2016 Chateau Lassegue Les Cadrans de Lassegue Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 750 ml

Today’s 2016 Château Lassègue Les Cadrans de Lassègue—a Right Bank blend from a spectacular vintage—is one of the best Bordeaux values we’ve seen in a long time. Last year, we sold not one but two 200-case allocations in less than 24 hours each, and this 2016 is every bit as delicious as its predecessor. Dripping with plum, cassis, allspice, loganberry, and leather, 100-point winemaker Pierre Seillan’s latest release is an under-$30 bottle that wows collectors and bargain-hunters alike. 

We made a call and secured every bottle we could at the best price in the nation. If you missed the last allocation or are ready to stock up on the red that balances classic Bordeaux structure with the complexity that makes wine lovers swoon, now is your chance—for just $28.

Pierre Seillan is a legend in his own time: The French-born winemaker and vine-whisperer is the genius behind the 100-point-scoring Vérité in California, Tuscan standout Tenuta di Arceno, and Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Château Lassègue. 

Unfortunately, most consumers never have a chance to taste this second wine of Lassègue. It is generally limited to restaurants—a retail presence is rare—and tends to be snapped up from the lists of Michelin-starred Nomad, Brennan’s, and The Jefferson as soon as it’s added. But we snagged 100 cases to share with Wine Access members. 

Named after the sundials on the outside of the château, in honor of the incredible exposure to sunlight that Lassègue enjoys, Château Lassègue is blessed with a terroir that would be enviable anywhere in the world. Chalk and chalky-clay soils dominate and give the wine its structure and finesse, but each parcel on the property is unique enough that Seillan has pioneered a method of vinification by what he calls “micro-crus.” 

In other words, fruit from each individual soil is crushed, fermented, and aged separately, to allow the terroir to speak as clearly as possible. On top of that, Seillan has pioneered the use of barrels from not just specific forests in France, but also in using barrels custom made for him, hewn from wood from specific parts of each forest. This better harnesses the unique characteristics of trees near rivers or far from them, exposed to more wind or less, and countless other variables. Simply put, Château Lassègue takes the practices of First Growth châteaux and applies them to their everyday bottling—an incredibly rare practice, which lends marvelous precision and complexity to their wines. The value-add to this 2016 Les Cadrans release is tasteable in its balance between ripe plum fruit and gorgeous minerality and spice—a combination rarely seen in sub-$75 Bordeaux.

The Merlot and Cabernet Franc-driven blend is made in the same way as the grand vin but with less new oak—it’s made to be especially approachable in its youth, and is utterly delicious right now. The 2015’s accessible complexity and black-fruit generosity, which exist alongside a muscular and energetic structure, make it a standout among its peers and a classic Saint-Émilion. This a bottle that’s ready to be opened now but also has the potential to evolve for several more years, and an absolute steal given its pedigree and flat-out deliciousness. 

The chance to experience the handiwork of a legend like Pierre Seillan typically comes at a far higher price. Snap this one up while you can.