2012 Chateau Larrivaux Haut-Médoc Bordeaux 750 ml

The Case-Buy Hidden Jewel of Bordeaux’s 2012 Vintage

If you've been holding off on locking in a case of red 2012 Bordeaux, waiting for that killer deal to come along, the moment has arrived. Château Larrivaux furnished the sleeper hit of the Haut-Médoc, delivering black fruit power and finesse for just $19.99—the best case price in the U.S.

This immaculate library release was fashioned with the help of the discreet Médoc superstar, enologist Eric Boissenot. A consultant for Château Latour, Mouton Rothschild, Margaux, and Lafite Rothschild, named “Bordeaux’s Secret Weapon” by Wine Spectator, he’s renowned for his blending and ability to achieve balance, a virtue that shines through this superb release. Manager Bérangère Tesseron—whose husband owns Château Lafon Rochet—is one of the multiple generations of women who have run the estate, dating back to the 16th century. Wine Enthusiast lauded its black fruit flavors for being “bright, juicy and crisp,” and we believe it is drinking spectacularly well today. This is a coup for Bordeaux bargain hunters.

Château Larrivaux lies just near the border of Saint-Estèphe appellation, two miles from Lafite Rothschild. At this legacy estate, generations of women have overseen the 49 acres of vineyards originally planted in 1861. The grape-growing land is divided into three plots, two composed of gravelly soils with deep reserves of clay and the third primarily limestone and clay. It’s an ideal combination that preserves water during rainfall, keeping vines replenished during dry periods, and one that invests the wine with layered complexity. Larrivaux’s land is primarily planted to Merlot, a fact that has made this wine one of the shining lights of the tricky 2012 vintage, which favored Merlot-based wines that were harvested before heavy precipitation.

Larrivaux’s wines are known for their full-bodied elegance, characterized by a juicy black fruit concentration which is always tempered by great structure and silky tannins—a result courtesy of Tesseron and Boissenot—two under-the-radar masters. Boissenot brings the judgment he is valued for at four First Growth estates to bear on this Haut-Médoc and in 2012 his influence shows. This wine is still gathering momentum, drinking beautifully now but capable of aging for another 5-10 years.

In 2012 in Bordeaux, “the winner was undoubtedly Melot,” concluded Vinous in its vintage report, making critically acclaimed releases like this one a hot commodity. As Robert Parker argued in his report on this growing season, it’s an excellent vintage if you know where to look, scattered with gems that deliver rich, ripe quality for a song. This under-$20 library release is one such bottle, weeknight Bordeaux for the dinner table at its very best.