If you were to talk to any wine collector who has been buying wine for decades, from time to time you would hear stories about a bottle of Château Lafite Rothschild being acquired for under $80.  That level of pricing, unfortunately, is unlikely to happen again in our life time, especially after a former Fed chairperson was just nominated to be the next Treasury Secretary by President-Elect Biden.  The stock market is at an all-time high.  Inflation - while conveniently absent from CPI numbers - is everywhere if you happen to buy food, medicine, education, or fine wine.

Don't let that general rise in price of everything we consume lead you to conclude that you can't find top wine for bargain price.  We bring you two sub-$25 wines in this month's selection: Château Goubau 2015 and L'Hêtre 2017.  These two wines are so new that most wine critics have not found the time to rate them, except Julia Harding MW who writes for jancisborinson.com.  Her tasting note on L'Hêtre 2016 is attached.

While marketed under separate names, both wine came from the same property and were made by the same owner - the Thienpont family of Le Pin and Vieux Chateau Certan fame.  In 2016, Jacques Thienpont and his sister bought Château Goubau, the Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux estate, in the up-and-coming appellation that has been exploited by the late Denis Durantou (Château Montlandrie) and Stephan von Neipperg (Château Canon La Gaffelière & Château d'Aiguilhe).  The 2015 vintage was produced under the Thienponts' cellar management.  Starting with the 2016 vintage, they renamed the property L’Hêtre, meaning ‘beech tree’, after the family tradition of naming wine after trees: Le Pin (pine), L'If (yew).  For those who know how well sought-after Le Pin, L'If, and Vieux Chateau Certan are among wine connoisseurs, it is a marvel that we can drink a wine made by the same owner for less than $25.  Indeed, catch it while you can.
To round out the Thienpont connection, we bring you a well-aged Château Troplong Mondot 2006.  This was a property once owned by the Thienpont family 85 years ago.  During a downturn in Bordeaux's winemaking fortune in the 1930s, the family patriarch sold Troplong Mondot to pay off his debt in order to keep Vieux Chateau Certain in the family.  Vieux Chateau Certan has lived to fulfill his vision.  Troplong Mondot has marched to its own tune under the later owners to its own success.

Here's a fun fact: when the label for Château Troplong Mondot 2006 vintage was printed, the label designer/printer made the mistake of omitting the word "Château" from it.  Needless to say, they were not hired again.  If wine collectors are like stamp collectors, a printing mistake such as this one would have pushed up the value of the bottle.  In that sense, there is still good value after 15 years.

Last but not least, Château Nenin belongs to the Delon family that owns Château Lêoville Las Cases in Saint-Julien.  While 2013 was not Bordeaux's top game by any stretch of the imagination, this bottle lends perspective with the other choices for the month of December.

This month's selection:

Tasting Notes

L'Hêtre 2017 - Tasting note on L'Hêtre 2016: "Rich in blackcurrant fruit with a savoury dark glow to make it more than just fruit. Just a touch of smoky char even though the oak is well in the background, a seductive fruit sweetness. On the palate, this is beautifully balanced, the alcohol perfectly integrated in the tannic structure and fruit core with a fresh tang that runs through the middle. There's a cool fluidity to it even with its depth and length. Fine, dry, lingering and savoury aftertaste. Impressive first vintage with a promising future in the bottle. I opened this on a Sunday evening and it was still tasting fresh and vibrant four days later. This is a very classy wine, and the tannins tell you everything: fine, definite, building in the mouth but in perfect balance with the fruit and freshness. Blue-blooded Castillon. Catch it while you can." - Julia Harding MW Not rated

Château Nenin 2013 - "A good effort from Chateau Nenin, which is owned by the proprietor of the well-known St.-Julien estate, Chateau Leoville Las Cases, the 2013 Nenin is a blend of 63% Merlot and 37% Cabernet Franc made from tiny yields of 30 hectoliters per hectare. The natural alcohol came in 13.3%. The wine exhibits pleasant notes of black currants, black cherries and mocha in its fruity, medium-bodied, well-balanced personality. No serious tannins interfere with its enjoyment." - Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate (8/27/2014, Issue 214), Ratings: 87-88, Drink: 2017-2026

Château Troplong Mondot 2006 - "It could be easy, after tasting the monumental 2005, to dismiss the 2006 Troplong Mondot, but don’t be so foolish. Proprietress Christine Valette has turned out another exceptional performance. Of course, this is not the 2005- a singular vintage that will be difficult to duplicate in a 20-30 year span, but the 2006 Troplong Mondot is an impressive, powerful, broad, surprisingly masculine and deep effort. Its inky/blue/purple color is accompanied by an exceptional bouquet of powdered rock, blackberries, blueberries, spring flowers, and hints of camphor as well as espresso roast. The wine is full-bodied with a layered, multidimensional texture, sensational purity and structure, and elevated levels of tannin, concentration, and richness. Forget it for 7-8 years, and drink it over the following 20-25 years." - Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate (2/24/2009, Issue 181), Ratings: 93, Drink: 2016-2041