A Bordeaux Celebration For Our 2024 Family Christmas Dinner

We very much enjoyed the Bordeaux wines shown in the picture below that we had at the family’s Christmas Dinner to accompany Standing Rib Roast and Poached Cod.  We had 14 people representing three generations.   The low price we paid for each of the three wines significantly added to their appeal. 

Chateau Mauvesin Barton, a Bordeaux Left Bank wine, was the most popular of the three wines.  In July of 2023 I did a blog post recommending this wine as THE Best Buy in Bordeaux with selling price of $20/bottle.  For more information on this great wine you can check it out using the link below. https://billwinetravelfood.com/2023/07/09/bordeaux-best-buy-chateau-mauvesin-barton/

Chateau Mauvesin was purchased by the Barton family in 2011 and they have invested significantly in the thirteen years since then to improve the vineyards and the wine making process at that vineyard which had fallen on hard times.  This is now the third Bordeaux vineyard owned and operated by the Barton family.  The oldest of their vineyards is Léoville Barton which was started in 1722 and was named a 2^nd Growth in the famous 1855 classification of the best 60 chateau in Bordeaux.   In 1821 the Bartons purchased Chateau Langoa, a 3^rd growth in the 1855 classification, which was just across the street from them and they renamed it Langoa Barton.  Chateau Mauvesin is situated in the “Moulis-en-Médoc” appellation, to the north of Bordeaux, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary. Because the Mauvesin vineyard is not in the same AOC, it is operated as a separate entity, but with the same quality standards as the two Grand Cru Classe estates. 

We enjoyed three bottles of the 2019 vintage which had been opened at 10 AM, decanted  at 1 PM and served, at 60° F, at 3 PM.  It had opened up nicely by that time and the three years of bottle aging after the 12-15 months in oak, one third in new barrels, one third in barrels having already aged one vintage, and one third in old oak barrels coming from Château Léoville Barton, showed this is starting to mature nicely.  I am comfortable keeping this at least 10 more years.    The 2019 wine is 64% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Cabernet Franc.  Just for background, the blend for the 2020 vintage was only 38% Merlot while the Cabernet Sauvignon was increased to 59% showing the winemakers are recognizing the changes in the vineyards with the investments made since 2011 and using them to achieve their target tastes for the Mauvesin Barton.   The 2019 has gotten ratings of 90-82 points from a handful of reviewers. 

Our other red wine was from the Right Bank. This wine was a St. Emilion Grand Cru bought at Trader Joe’s and sold under their name, so less is known about its origins.  Trader Joe’s is selling this wine for $16 and I have not had a St. Emilion Grand Cru that I enjoyed as much for under $30.  We finished two bottles of this wine so I am not the only one who really enjoyed it. 

On the back of the label it mentions Chateau Jacques Blanc, one of the estates with the most acreage in the Grand Cru AOC.    The wines sold under the Jacques Blanc name command a price of over $70.  They are 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc.  I would expect that the wine they are selling to Trader Joe’s is made from their younger vines and probably also grapes they buy from other vineyards in that AOC.  I plan to get at least 6 more bottles of it because we never know how long Trader Joe’s will continue to sell any of the wines that they private label.  My experience is that these private label wines are generally well worth the price. 

The surprise hit of the evening was the white wine, Lions de Suduiraut Blanc Sec.  For most family events I only occasionally need to open a second bottle.  For this dinner, just one glass of wine was left in the third bottle when my guests left.  Chateau Suduiraut is in the Graves region south of the city of Bordeaux and close to the border with Spain.  That region is best known for its fantastic dessert wine, Sauternes.   Chateau Suduiraut was ranked First Growth Premier Cru Classe in 1855 for their Sauternes which sells for about $90/bottle.  Sauternes is made from white grapes which get a specific bacterium from the air in that region that creates what is called the “noble rot” and gives that wine is rich sweet taste.  Chateau Suduiraut also makes four dry white wines, none with any bacteria, and the Lions de Suduiraut is the least expensive of the four.  I buy it on sale for $18/bottle.   It is a blend of three white grapes: Semillon 57%, Sauvignon Blanc 30%, and Sauvignon Gris (not often seen) 13%.  The wine is round and fresh with tastes of pear and toasted hazelnuts.  I really enjoy the persistent finish that it has. 

I think all three of these wines could hold their own in competition with wines selling at twice their price. 

I would love to hear what you think of these three wines.

I also did a post on the delicious 9 lb. Standing Rib Roast that only cost us $46! Check that out at https://billwinetravelfood.com/2025/01/03/slow-roasted-standing-rib-roast/