2015 Chateau Suau Cotes de Bordeaux 750 ml

When in search of a classic bargain Claret—the kind the local Bordelais drink along with a hunk of baguette and a bit of foie gras—we always look to the Côtes de Bordeaux. Within arm's reach of Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, the region’s Merlot-dominant reds possess a silkiness and lushness much like their high-profile neighbors but without the triple digit price tags. 

The 91-point 2015 Château Suau is not only giving the rest of the Right Bank a run for its money, it’s putting the world on notice. Awarding it an Editors’ Choice selection, Wine Enthusiast wrote, “This smoky wine already shows a fine balance between oak, spice and bright red fruit. It's structured to age but is also attractive now; its juicy berry flavors show easily through the tannins.”

Drinking miles beyond its $16 price, the 2015 Château Suau is lively, fresh, and all too gulpable—prerequisites for the locals, especially on a weekday—but still nuanced and rich. These are Bordeaux locals, after all. Don’t wait to lock this in. 

Behind the 2015 is one of the greatest winemakers of our time, 100-point legend Michel Rolland. Otherwise known as the “Flying Winemaker,” Rolland consults for some of the greatest estates on both sides of the Atlantic: L’Évangile, Pavie, and Troplong-Mondot in Bordeaux, Ornellaia in Tuscany, and Harlan Estate, Bond, Staglin, and Bryant Family in Napa Valley.

Despite the difference in price, Rolland’s 2015 Château Suau gets the same consideration and care as a $400 Pavie. Using his near-magical blending talents, Rolland crafted a seamless and polished red composed of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Making the call to age the wine in cement tanks, Rolland has captured a stunning purity of fruit. Bing cherry and wild strawberry, blackberry and currant all jump from the glass after a short decant, layered with rose, fennel seed, and dark spice. 

Of course even Michel Rolland can’t conjure great wine out of thin air. His deep skillset can only yield results as good as the elements he has to work with, and Château Suau has a lot to offer: 

What was built as a hunting lodge for the Duke d’Épernon in the early 1600s is today a sprawling estate with 150 vineyard acres of tightly spaced vines planted in characteristic Right Bank clay and gravel soil. The farming is entirely organic, with the highest respect paid to the land. South-facing plantings soak up the sun from one of the highest points in Bordeaux, and with Rolland pushing the grapes to full ripeness, the result beams with rich, warm fruit buttressed by a sturdy backbone of sweet, velvety tannins. 

It all adds up to a wonderful combination of beauty and class that could very well age for another five years, given the opportunity. The best part is, at $16 this requires absolutely no holding back. Lock some up for now and later, and drink like the savvy Bordelais any night of the week.