2015 Chateau Belle Assise Coureau Saint Emilion Grand Cru 750 ml

Between the luxe châteaux peppering Bordeaux’s Right Bank—auction block and restaurant leaders like Ausone, Cheval Blanc, and Angélus—there’s a pocket of value we refuse to pass over, and it’s where we discovered the David to Saint Émilion’s Goliaths. The Château Belle Assise Coureau is a “smoking value,” that will “put a smile on your face,” according to critic and Bordeaux expert Jeb Dunnuck. 

Elegant, medium-bodied, and as tightly woven as Bordeaux’s pothole-free country lanes, firm tannins keep the plush texture in check while black raspberry, plum preserves, leather, and pleasantly savory herbs accompany the lingering note of bitter chocolate on the finish. 

As James Suckling declared in his report on this superlative vintage, Saint-Émilion “was ground zero for some of the stars of 2015.” Château Belle Assise Coureau more than lives up to the vintage hype. The estate’s 35-year-old vines gave this Merlot-based blend its great concentration in a vintage that was especially favorable for the grape, but it was the sandy soils that enabled a lighter, more aromatic expression in this wine. A healthy dose of spicy, herbal Cabernet Franc gives the wine its startling complexity, as well as the tannic grip that balances the riper, fleshier Merlot.

Though Château Belle Assise Coureau has been farmed since the 19th century by the same family, recent years have seen a renewed enthusiasm for this terroir after it was purchased by a trio of friends: a Formula One driver, a Parisian lawyer, and a restaurateur. From the uptick in the quality of these wines, the owners’ competitive streak is as clear as their day jobs would suggest—and they have made this value-driven property one to watch.

The estate’s gentle golden slopes yield a style of wine that reminded us of what urbane Londoners used to call "lunchtime Claret." Brilliantly balanced, not too heavy, and easy to pair with anything this fall, from a classic roast chicken to a simple mushroom gruyère toast—we can attest, this Belle Assise Coureau is the kind of bottle that disappears before you know it.