Chateau des Graves Graves 2018

The 2018 vintage was absolutely stellar in Bordeaux, meaning that the top châteaux got a lot of crazy high scores, but perhaps more importantly, the small, unknown producers were able to make some mind-blowingly delicious values. This drinks like a wine three or four times the price! With bright red currant, sweet tobacco and cigar box, cedar, and oodles upon oodles of that all-important mineral zip that screams “Graves!" This is just the sort of Bordeaux you want to have on your shelf for now, and years to come.

Chateau des Graves, which has been owned by the Lamothe family for over 200 years, is located in the village of Portets. Armand Butler runs the estate now, instituting many organic and biodynamic winegrowing principles. The property is located on the rounded hilltop of the Quaternary with extremely deep (up to 60 feet!) of pure gravel and pebbles, just like all of the best terroirs on the Left Bank. They have received HVE3 certification (standing for High Environmental Value Level 3) - the highest level. Don’t sleep on this stellar offering! I’m going big, myself, but I’ll save a six-pack for you!