2015 Chateau La Croix du Mayne Bordeaux Rouge 750 ml

The Classic, Case-Buy Claret that Won Us Over

On a recent trip to Bordeaux, we spent one particularly busy day tasting through countless classed growths—not a bad day at the office, but we were exhausted by dinnertime. All we wanted that evening was a casual meal, a cheerful bottle of claret, and a few hours of sleep. We stumbled into what seemed like a friendly Right Bank bistro, the kind of place that looked like it had been serving hearty slabs of paté and rough-hewn baskets of baguette for generations. Charles Trenet played unironically from a small speaker in the corner. We ordered a bottle—this bottle, it turned out—and then, at first sip, realized that lightning had struck in the most unexpected of places.

This wine, the 2015 Chateau La Croix du Mayne Bordeaux Rouge, was exactly what we needed. Flavors of dried cherry, red and black currant, and plum mingled with cedar, cigar-spice, and new leather before soft tannins took over, lingering on the palate. This wasn’t just ideal alongside our steak-frites, duck confit, foie gras, and the rest, but also reminded us of why Bordeaux has always been one of the most beloved of French wine regions—it combines classic structure with fantastic flavor, at an everyday price.

Not only was the wine itself perfect at that moment (and just as great as we remembered when we re-tasted it at the office back home), but it embodied everything we love about Bordeaux: The same family has owned the property for three generations; the clay, gravel, and chalky soils provide just the right balance of generosity and structure; grapes from the outstanding 2015 vintage lend the crimson wine a regal, centered air.

It’s easy to forget that Bordeaux is home to much more than the most famous names of the Médoc. After all, at close to 300,000 acres—around six times the size of Napa Valley—there are countless undiscovered gems like Chateau La Croix du Mayne just waiting to be snapped up, and at shockingly fair prices. We love a mortgage-payment-sized bottle of First Growth as much as anyone, but the majority of Bordeaux is made up of smaller, less-famous chateaux like this one, which way over-delivers for the price. 

The La Croix du Mayne is a classic blend of 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 20% Malbec from a family that works diligently to make sure that their land is expressed perfectly through the bottles they produce. Judging by this gorgeous 2015, they have done just that—and then some. It’s expressive of fruit but not defined by it, kissed by oak but far from oaky, and utterly perfect right now, though a few years in the cellar will certainly not hurt it one bit.

Bordeaux, it turns out, is one of those places where the notoriety of its most famous names often overshadows what made it so beloved in the first place. The delicious truth, however, is that those less-famous wines are often the ones that we end up loving the most because of their unexpected charm, soulfulness, and affordability. That night at the bistro, we were reminded of why this particular region has been synonymous with great wine for so long. The 2015 Chateau La Croix du Mayne embodies everything that makes Bordeaux so special, and it’s priced to be purchased by the case. Even after a full day of tasting, we smiled throughout that entire meal.