Best buys in the 2014 vintage?

[marcs]

Just got a case of 2014 Ducru for $130 all-in, not as good as Ian's London price but OK for the U.S. Makes it my biggest 2014 holding over Pichon Lalande, hope Jim is right about it!

[JimHow]

Very, very well done indeed Marcus!

[Antoine]

So, if one does not have any 2014 bordeaux, and wanted to buy a very few excellent bottles, which would you buy? Say at 2nd/3rd growth level...

[Comte Flaneur]

Just look at my list Antoine

Nice Job Marcus...

[JimHow]

2014 Ducru Beaucaillou!

[Racer Chris]

So, if one does not have any 2014 bordeaux, and wanted to buy a very few excellent bottles, which would you buy? Say at 2nd/3rd growth level...

Cos
Calon
PLL

[Musigny 151]

2014 Ducru Beaucaillou!

Yes

[stefan]

Available locally in 2014:

Clinet @ $72
Smith-Haut-Lafitte @ $75.

Buy or pass? Neither estate is among my favorites, although I enjoy both even if they are modern styled.

[JimHow]

Myself, I'd pass, Stefan, those are not "must have" wines for me.
Buy some 2016 La Dame de Montrose at $40ish instead.

[Claudius2]

Does anyone have a view of the 2014 Ch Lagrange St Julien?
Local importers has it on sale.

[stefan]

Thanks, BD.

[Gerry M.]

Does anyone have a view of the 2014 Ch Lagrange St Julien?
Local importers has it on sale.

I have not tried the wine myself but from what I've read it is on the austere side and I suspect it will take a while to come around. I generally like Lagrange as a value play but in 2014 there are so many great wines available at very sharp pricing that I took a pass. If I could get it cheap enough for $40 or less I would probably pick up a few bottles but not much more. The CT pricing says the average bottle cost is $47 but the average auction price is $35. The cheapest Wine Searcher price is $55. There is no way I'd pay that high a price.

[sisler]

Does anyone have experience with Pontet Canet 2014?

[Claudius2]

Gerry
Thanks for that.
The price is okay for Singapore but not compelling so I’ll give it a miss.
Cheers
Mark
PS Gerry is my middle name.

[jckba]

Does anyone have experience with Pontet Canet 2014?

I tasted a small pour of it at a dinner amongst a group of people about a year or so back and while it was still youthful it was also a tad too opulent and polished for my liking. I don’t own any and that sampling did not make me want to go out and buy it but I do however wonder if it would’ve been a different experience with a decant. And I would be interested in retasting this in 5 years time to see where this goes.

[William P]

Does anyone have experience with Pontet Canet 2014?

As I recall Ian (Comte) liked the 2014 Pontet.

[Comte Flaneur]

Hi William

I have only tried it once and that was in an unconstituted state when 18 of us BWErs tried it at the Château in May 2015. It was difficult to formulate an opinion of such a barrel sample.

But I have a hunch that the constituted version would be very good because I bought a case of the 2011 and then a while later a case of the 2012, both of which tasted like Pauillac at the premises.

https://www.farrvintners.com/wine.php?wine=40424

I have a couple of bottles of the 2015 and a case of 12 splits of the 2019 both of which are highly regarded.

[William P]

Thanks Ian, didn't mean to misquote you.

[JimHow]

I would think 2014 + pontes Canet would be a good combination.
I remember passing on it in the $70ish range in NH for some reason.

[marcs]

Available locally in 2014:

Clinet @ $72
Smith-Haut-Lafitte @ $75.

Buy or pass? Neither estate is among my favorites, although I enjoy both even if they are modern styled.

Just got a great mailer below from Zachys on the 2014 Smith Haut Lafite that managed (with helps from critics) to simultaneously compare it to Haut Brion, Mouton, and Le Musigny. So $75 seems very cheap!

_______________________________________

Just Tasted by the Zachys Team: 96-Point Collector Value from Bordeaux. This 14th Century Haut-Brion Neighbor is a Reigning Reference Point for Pessac-Léognan!

“There is something almost Musigny-like here (written as a complement incidentally—why not be compared to the greatest Burgundy Grand Cru?).” –Neal Martin

“The Mouton of Pessac.” –Jane Anson

[marcs]

After my great experience with the 2004 Gruaud, I picked up four bottles of 2014 Gruaud for $70 each.

I really like how Gruaud has a lighter touch than "big name" Bordeaux but is also more sophisticated and less rustic than Haut Medocs or even Leoville Barton. The critical scores on this wine were not that high but they talked a lot about how it is "classically styled" -- music to my ears.