Only in the high stratosphere of the most rarefied wine geeks is it logical to decry a successful merchant.
This version of the One Percenters, most of whom are neither rich nor exclusive in other ways, sniffs noisily at the very people who are most adept at bringing wines to their doorstep. They prefer the craft, the artisanal, the limited and obscure, the outlaws and outliers, the iconoclasts.
This is good, for all these artisans need champions, and many of them produce outstanding wines of unquestionable merit. But overlooking or avoiding a successful business that has become successful at providing good quality wines to a thirsty populace can prevent the discerning wine drinker from enjoying perfectly good wine at astonishingly good prices too.
Such a wine is the humble Chai de Bordes Bordeaux Rouge 2009 from the thriving family business of Cheval Quancard. Cheval Quancard is a multi-generational success story of a home distiller who became a wine merchant in 1948 in the negociant trade then acquired estate properties in Bordeaux. Now, years later, his descendants continue to thrive and have expanded the original wine company into a large and highly successful composition of many interests that span Bordeaux and reach across the globe.
Can such a large and profitable merchant business produce good quality wine at affordable prices? And is that wine worth the attention of wine lovers? A resounding yes to both questions.
An American giant in the wine business thinks so too. BevMo , that behemoth of a beverage retail chain that stretches across California, one of the best wine markets in the world, features the Chai de Bordes Rouge 2009 for $9.99 (ClubBev Ad Price). In-house Wine Guru, Wilfred Wong , who knows whereof he speaks when he speaks with his palate, attaches 89 points to the supple blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and succinctly describes it as “right on plan, the red-fruited '09 Chai de Bordes Rouge plays nicely in a superb, ripe-fruited vintage; excellent textures on the palate.”
In an even more telling venue, that of the groaning holiday table surrounded by feasting relatives in the middle of wine country, the Chai de Bordes Rouge captured the attention of the gourmands in attendance. With plenty of other bottles to choose from---and some at much higher prices and sporting recognized brands---the word got around about the Chai and it became the first-emptied crowd favorite of the evening.
That’s what’s known as the Gerald Asher Rule of Quality, named after the famous wine authority: Ignore the awards and attributes; just watch for the bottle that empties the fastest and pleases the most.
Saturated red-currants reinforced with some deep purple plum show brightly in the Chai de Bordes 2009, supported but not overcome by a touch of vanilla and a brush of spice, all balanced out with a lively acidity that keeps the wine fresh and bracing on the palate. The Chai de Bordes handles the complex foods with ease, cutting through the fats and butters and gravies but never overwhelming the savory flavors of the dishes.
Pretty good accolades for any wine. And a reveler announced when he was told the price, “I’ve paid a lot more for a lot less. This is a ‘by the case’ wine for me.”