Most Beautiful Bordeaux Wine Label

sdr · Post by **sdr** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 4:38 pm

Palmer
Gorgeous midnight blue and gold colors plus superb design.

Honorable mentions: Lafite and Haut Brion
Classical, reserved, regal, traditional, even if haughty.

1970 Mouton (Chagall) could be in the running, but that was a one off.

I was also trying to think of the ugliest Bordeaux label but I couldn’t think of any hideous ones.

What say you?

Stu

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 4:51 pm

Lafite inspires awe in me.
What is the best Mouton label?
My birthyear of 1958 features Dali, a harbinger of the absurdism to come.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 5:10 pm

My vote for ugliest (and most shameless):

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Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 5:14 pm

Carbonnieux Blanc's Venus-on-the-half-shell motif has long been a fav:

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JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 5:41 pm

It depends on which bottle I'm currently drinking.

AlohaArtakaHoundsong · Thu Apr 16, 2020 5:48 pm

I liked the St. Emilion with the topless lady on the label. The 1989 (iirc) was very good. The name escapes and I think it has since been merged or acquired by a neighboring estate and the label retired. Alex should be able to recall this one.

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 5:51 pm

JimHow wrote:Lafite inspires awe in me.
What is the best Mouton label?
My birthyear of 1958 features Dali, a harbinger of the absurdism to come.

I guess the saying goes ‘Never judge a wine by its label….unless it’s Mouton Rothschild’ and my favorites are the 1945 V for Victoire label by Philippe Jullian, the 1970 watercolor by Marc Chagall and the 1973 watercolor by Pablo Piccasso which coincided with when it was elevated to 1st growth status.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 6:08 pm

The 1971 Mouton label (birth year for me), with Kandinsky famed for pioneering abstract art, is down right dull:

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AlexR · Post by **AlexR** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 6:31 pm

I love:

Lafite
Cadet Piola
Haut Brion
Yquem (superb simplicity, legally the back label is considered the main label)
Beychevelle
Palmer

Alex R.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 6:32 pm

It is hard to think of a Grand Cru Classe that has an uglier label than Rauzan-Segla. Perhaps the Clerc-Milon gay dancers label comes close.

OTOH, it is easy to find petite chateaux that have ugly labels.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 6:46 pm

Ducru and Gruaud are nice for their colored labels.

AlohaArtakaHoundsong · Thu Apr 16, 2020 7:12 pm

Cadet Piola it is. Nothing prurient, just recalling a bygone time when people picnicked topless among the vines--or at least an era when this could be depicted on a wine label.

Winona Chief · Post by **Winona Chief** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 7:20 pm

Also really liked the label on the 1970 Mouton but the wine was wildly inconsistent. Lots of great Mouton labels. Have to say my favorite is Giscours with the topless mermaid.

Chris Bublitz

AlohaArtakaHoundsong · Thu Apr 16, 2020 7:25 pm

stefan wrote:It is hard to think of a Grand Cru Classe that has an uglier label than Rauzan-Segla. Perhaps the Clerc-Milon gay dancers label comes close.

OTOH, it is easy to find petite chateaux that have ugly labels.

What is the vintage? They must have commissioned R. Crumb that year.

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 7:35 pm

Lol.. I thought the same thing.
He was living in the south of France.

OrlandoRobert · Post by **OrlandoRobert** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 7:38 pm

Elegance and class always wins.

Lafite
Haut Brion
VCC
Figeac

An exception:

Mouton. The art label was revelatory, ground-breaking, and happened during such an amazing period in the ascendency of modern art. The Baron was a genius and a connoisseur. The original 1924 Art Deco label by Jean Carlu is extraordinary. Love the yearly art changes. Such a range of incredible artists over the years.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 7:47 pm

1995, Art. Charlie Hebdo cartoonists designed many funny wine labels, most of which are in bad taste, even disgusting for lots of people.

AKR · Post by **AKR** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:18 pm

La Vielle Cure is a nice label, and a solid wine too

I also like the Phelan Segur label and color scheme

I had my apt painted in that cream with red trim after showing the painters the bottle.

William P · Post by **William P** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:25 pm

I always thought Pichon Lalande was a classy and elegant label. Exactly what a Bordeaux label should be.

jal · Post by **jal** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:43 pm

Latour. I always loved the simple classy label.

dstgolf · Post by **dstgolf** » Thu Apr 16, 2020 11:44 pm

All time favourite is Palmer. Probably the toughest label to photograph and if you try to look on line background ranges from black to royal blue. Even with the bottle in hand colour is dependant on lighting but gold embossed chateau print is stunning.

Chateau d'Issan with bronzish label,chateau surrounded by mote and threesome rowing their punt out front brings back great memories of our 2005 visit.

SHL with the yellow/royal blue label along with crest elegant.

There are a lot of ugly labels but I'm not sure whether I love or hate Charlie Hebdo's labels. Not sure what she's doing vomiting down a guys throat with a bottle stuck up her ass has anything to do with wine promotion

https://dobianchi.com/2015/01/12/charli ... ne-lables/

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Fri Apr 17, 2020 12:39 am

Beychevelle is another favorite.

