| 2009 Jury
Members Elin McCoy John Ragan 2006 Jury Members Clyde Beffa "Bordeaux Today: The King of Value Wines. I have been traveling to Bordeaux to taste every year since 1985, and I have seen a dramatic increase in quality in the so-called “lesser” wines of Bordeaux. And since the very fine 2000 vintage, these wines have been a staple at my home and at K&L Wine Merchants. I was not surprised last December when we blind-tasted 350 Bordeaux from various vintages and found 90% or more to be top quality. And these wines all sold for less than $35 a bottle--most in the $10 to $25 range! The top 100 that we picked are definitely wines that I could enjoy everyday and could afford to enjoy. Bordeaux value wines are the best in the world these days and I would hope that retail stores and restaurants would feature these wines—we do at K&L. In fact we had over 20 of the wines listed in the top 100 when the list came out. We will get more for sure." Elin McCoy [On the best of the red wines] "…The best showed more character, balance, and minerality than the generally fruit-forward bottlings in that price range from California. Most had attractive concentration without being New World-style jammy fruit bombs. Affordable, food-friendly, even some elegance in some…. Though tiring, it was a great experience to taste through all these wines in such an organized way and see the real improvement in Bordeaux wines in this price range." John Ragan "All too often, especially in the restaurant industry, we can forget that there is a whole world of Bordeaux that exists outside of Futures or Auction markets. Restaurateurs, Sommeliers and Wine Directors who think they know Bordeaux should look again. This time, skip past the pricey Paulliacs and the expensive Estèphes. Head straight to where Bordeaux lives and breathes: the place where wines are meant to be drunk rather than coveted, wines for enjoyment not investment. Experience "living" Bordeaux." |