It’s true, there are actually quality Bordeaux wines for sale in the US for under $15!!! At the recent 2009 Concours des Grands Vins de France de Mâcon, (sorry, no website available in English) Baron de Montfort’s 2006 Chateau de Lagrange Monbadon earned a silver medal. We’re extremely excited about this award along with the entire team at Baron de Montfort, as we only began importing this wine several months ago, but it has been well received in that short time.

While the 2006 vintage earned the award, the 2003 vintage is currently for sale in in select markets (the 2006 will be available soon), including Pennsylvania and Wyoming, so please ask your favorite retailer about ordering if they don’t carry this wine! The PLCB also offers two other selections from the Baron de Montfort estates, the 2005 Chateau de Monbadon as well as the 2005 Chateau du Rocher St. Emilion Grand Cru. If you live in Utah the UDABC does carry the 2005 Chateau Monbadon, a sister Chateau, which is an equally delicious wine for under $20, and hopefully they will soon carry the entire line of Baron de Montfort wines. 

As the economy continues to struggle, I hope everyone finds some comfort in knowing that wines such as these are available in your area. I think now more than ever we need to research our wine selections a bit more as there are hidden values from every region in the world. Explore these options, expand your palate, and above all, enjoy some new wines with friends and family!!!

Question for all- what is your most recent “Value Find”? Where is it from and how much does it cost in your area?

Cheers,

Michael

After 10 years since being listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, the jurisdiction of St. Emilion will be celebrating the anniversary and relishing their coveted distinction with a bit more “gusto” throughout 2009.  St. Emilion is an absolutely amazing city that one must visit if they are even remotely close to the Bordeaux area. It’s small alleyways and steep streets are filled with wine shops, patisseries, boulangeries, and wonderful boutiques where one can buy incredible cognac and wine paraphernalia. Due to the fact the the vineyards are included along with the city itself for the UNESCO distinction, the Saint Emilion Wines Council has created a 10 year annivesary logo for the occasion. The vineyards surrounding the city and their long standing history are what ultimately sets St. Emilion apart from other wine producer regions, and were a major part of the distinction as seen from UNESCOS’s criteria; 

Criterion (iii): The Ancient Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion is an outstanding example of an historic vineyard landscape that has survived intact and in activity to the present day. 

Criterion (iv): The intensive cultivation of grapes for wine production in a precisely defined region and the resulting landscape is illustrated in an exceptional way by the historic Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion.

 Even more impressive and excited for the P.R. Grisley Company is the fact that we are honored to be able to work closely with one of the distingushed people that worked to establish St. Emilion as a UNESCO site. Baron de Montfort was the “major” of  one of the villages included, St. Etienne de Lisse, and worked hard for the distinction that would ultimately preserve the area and the land he loves. The listing was a major success as it deters any future building or development in the St. Emilion area and helps to preserve what many consider to be the most prestigious wine region in France. 

Our hats are off to Baron de Montfort and the countless other individuals involved who helped to secure St. Emilion its place among the many treasured places in the world. We hope that everyone will be able to visit this wonderful place at some point in their life, but if not, the true charm of the region shines through in the amazing wines being produced there. Fortunately, we have worked hard to make several of these wines available to you here in the US market, so please discover this amazing region and its wines with us!

Sante,

Michael