2009 Château Reignac Grand Vin Bordeaux Supérieur

Tastes like: Black plum, cassis, sage
Pairs with: Filet mignon
Good for: Special occasions, anniversaries
Drink this: Now through 2020
Alcohol: 14%

If there's one thing to be wary of when it comes to wine, it's tradition for tradition's sake. That's but one reason why we love Château Reignac. Another is that the wine is superb, and you needn't sell the car to afford it.

When Yves and Stephanie Vatelot acquired the estate in 1990, old-fashioned ways of thinking immediately went out the window. The estate wasn't listed in Bordeaux's venerable Classification of 1855, so why play by the same, stuffy old rules? Where's it written, a century and a half later, that a winery must be situated alongside classified growths, such as Château Latour or Château Gruaud-Larose, to be a considered a producer of world-class wines?

So in addition to bringing world-renowned consultant winemaker Michel Rolland to Reignac, the Vatelots purchased multiple parcels of old-vine Merlot. They also embarked on a years-long agronomical and geological study of Reignac’s vineyards (engineers dug 80 trenches for analysis). The findings were that "Reignac offers a unique peculiarity, that of reuniting the best types of terroir of both the Right and the Left Banks in a single estate, which explains the qualitative consistency of its wines, vintage in and vintage out."

In simpler terms, this is a special place that – for more than a century – was making special wines that were overlooked and underappreciated for all the wrong reasons. Reignac is precisely the type of wine we love to bring to Lot18. Add to this the fact that the wine comes from Bordeaux's incredible 2009 vintage, and you can rest assured that you'll only be delighted by this wine’s power, balance and ability to age, just as we were. And we can't help but love that the wine costs a fraction of a classified growth's cuvée, and tastes every bit as good.

Tasting Note
The intense ruby-red color and glass-coating viscosity promise a full-bodied wine. The aromas are ripe and fruit-driven, with lots of fresh, black plums and cassis, as well as a perfumed note of sage. The acidity is balanced and the wine’s supple tannins express the 2009 vintage’s character beautifully. This is a modern expression of Bordeaux in the best sense of the word. Decant this wine, and serve it in large-bowled glasses if you can't wait for the wine to age, and pour it alongside roasted filet mignon that’s been basted with butter and thyme. If you are able to hold the wine for five to eight years, you will enjoy a greater range of flavors.

—Alexis Brock

Alexis Brock started her restaurant career 12 years ago, on the hot and smoky side of the stainless-steel divide, at the legendary New York restaurant, Gramercy Tavern. After moving to the front of house and joining the establishment’s award-winning wine program, Brock went on to hold sommelier positions at L’Atelier in The Ritz-Carlton Central Park South, Alto and The Modern. Brock also spent three years in Melbourne, Australia, as head sommelier at Circa, the Prince. Since returning to America, Brock has made wine at Littorai, in Sonoma, and earned her Diploma in Wines and Spirits from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. She is currently a Master of Wine candidate.