Wine & Spirits - October 2017 - 81

lot (85 percent) planted on clay-limestone
soils, along with a modern winery. Castillon
remains one of the great underappreciated
assets of Bordeaux and it's remarkable to find
a wine for $18 that speaks so clearly of limestone soils in the firm and narrow grip of its
tannins, one that fills out that structure with
pretty red-plum flavors and adds a sense of
elegance with notes of fresh herbs. Buy it by
the case. § Monsieur Touton Selection, NY
224019

90 | Château La Fleur

$23

90 | Ch. Puy-Blanquet

$30

2014 Lussac-St-Emilion (Best Buy) ^ A clean,
refreshing merlot, this wine's tart strawberry,
sweet plum and red-apple flavors are shot
through with light. It's lean but sturdy, a
bright, simple Bordeaux with some refinement. § Saranty Imports, Harrison, NY
224840
2010 St-Emilion Grand Cru (Best Buy) ^
With close to 50 acres that catch the morning
sun, Puy-Blanquet's clay-limestone soils produced a powerful 2010. It's richly perfumed
when first poured, the color beginning to
mature at the edge of the glass, the currant
flavors hinting at fennel and savory mushrooms. This is serious wine, fully mature and
ready to enjoy with rich beef-and-mushroom
braise. § Maisons Marques & Domaines USA,
Oakland, CA
224995

88 | Château La Bourrée

$17

87 | Château Cap de
Faugères

$18

2014 Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux (Best
Buy) ^ This is a flashy, ambitious wine with a
lot of oak char to bolster its savory blackberry
flavors. It's luxuriously rich and intensely
smoky, but there's nothing sweet about it.
Give this a few years in the cellar for the fruit
to absorb some of the oak. § Wine Traditions,
Falls Church, VA
225009

2012 Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux (Best
Buy) ^ Tart berry flavors and green-pepper
notes merge with scents of game and black
vinegar in this 2012. It shows the firm structure of its clay-limestone soils, keeping the
funk in check. Pour it with steak frites. § Joanne
Bordeaux USA, Fairfield, NJ
223675

87 | Château Cap de Merle $17

2015 Lussac-St-Emilion (Best Buy) ^ Tarry
with black tannins, this blend of merlot (65
percent) and cabernets franc and sauvignon
has an electric charge in those tannins; it's a
lean wine that needs a few years to settle into
its structure. § V.O.S. Selections, NY
224998

87 | Château La Grolet

$16

87 | Clos Magne Figeac

$22

87 | Les Hauts
de la Gaffelière

$24

2014 Côtes de Bourg (Best Buy) ^ A Demeter-certified property with 93 acres planted
to vines-30 percent in older-vine cabernet
sauvignon, the balance mostly merlot-this
is made without any additions other than sulfur. The clay soils give it a cool austerity, even
as there's some energy in its dark fruit and
smoky, peppery tannins. Pour it with panseared calf's liver. § MFW Wine Co., NY
225014
2014 St-Emilion (Best Buy) ^ Focused on
merlot (80 percent of the blend), this is a
richly oaked wine, emphasizing roast-coffee
scents when first poured, then opening to
an easy, red-cherry fruitiness. Grilled meat
will absorb some of the wine's smokiness and
char. § Wineberry America, NY
223306
2014 St-Emilion Sélection d'Excellence
(Best Buy) ^ Fat and rich, this wine is packed
with black fruit. The tannins are austere, supporting the superripe fruit flavors of prunes
and black plums. § Cognac One, NY

LEFT BANK
224984

90 | Château de Cérons

$24

89 | Château Capbern
Gasqueton

$24

89 | Château Tour Prignac

$20

2014 Graves Rouge (Best Buy) ^ This grand
château in the center of the town of Cérons
includes a walled vineyard of 64 acres on
gravelly soil over limestone. For his red
wines, proprietor Xavier Perromat farms
cabernet sauvignon (55 percent) and merlot
(45 percent), presenting a classical Graves
in 2014, a spicy, satisfying wine with Bretty
complexity, beetroot earthiness and gravelly tannins showing its energy in the finish. §
Wineberry America, NY
225012

2012 St-Estèphe (Best Buy) ^ The sister property of Calon-Ségur, Capbern produced a
lean and peppery 2012. Scents of pencil lead
and refined, herbal flavors balance the tannins with discretion. This is a firm St-Estèphe
to enjoy with a Sunday roast. § Joanne Bordeaux USA, Fairfield, NJ
223217
2014 Médoc Cru Bourgeois (Best Buy) ^ A
plump, elegant claret, this is luxurious in its
texture and simple in its flavors of fat, juicy
currants. A fine edge of acidity defines the
structure, giving it a touch of minerality.
An old-fashioned Bordeaux for grilled lamb
chops. § Luneau USA, Westport, CT
223999

silveradovineyards.com

©2017 Silverado Vineyards, Napa, CA, USA
http://www.silveradovineyards.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - October 2017
