Wine of the Month - April 2022

Laguna Cellar Wine of the Month Selection for April 2021

• Château Bouscaut 2018 - Château Bouscaut is home to one of the most beautiful properties within the Graves region.  Yet the story of the charming château and tranquil reflecting pool is a triumph in its own right.  Château Bouscaut experienced more than its share of hardships.  In 1960, a fire destroyed the original château, leaving only the cellars intact.  Shortly after, Victor Place, the owner, rebuilt the château to the exact original specifications.  This is no small feat, because during the 1960s Bordeaux was experiencing one of the worst economic crises for the region.  Rebuilding this estate was a true labor of love and a testament to how much he valued the property.   
• Château Gloria 2015 - Château Gloria is a relatively young estate in the Saint-Julien appellation.  It was not around when the 1855 classification was drawn up.  For that reason, it is unclassified.  However, among insiders and connoisseurs alike, Château Gloria is widely considered to be on a par with the classified growths in the area.  Its wine has a reputation of being sought after as it expresses the best characteristics of Saint-Julien.
• Le Petit Haut Lafitte 2017 - Château Smith Haut Lafitte is a Grand Cru Classé property within the Pessac-Léognan appellation that needs little to no introduction.  The stunning wines from this estate captivate many a drinker and critic alike.  It is one of the few properties within the Left Bank that produces both red, white, and rosé wines of excellent quality.  The Second Wine, Le Petit Haut Lafitte, is an excellent and beautifully integrated example of their winemaking – a perfect choice for those waiting for their bottle of grand vin to come around.
• Les Pagodes de Cos 2009 - It is no secret that Les Pagodes de Cos is one of the best value second wine from Bordeaux.  This fleshy, seductive, and vibrant second wine from the storied Second Growth estate Cos d’Estournel should be in any bargain-conscious oenophile’s repertoire.  With plenty of spices and aromas of luscious fruits, Les Pagodes de Cos Rouge is the perfect wine to enjoy with heartier faire yet has plenty of versatility.  A wine that consistently over-delivers each vintage, Les Pagodes de Cos possesses the power of many great Saint-Estèphes yet is a sumptuous and friendly wine.  Be sure to enjoy it when waiting for the grand vin to come around.  From a truly amazing vintage such as 2009, Les Pagodes de Cos, when properly aged, is superior to most wines one can casually find out there.

Château Bouscaut 2018 - "Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Bouscaut gives up scents of redcurrant jelly, plum preserves and cassis with hints of pencil shavings, fragrant earth and bouquet garni. Medium to full-bodied, it has loads of herb-laced black fruits and approachable, rounded tannins, with a lively lift to the finish." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/23/2019, Bordeaux 2018 Issue), Ratings: 89-91

Château Gloria 2015 -"The 2015 Gloria is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot cropped at 51 hl/ha, matured in 40% new wood. It was picked between 21 September and finishing on 7 October with the Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a fragrant bouquet with dark cherries, cedar and touches of cigar box - classic Saint Julien in many ways, though it does not have the complexity of great recent vintages such as the 2010. The palate is well balanced, clean and pure with fine tannin. The acidity is nicely judged, not a million miles away from the 2015 Lagrange in terms of its refinement, but this has perhaps a touch more detail on the finish. Perhaps one of the more approachable Saint Julien wines this vintage, give this 4-5 years in bottle and then drink over the next 20 years." - Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate (4/27/2016), Ratings: 91, Drink: 2021-2040

Le Petit Haut Lafitte 2017 -"More serious, the 2017 Le Petit Haut Lafitte is a more Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated effort (60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot). It’s made to be a more ageworthy, structured wine, and it succeeds beautifully in the vintage, offering classic Smith Haut Lafitte-like notes of cassis, unsmoked tobacco, violets, and earthiness. Medium to full-bodied and nicely textured, it has the straight, focused style of the vintage and will benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age and keep for over a decade." - Jeb Dunnuck, Jebdunnuck.com, Rating: 90+, Drink: 2023--2034

Les Pagodes de Cos 2009 -"The brilliant 2009 Les Pagodes de Cos actually has more Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend than the grand vin (69% versus 65%) in addition to mostly Merlot and a small quantity of Petit Verdot. As powerful as the Cos in terms of alcoholic clout (14.5%), the full-bodied, round, generous Les Pagodes de Cos exhibits lots of creme de cassis and floral notes intermixed with hints of wood/barrique and spice. Juicy, succulent and remarkably fresh and well-delineated, it merits considerable attention from consumers. It should drink well for 15-20 years. Oddly enough, the second wine is superior to many vintages of Cos in the 1960s 1970s and 1980s!" - Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate (12/22/2011, Issue 199), Ratings: 94, Drink: 2012-2032