Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel: 2016 Chateau Lilian Ladouys Saint-Estephe
Not all of life’s luxuries come with an exorbitant price tag. Bubble baths come to mind. So does today’s offering, a wine produced in Saint-Estèphe’s finest terroirs that’s caught the attention of the world’s most prominent critics.
The 2016 Chateau Lilian Ladouys Saint-Estephe is simply a Bordeaux you’re not going to want to miss out on. In 2008, when the Lorenzetti family took responsibility for this historic property with viticultural roots that reach back to 1564, they fully restructured the vineyards and the cellars of the estate on the Left Bank.
It was well worth the effort because, in 2020, Château Lilian Ladouys was classified as a Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel! That same year, the Chateau made the commitment to convert their vineyards to 100% organic agriculture by 2023.
This 2016 doesn’t have the Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel label, but it has the Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel quality. To earn the prestigious classification, a jury tasted 5 vintages of Ladouys, and the 2016 was among those wines.
Because of its recognized quality, more recent vintages of Chateau Lilian Ladouys are now offered En Primeur and collectors are laying those vintages down. You can buy this luxury wine already with a little age on, just ready to drink now but still with a good decade or more left on it. Like we said earlier, you’re really not going to want to miss out on this wine that Jeb Dunnuck exclaims is a “perennial overachiever,”and Wine Enthusiast declares “has the structure and tannins of a classic Saint-Estphe.”They, along with Vinous bestowed 92 points on this fantastic Bordeaux.
This blend of 62% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Petit Verdot is rich and crisp with ripe tannins and refined oak. Loads of dark fruits, dried herbs, and violets let you know this is Bordeaux. It’s velvety and balanced with the opulence and length of a Saint-Estèphe fine wine.
BHW has this overachieving wine for just $38.95! Think about it. Luxury wine for less than $40? It’s almost unheard of, but this wine that helped earn the Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel label has certainly earned the right to be called luxury. And you’ve earned the right to have it on your table, in your glass, and in your cellar.
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