Chateau Lalaudey 2015

Do you remember the 2015 vintage in Bordeaux? It was heralded as “the vintage of the century” at the time. And while almost every vintage now gets called Vintage of the Century when the Bordelaise start selling it, amazingly enough, 2015 remains the actual vintage of the century. Why?

Basically, as nearly every vintner in Bordeaux will tell you, the weather was absolutely perfect. Sunshine and warmth when the grapes needed it, light rain and water when the vines wanted it, and then a perfect golden harvest. No hail, sleet, torrential rains, heat strokes, droughts, no, none of that, just Mother Nature apparently deciding to celebrate Cabernet.

And, here, at Waterford, you know we love our Bordeaux. But what do we love even more than Bordeaux? Bordeaux from a “perfect” vintage, that has been perfectly matured for us, that comes in at a near “perfect” price of being almost 50% off its suggested retail! And gosh darn it, that is what we have today in Chateau La Laudey 2015.

Further, this is not some backwater Bordeaux property. Lalaudey is located in Moulis en Medoc, which is sandwiched between the (albeit more famous) appellations of Margaux and Saint Julien on the Left Bank. It’s almost entirely Cabernet with just a dash of Petite Verdot. While Lalaudey has a long history of wine in Bordeaux, its modern history begins in 2005, when Patrick Meynard, king of the designer-wire-packaging industry (yes, that is apparently a thing) bought the property and began substantial renovations, including an entirely new winery and hiring famed winemaker Eric Boissenot.

The wine opens with the classic Bordeaux aromas of blackberry, currant, red licorice, sweet spices and a touch of leather and graphite. At eight years old it is fully mature, right in the pocket of great drinking – the tannins are smoothed and integrated, creating a wine that has a full-bodied palate but is light and fresh-drinking. The fruit is fully developed, matching the savory elements on the palate. Yes, some of you may be worried that this is too old, which I will find funny, because we’re always asked for aged Bordeaux at a good price – and here it is!

Do you remember just how good the 2015 Bordeaux vintage was? Well now you don’t have to, because it’s right here, in this bottle, waiting for your glass!