When it comes to well-aged, well-stored wine at affordable prices, Bordeaux has no peer. Today’s wine from Château Clos Chaumont may be the best example yet, and of course we’ve hardly been shy about raiding the cellars of Bordeaux’s top négociants. Here’s where it breaks away from the rest of the pack: This $25 gem was crafted by the same hand that produces $350 wines at nearby Château Angélus, one of four Saint-Émilion estates with a coveted “Premier Grand Cru Classé A” ranking.
Really, it’s no stretch (okay, maybe a bit) to call this Clos Chaumont a “baby Angélus”: It’s sourced from a near-replica limestone-clay terroir, blended and raised similarly, and overseen by the same skilled enologist. Plus—most importantly, perhaps—this wine still has a long life. It’s showing zero fatigue, which only magnifies the plush fruit and mineral-heavy textures that burst onto your palate. On paper, this has all the ‘specs’ of a far-more expensive Bordeaux, and tasting this polished beauty only confirms that notion. One of the world’s few remaining “hidden gems,” Clos Chaumont warrants the bright spotlight—and that’s where all of you come in. Load up, enjoy with friends, and circulate your glowing reviews with others. This gracefully powerful 2004 deserves it.
As an avid “En primeur” buyer, Dutchman Pieter Verbeek caught the Bordeaux bug back in the 1970s and his love soon evolved into the opposite side of consumption—production. In 1990, he stumbled upon a long-abandoned property in Haux, a small hamlet 10 miles east of Pessac-Léognan. The estate sits within Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, a narrow, longitudinal appellation hugging the right bank of the Garonne River with centuries of winemaking history. In an interview with Debra Meiburg MW, Pieter recanted his arrival: “It was a complete mess...there was only land and a house where you could live, more or less, but not in a good way.” But he saw the potential, so he immediately went to work restoring the buildings and planting Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Starting with just a couple acres, today, his property has grown to a humble 25 acres and despite a high density planting—typical in Bordeaux—yields are keep extremely low thanks to hands-on farming and a strict selection/sorting process. In 2004, the hand harvested Merlot and Cabernet Franc cold-macerated and fermented separately in wooden vats for an extended period (27 days for Merlot, 18 for Cab) before being transferred into 50% new French oak for 18 months.
Château Clos Chaumont’s 2004 Premières Côtes de Bordeaux reveals an opaque garnet core moving out to a variegated brick-red rim. My team, in an attempt to “pull a fast one,” blind-tasted me on this wine during a marathon tasting last week and the moment I stuck my nose in the glass, I looked up and spouted out “aged, high-quality Bordeaux from a blockbuster vintage.” After tasting and feeling the supple fruit, wonderful structure, and impressively round textures, I confirmed my guess and the wine was revealed. My reaction was two-fold: I was relieved that this direct import was as good, even better, than when I first tasted it back in April, but I was shocked to see 2004 on the label. One of those sleeper years, it’s tough to find a 2004 today that shows so much power, grace, and energy. Not only is this in its drinking window, it will be staying here for the next decade—a tremendous feat for the vintage and price!
To best experience this wine, I recommend a 30-60 minute decant to both shed its heavy sediment and allow the wine to open up (you may smell slight funk after pulling the cork, but don’t panic—it will dissipate). Afterwards, stick your nose in and you’ll find a wine brimming with crème de cassis, dried red and black plums, stewed black cherries, cedar, cigar wrapper, bay and tobacco leaf, leather, damp clay, wet gravel, figs, and various baking spices. The palate serves to impress with its structure and energy: Nearly full-bodied, its plush, dark red and black fruits sit comfortably next to a constant stream of acidity and muscular yet fine-grained tannins. I can’t wait to stow a case of this away and track its continued evolution over the years, as should you! When you inevitably open several bottles over the upcoming holidays, serve in Bordeaux stems around 65 degrees and consume with the attached braised beef short ribs recipe. A hearty dish with a layered, mature Bordeaux on a cold evening? That’s a top-notch pairing in my book.