Always loved Murrieta’s Gran Reserva Ygay label as well as Pesquera’s stable.

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Fri Apr 17, 2020 1:20 am

Calon Segur, for the heart.

Pontac Lynch, in that "Palmer style".

1993 Mouton Rothschild, for the non deserved controversy.

Nic

robertgoulet · Post by **robertgoulet** » Sat Apr 18, 2020 6:52 pm

Aside from the usual suspects these are a few that have yet to be mentioned

Ch. Destieux
Ch Certan de May
Liber Pater has some interesting labels.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sat Apr 18, 2020 7:26 pm

AlohaArtakaHoundsong wrote:... just recalling a bygone time when people picnicked topless among the vines...

Watch out Macron, MFTA is coming for you!: Make France Topless Again.

OrlandoRobert · Post by **OrlandoRobert** » Sat Apr 18, 2020 10:57 pm

Marc good call on the Certan de May!

AKR · Post by **AKR** » Sat Apr 18, 2020 11:54 pm

classic!

also don't forget their neighbor, although i think the new ones don't have the seal anymore

robert goulet · Post by **robert goulet** » Sun Apr 19, 2020 2:31 am

One more I forgot...La Fleur de Gay is solid

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Sun Apr 19, 2020 9:46 pm

There are a lot that I like including Pichon Lalande (I don’t like the Baron label it is far too busy), Leoville Lascases, Cheval Blanc and Figeac among them but my favourite is La Conseillante. That silver grey lettering on white with the purple capsule embodies understated class and imbues a sense of anticipation as the corkscrew hovers.

robertgoulet · Post by **robertgoulet** » Mon Apr 20, 2020 8:28 am

Another label I think is a beauty is ch. Gazin

And knowing OrlBobby the way I do, I am surprised he didn’t list this one as a personal fav.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp? ... e3e054ff8d

jckba · Post by **jckba** » Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:14 pm

robertgoulet wrote: And knowing OrlBobby the way I do, I am surprised he didn’t list this one as a personal fav.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp? ... e3e054ff8d

Lol

OrlandoRobert · Post by **OrlandoRobert** » Mon Apr 20, 2020 3:27 pm

robertgoulet wrote:Another label I think is a beauty is ch. Gazin

And knowing OrlBobby the way I do, I am surprised he didn’t list this one as a personal fav.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp? ... e3e054ff8d

That’s so freakin HOT!

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Tue Apr 21, 2020 12:48 am

OrlandoRobert wrote:
robertgoulet wrote:Another label I think is a beauty is ch. Gazin

And knowing OrlBobby the way I do, I am surprised he didn’t list this one as a personal fav.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp? ... e3e054ff8d
That’s so freakin HOT!

Just so you won’t have to click the link and wait for the page to load, here’s your instant gratification:

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robert goulet · Post by **robert goulet** » Tue Apr 21, 2020 1:27 am

I'm positive this is Roberts new screensaver.

AKR · Post by **AKR** » Fri Jun 23, 2023 3:45 am

I was reading my Peppercorn book on Bordeaux, chewing through the satellite St Emilion section, when it mentioned the obscure St Georges St Emilion, so I pulled my only example of that: 2015 Cap St George [St Georges St Emilion]. I think I'd had some of this AOC before, maybe in 1998 when a vendor had presented the Ch. St Georges [St Georges St Emilion] as a La Croix St Georges [Pomerol]. So by hook or crook I had ended up with some it, which happily enough, turned out to be quite nice, albeit with a dusty, dry almost Rutherford like character to the merlot texture. But since then, I'm not sure I've had any again, and given that these can be marketed under a range of more recognizable names, they often are. Still this ruby/garnet merlot was a delicious 2015, very much in the Janouiex mold - ripe, fleshy, full bodied with a modern angular bottle and a distinctive, beautiful label. Menthol on the nose, red raspberry on the palate, and drinking well at age 8. This is not broadly available, but for those who like this style, it's delicious. My experience with off vintage Janouiex wines is that they are typically better than peers, so don't be overly focused on the year, and in any case, 2015 is strong on the right bank, which Comte Flaneur was the first to observe all those years ago.

A- on my scorecard, and the label gets a notch higher.

robert goulet · Post by **robert goulet** » Sat Jun 24, 2023 3:10 pm

The previous Clinet label was gorgeous...now it's a travesty...change it back!!!

Musigny 151 · Post by **Musigny 151** » Tue Jun 27, 2023 9:45 pm

Palmer. Nothing is close; just gorgeous. The wine is not bad either.

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Tue Jun 27, 2023 10:24 pm

Musigny 151 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 27, 2023 9:45 pm Palmer. Nothing is close; just gorgeous. The wine is not bad either.

Have to agree with Mark here.

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JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Wed Jun 28, 2023 12:37 am

Have not had many Palmers, but agree the label is top notch!

Musigny 151 · Post by **Musigny 151** » Wed Jun 28, 2023 2:56 am

Several chateaux have made commemorative labels to highlight a special year. They all seem to look like a poor man’s version of château Palmer.