2016 Château Les Aubiers Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 750 ml

This standout 2016 proves that Blaye is a need-to-know appellation for savvy Bordeaux lovers. A rich, silky, Merlot-driven wine from one of the best vintages in the last decade, we were blown away when we tasted it.

You might as well call Jean-François Reaud, the dynamic proprietor of Château Les Aubiers, “Mr. Blaye.” The great-great-grandson of the mayor of Saint-Aubin-de-Blaye, he’s committed to showcasing the best of the area, organizing a collective “committed to ethical wine” and trying to raise the reputation of this undervalued section of Bordeaux by making one of its most noteworthy bottlings under his own label. 

Few growers in Blaye have the terroir that Château Les Aubiers does: sandy-gravel soils ideally suited to growing Merlot, just like in Pomerol, which is less than an hour’s drive south on the A10.

Reaud has been farming organically since 2011, and adding acreage to the property—but not with the goal of planting more grapes. He wants to make sure that only a small fraction of Les Aubiers is vineyards, to ensure a balanced ecosystem and healthy vines.

More importantly, Reaud takes those lovingly farmed grapes and makes his wines just as if he had a world-famous name on his label. The grapes are meticulously sorted, then given a cold soak before a long, three-week fermentation with delestage and multiple pump-overs per day to ensure intense flavors married to a velvety texture.

The attention to detail in both farming and winemaking makes Château Les Aubiers one of the most prized wines in Blaye. It's an uncommonly good bottle of Bordeaux, from a great vintage, at a case-buy price.