I have from time to time been critical of Bordeaux. Generally speaking, their wines are over-priced, and when they aren’t they tend to earn the sobriquet “dirt and acid” especially when young. There are exceptions. It’s easier to find a reasonably priced current release that has depth and flavor than it was 15 years ago. But bargain wines were never its strong point and we shouldn’t judge a region solely on affordability.
Andrew Jefford wrote a lovely and thoughtful paean to Bordeaux last week asking “Why Do We Keep Coming Back to Bordeaux?” His answer:
Choose any scale you wish by which to measure red wine, and you will usually find Bordeaux loitering somewhere in the middle, and keeping well away from the extremes. Raw power to finesse, for example; sweet-fruitedness to dryness and austerity; structure and grip to softness and silkiness; unction and lushness through to vivacity and freshness; stoniness and ‘minerality’ through to lyricism of fruit; reductive broodiness to enticing perfume; even, nowadays, the scale between an evident oakiness to something unoaked or impalpably oaked. This assured centrality between different potential forces in wine is one definition of balance and harmony – and these two qualities in turn form a gateway (though not the only one) to two other precious wine assets: drinkability and the ability to age. The best red wines of Bordeaux age beautifully and reliably, and are indeed supremely drinkable (though ambitious Bordeaux needs time to acquire this drinkability)
I’m not sure I agree that Bordeaux hits the sweet spot in these continua more often than other regions. When young, for me, they tend to lean too much toward dryness, austerity, structure, and reductive broodiness. I would like a bit more sweet fruit, silkiness, and lyricism. But I have to agree about ability to age. I can’t think of another region whose wines age as reliably as those of Bordeaux. (Perhaps Rioja or Ribera del Duero come close) Burgundy and Barolo are always a dice roll. Super Tuscans often disappoint. Too many Napa wines fall apart after 15 years.
By contrast, wines of Bordeaux seldom become unbalanced with age and the aromatics almost always develop in interesting ways. Even their inexpensive, large production wines repay ageing. I wouldn’t hesitate to hold a Bordeaux for 20 years. With any other region I get nervous after 10-15.
It’s unfortunate that in our hyper-accelerated, impatient world, aging wines is becoming a thing of the past. A well-aged wine is a distinctive and consummate pleasure that for many wine lovers is “more honored in the breach than in the observance.”
Bordeaux suffers in such a world.
Exploring the Philosophy of Food and Wine 