value Algorithm).

It’s a representative list, and there were many other winemakers I would have liked to have visited. All wines are red, unless where noted.

Vino Value™ Scoring of Selected Wines – Printemps des Vins de Blaye April 2019
Winery Wine Retail Price – Euros Retail Price – US dollars Value Score
Château La Cassagne Boutet 2015 Les Angelots 25.00 € $28.25 Good/Excellent Value ♫♫
Château La Cassagne Boutet 2018 Le Puits Rosé 5.00 € $5.65 Superlative Value ♫♫♫
Château Magdeleine Bouhou 2015 MB Grand Vin 13.50 € $15.26 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château Magdeleine Bouhou 2015 La Boha 8.50 € $9.61 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château Puynard 2017 Bordeaux Rosé 6.00 € $6.78 Superlative Value ♫♫♫
Château Puynard 2016 The Steps 10.00 € $11.30 Superlative Value ♫♫♫
Château du Vieux Puit 2017 French Rosé 6.50 € $7.35 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château La Rose Bellevue 2015 The Secret (100% Merlot) 20.00 € $22.60 Superlative Value ♫♫♫
Château Florimond 2015 Réserve (red) 8.20 € $9.27 Superlative Value ♫♫♫
Château Segonzac 2016 Héritage (red) 12.00 € $13.56 Excellent Value ♫♫
Chateau Bellevue 2016  Amorphae (red) 20.50 € $23.17 Good/Excellent Value ♫♫
Château Nodot 2015 Cuvée Prestige (red) 7.50 € $8.48 Superlative Value ♫♫♫
Château Nodot 2016 Cuvée Tradition (red) 10.95 € $12.37 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château Canteloup 2016 Château Canteloup (red) 6.20 € $7.01 Superlative Value ♫♫♫
Château Les Graves la Valade 2015 Élevé en Fûts de Chène (red) $6.50 $7.35 Superlative Value ♫♫♫
Château Gauthier 2015 Guathier (red) $8.00 $9.04 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château Haut Bourcier 2016 Haut Bourcier (red) $7.50 $8.48 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château Môndésir Gazin 2015 Blaye (Merlot / Malbec) $14.00 $15.82 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château Camille Gaucheraud 2012 Merlot $6.00 $6.78 Superlative Value ♫♫♫
Château La Motte Cuvée la Motte (sparkling rosé) $7.00 $7.91 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château Peymelon 2015 Peymelon (red) $8.50 $9.61 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château Petit Boyer 2016 Vieilles Vignes $12.50 $14.13 Excellent Value ♫♫
Château Bel-Air Royère 2015 L’Esprit $12.00 $13.56 Excellent Value ♫♫

 

My latest Forbes pieces are here, including winemakers from five countries to watch out for, Italian jewels, and some recommendations from Bordeaux primeurs.

Thanks for tuning in again.

This Post Has 0 Comments

  1. Awesome! You have been there a long time. Thanks for the insight into some of the wines.

  2. Friend Kiran – U.K. and Blaye resident – wrote:

    ‘Brilliant!!!’

  3. Friend Alice, who is doing an internship with the local ‘syndicat de vin’ (who organized the event), wrote:

    ‘All the team of the syndicat read it and they really appreciate the article. Good job and thank you from all the team.’

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