Description
Château Vieux Robin, Cru Bourgeois Supérieur
Remember the 2001 Château Vieux Robin we offered last Christmas for $49? Well, how about becoming the proud owner of their stunning 1996—for less? This perfectly mature and “Supérieur” Left Bank Bordeaux spent the duration of its 25-year life in the château’s dark cellar, represents the last of their inventory, and cannot be found anywhere else in America.
There is no deception here, just an extraordinarily rare and fortuitous opportunity to acquire a perfectly preserved claret from a vintage that produced “traditional…classic…quintessential red Bordeaux.” Those were the words of Jancis Robinson 10 years ago, and today, a full quarter-century removed from the vintage, her words ring clearer and more sonorous than ever before. We’re always talking about how genuinely mature Bordeaux is one of the most indelible and soul-lifting experiences out there, and yet we hardly get to offer them due to their distressingly prohibitive pricing. That’s why this $42 beauty should have every Left Bank lover automatically maxing out the 12 bottles we’re allowing today. It’s such an exceptional take on classy, decades-old, structurally nuanced Bordeaux. Plus, you’re among the privileged few in the world who will ever have a chance at owning this rare, ready-to-drink treasure. Enjoy!
One of the many reasons that we find ourselves directly importing more and more Bordeaux is the thrill of discovering perfectly aged, off-the-beaten-path gems that have never had serious exposure in the US market. We work closely with a handful of négociants (merchants) that have decades-old relationships with producers who have preserved a handful of back vintage wines, and when we find one we love, we bring them over to deliver unbeatable value. Truly, being able to offer mature, affordable Bordeaux that spent the majority of its 25 years undisturbed in its original cellar is mindblowing.
Château Vieux Robin, an estimable Cru Bourgeois estate, is helmed today by fifth-generation Maryse and Didier Robin, who assumed control in 1988. Their son, Olivier, is training to become a sixth-generation vintner, working the same lands that were cultivated by his ancestors going all the way back to the 1840s. Situated north of Saint-Estèphe in the Médoc, their little trove of 18 hectares of vines are treated to a serene kind of coastal influence from the Gironde estuary. Cabernet Sauvignon is their prominent planting here, followed by a healthy amount of Merlot and a touch of Petit Verdot. Their final blend year in and year out roughly mirrors that. Today’s 1996, their flagship bottling, matured for 12 months in once-used French barrels and was bottled in early 1998 before resting in their cellar for nearly 23 years.
If you want a genuinely comprehensive understanding of traditional, old-school Bordeaux, as well as its ability to effortlessly evolve over decades, this $42 stunner is the way to go. Everything here is exactly what I expect from high-quality ’90s Bordeaux: In the glass, a dusty ruby core is revealed with light garnet and brick orange hues towards the rim and its secondary- and tertiary-driven aromatics are soft, savory, and nuanced. On the nose, dried berries, currant, and plum are wrapped around a compact core of wet gravel, dried sage, damp cedar, cured tobacco leaves, dried rose, baking spice, and vintage leather. These savory and earth-driven notes announce themselves in a series of structured, gently rolling layers on the medium-plus bodied palate, culminating with dried plums and crushed minerals. It’s an astounding 25-year-old Bordeaux that is drinking beautifully well, and will continue to do so for another five years. Grab a case and enjoy while you can because deals like this are largely part of a bygone era.
