1997 Chateau Poumey Pessac-Leognan 750 ml

The wines from Bordeaux’s 1997 vintage had one big problem when they were released: They were too expensive.

They were “delicious, charming and seductive,” in the words of Robert Parker, but he also lamented them as “preposterously over-priced.” By the time they hit store shelves, the stunning 1998s were selling en primeur, drawing in collectors like bees to flowers. The 2000, ‘03, and ‘05 Bordeaux—all from spectacular vintages—followed, leaving estates like Bernard Magrez’s Château Poumey left with a cache of ‘97s socked away in their cellars.

Now, a quarter-century later, the 1997 Château Poumey is drinking beautifully, showing a bouquet that’s a dream for lovers of properly aged claret. It’s the kind of wine that caused Parker to declare the year “a vintage that I intend to buy.”  

Bernard Magrez rose to fame in the ‘80s by bringing a trio of Cru Classé estates—including Pape Clément—to collectible glory. But his other wines always provide outrageous value.

He “built an empire based on high quality,” according to Parker, and Magrez employs the same techniques at Château Poumey as he does at 100-point icon Pape Clément. With friend and 100-point consulting winemaker Michel Rolland at his side, Magrez always produces the best possible wine, sparing no expense in the vineyard or cellar. 

That makes 1997 a perfect Magrez vintage: It was a year that rewarded growers and wineries willing to go the extra mile for quality. A warm, humid summer encouraged rapid ripening, but diligent producers won the war against mildew. With his obsessive attention to detail, Magrez ensured that the grapes at Poumey were as immaculate as they could be. Twenty-five years later, the proof is in the bottle.