Big Value Buy in Boredaux: 2016 Château Ripeau Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé
This is the best Bordeaux that you have never heard of!
If you are in the market for a wine that drinks like a hundred bucks but costs half that, then you are in luck. Chateau Ripeau hails from the Saint Emilion plateau at the border of Pomerol. This estate has some notable neighbors such as Cheval Blanc, Figeac, and La Dominique. What do these three estates have in common aside from the great terroir? Three-digit price tags, and very small allocations. Ripeau takes advantage of this incredible terroir, but at a fraction of the price. If you are the company that you keep, Chateau Ripeau must be a real winner.
Chateau Ripeau may have remained under the radar until now, but the way that this estate has been trending I only expect to see the interest surge. It seems with every passing vintage, critics take more and more notice and in turn give better scores to this small estate. To say that this winemaking team is doing all they can to improve with every vintage almost feels like an understatement. The vineyards have been fully covered to organics, and other vineyard management has been updated to the cutting edge.
The brutish 2016 vintage is a perfect wine for the cellar, but if you are easily tempted for early opening (like myself) this wine is best enjoyed with Steak au Poivre, Duck Confit, or an original pressing of Pink Floyds “Wish You Were Here” on the record player.
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