2014 Château de Bel-Air Lalande-de-Pomerol 750 ml

Elevated by its gorgeous, Petrus-like terroir, Château de Bel-Air has blossomed into one of the Right Bank’s greatest values.

Those who have been able to capitalize on our last two deals from the estate have seen spectacular returns: sumptuously aged, back-vintage Bordeaux for less than $25 per bottle. Yet because those two vintages ended in rapid sellouts, we had to pull the plug before many Bordeaux lovers could claim a coveted case.

Today, the goods are back on the table with a glorious release from 2014, a Bordeaux year that “sings of fruit,” says Wine Enthusiast. After six years in bottle, this dusty, ruby-red blend has achieved the kind of gravitas and aromatic complexity that only age can bestow, folded together with the silky softness of an Hermès scarf. Tertiary depth builds minute after minute on the nose, as notions of dried violets, roses, and spiced wild red berries rise from the glass as though from a potpourri box.

The secret to this bottle, which comes with age but without the standard Right Bank price, is in its terroir: Lalande-de-Pomerol is one of the truly hidden gems of Bordeaux, for a reason that dates back more than a century.

Pomerol, the world-famous village that spawns wines like Petrus and Le Pin, traded with the British in the 19th century, whereas Lalande was historically more isolated. For that reason, the great English négociants focused all of their energies on Pomerol, leading to wines with prices that now sit at three and even four digits.

Meanwhile, Lalande-de-Pomerol wines are every bit as worthy of attention, but have remained relatively overlooked. This is great for savvy Bordeaux lovers, because Lalande’s position just outside the spotlight means the prices for their wines, which are laden with unforgettable character and nuance, are significantly lower than those of Pomerol.

For smart Bordeaux bargain hunters, Château de Bel-Air is an unmissable hidden gem—a fact driven home for us by a lunch at the Grosvenor Hotel in London. Every attendee was told to bring a favorite bottle, and while we represented Napa Valley with a bottle of Frog’s Leap Cabernet, our friend Guillaume showed up with the Bel-Air. It not only captivated us the entire time, but even managed to overshadow some serious Cru Classé bottles. 

Years later, this Right Bank wonder, grown on remarkable soil next to the famous Petrus plateau, is showing more character and complexity than ever before. That’s why we claimed every bottle we could: beauty and age, at a price that defies belief.