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Here we go... getting to the end of my Bordeaux Futures Offers. After scouring over 400 offers, plotting the reviews from seven critics, I have zeroed in on these two wines as my top choices under $30. $24.99 to be precise! One Left Bank and one Right Bank! (For more info on the Futures program, scroll to the bottom.)
 Lilian Ladouys St. Estephe 2019 (Left Bank)
Futures Price $24.99
93-95 pts Wine Enthusiast / 92-94 pts Neal Martin (Vinous) / 91-93 pts Wine Advocate / 91-93 pts Jeb Dunnuck
59% Merlot / 37% Cabernet Sauvignon. Lilian Ladouys is possibly THE estate to watch in all of the Medoc. And it all started with the 2009 vintage, after Eric Boissenot was brough on to revamp the vineyards. Wine Spectator named him “Bordeaux’s Secret Weapon” in a 2013 article. He consults or has consulted for Lafite Rothschild, Mouton-Rothschild, Margaux and Latour, among others. Heard of them?
One of his paramount influences with this estate has been the increased emphasis on Merlot. While we normally associate the Left Bank (St Estephe, Pauillac, St Julien, Margaux, etc) with Cabernet Sauvignon, the reality is that St. Estephe is different. As the northernmost of the classified Medoc appellations, St. Estephe has much less of the stony, gravelly soil found further south. The stony soils are what allows Cabernet Sauvignon to fully ripen, as they absorb and then reflect the sun’s heat back into the wines. . Instead, a heavy clay and limestone base dominates this area, resulting in poorer-draining soils, delayed ripening and higher acidity levels in the wines. Combined with the heavier influence of the cool Atlantic Ocean, and the reality is Merlot fares better here than it does in other Medoc appellations.
“Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Lilian Ladouys comes bounding out of the glass with expressive scents of crushed blackberries, cassis and boysenberries with touches of dried Provence herbs, charcoal, clove oil and espresso. The medium-bodied palate is charged with energy, offering firm grainy tannins and electric freshness to support the tightly wound black fruits, finishing with loads of invigorating herbal and mineral sparks.” WA
“Always including plenty of Merlot, the 2019 Château Lilian Ladouys emerges from a gravelly site in Saint-Estèphe. Its deep purple color is followed by a big, juicy bouquet of ripe black cherries, kirsch, blueberries, leafy herbs, and cedar pencil. Nicely textured, medium to full-bodied, and with some chewy tannins which will be more integrated from bottle, it shows the fruit purity and sexiness that's the hallmark of the vintage, has good balance, and a great finish.” JD
 Montlandrie Cotes de Bordeaux Castillon 2019 (Right Bank)
Futures Price $24.99
93-95 pts Wine Advocate / 93 pts Decanter / 92-94 pts Neil Martin (Vinous) / 92-93 pts James Suckling / 91-93 pts Antonio Galloni (Vinous)
A brand new property to me, it is produced by the owners of the famed Pomerol property l'Eglise Clinet. Having been purchased in 2009, it is just now beginning to shine after a decade of work.
"The 2019 Montlandrie is a blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It comes bounding out of the glass with bright, cheerful scents of warm redcurrants, Morello cherries, wild blueberries and boysenberries with touches of lavender, red roses, cinnamon stick and cast-iron pan. Wow. I LOVE this energy on the elegantly styled, medium-bodied palate. The red and black fruit layers practically dance, intermingled with grainy (Cabernet-like) tannins and tons of freshness. It has a satisfyingly long, fragrant finish. Truly impressive!" WA
"Cinnamon and spice box with pulped raspberry fruits on the nose, this has the restrained exuberance of Montlandrie in spades, where the ripe fruits are balanced step by step with fresh acidities and lip-smacking salinity that speaks to the limestone soils of this estate. Cabernet Sauvignon adds a savoury touch" Decanter
" It has a well-defined, very focused and compelling bouquet with intense cranberry and raspberry scents laced with cedar and sous-bois. The palate is exquisite: built around a core of finely chiseled tannins, a mélange of black and red fruit with hints of liquorice and subtle briny notes on the persistent finish. This is outstanding." NM
Reply to order.
So what’s the catch?
Well, if you want to call it that… the “catch” is these are Futures. Payment is due in July, but the wines don’t arrive till Fall 2022. The tradeoff is lower prices than we will see when the wines arrive. Additionally, with the current state of affairs worldwide, prices for the 2019s are 20-40% lower than those for 2018. With equally good reviews, I have no doubt the prices for these will rise dramatically in the next two years as the world gets back to normal. The 2015 Siran, for example, has an average price of $50 online, and that wine wasn't rated as highly! These prices do not include any current or future tariffs. All tariffs will be passed along at face value to the consumer – meaning neither the importer, distributor nor I will add any markup to them. Of course, it is my hope that clearer heads prevail when these wines ship and no tariffs will be imposed.
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