2016 Chateau Bernadotte Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois 750 ml

Value Pauillac has always been one of the holy grails in Bordeaux. And finding an under-$20 bottle that captures the elements that make the world-famous region so special is borderline impossible. Enter Château Bernadotte, which lies just outside Pauillac’s prestigious border, and combines similarly legendary terroir with a Haut-Médoc price. 

The 93-point 2016 might be the estate’s best release yet: The combination of an outstanding vintage and 100-point winemaking expertise makes for a “classy” “Pauillac-like” bottle, according to Vinous.

Tasting the 2016 recently, it was easy to see the similarities with nearby $80+ wines like Grand-Puy-Lacoste—an easy walk from Bernadotte’s door. The nose is absolutely packed with Pauillac character: aromas of cassis, mocha, graphite, and blackberries. On the palate, the flavors recall its famed neighbors, but the tannins are less intense, allowing the ripe dark fruit, Tahitian vanilla, baking spices, and hints of pipe tobacco to mingle luxuriously on the palate.

Château Bernadotte has always been an insider’s pick for great value in Bordeaux. Long owned and run by the team behind Pauillac Second Growth Pichon Lalande, they reached another level in 2015, when new owners brought Hubert de Boüard, the star behind Château Angélus, on board as the consulting winemaker.

De Boüard has always been a Bordeaux visionary, a vintner who transformed his family estate, Château Angélus, from an under-performer to a 100-point, blue-chip collectible estate in a decade, through force of will and technical expertise. His impact at Bernadotte has been profound as well, taking a solid value into the upper stratosphere of Bordeaux quality-to-price ratios.

In addition to improving the estate’s farming, he’s been treating the Cabernet Sauvignon-heavy mix of grapes like a Grand Cru Classé wine once they’re in the door. That means careful fermentation under his supervision in numerous stainless-steel tanks, which provide more blending options down the line, and aging in 30% new French oak for 18 months to polish and refine its tannins. Combine those changes with Boüard’s skill as a taster and blender, and the results are stunning.

We aren’t the only ones to have noticed, though. The Château was promoted to Cru Bourgeois Supérieur starting with the 2018 vintage—which means upcoming editions will certainly carry heftier price tags. That makes this 2016 a vintage to stock up on. It’s drinking well now, but a case or two in your cellar will only improve over the next decade.