Description
Château Vieux Robin, Cru Bourgeois
You can rub your eyes, refresh the page, even pinch yourself, but I assure you this isn’t a dream state: Today’s offering is indeed a 20-year-old, cellar-direct Bordeaux well under $50, and you won’t find it anywhere else in America. There is no sorcery involved here—just a rare opportunity and a right-place, right-time moment to acquire a perfectly preserved value bottling from the prestigious Left Bank of Bordeaux. It’s got a little bit of everything for everyone: prime evolution, flawless provenance, blue-blooded pedigree, world-class terroir, old-school character, you name it.
As for the year in question, 2001? Ten years ago, Jancis Robinson called it “the forgotten vintage” of Bordeaux because the reds had gained incredible depth and charm whilst living in the shadow of legendary 2000. Well, ten more years have since passed by, and after tasting Vieux Robin’s perfectly cellared ‘01, everyone in our camp is now changing her quote to “the unforgettable vintage.” At this low price, Vieux Robin is easily one the standouts of 2001: It’s an exceptional take on mature, classy, structurally powerful Bordeaux that so vividly captures the eternal marriage of Cabernet and Merlot. Again, you’re among the privileged few in the world who have a chance at owning this rare and ready-to-drink treasure. Enjoy!
One of the many reasons that I find myself spending more and more time in Bordeaux is the thrill of discovering perfectly-aged, off-the-beaten-path gems that never had the US market in mind. I work closely with a handful of négociants (merchants) who have decades-old relationships with producers who release small quantities of older wines, and when we find one we love, we bring them back to deliver unbeatable value. The fact that we can offer old Bordeaux that spent the majority of its 20 years undisturbed in its original cellar blows my mind.
Château Vieux Robin 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 18 hectares of vines (for comparison, Mouton-Rothschild owns many multiples more) 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 2001, their flagship bottling, matured for 12 months in once-used French barrels and was bottled in early 2003 before resting in their cellar for over 17 years.
In the glass, the wine spills out with a dusty garnet hue and slowly releases savory, mature aromas that ooze classic Left Bank character. With just 5-10 minutes of air, you can expect an outpouring of dried red and black currant, loose tobacco, cedar, wet gravel, wild herbs, dried flowers, red plum, and hints of baking spices. It reveals a medium-plus body and fine-grained yet firm, still-present tannins. In other words, there’s plenty of structure left in this rugged, 20-year-old red. So, if you want a genuinely comprehensive understanding of traditional, old-school Bordeaux, this is it! Enjoy now with the following cassoulet pairing, or do as we did and savor it slowly over 2-3 hours, on its own. Cheers!
