Bordeaux Comes to Binny's

In the early hours of Monday morning, 112 bottles of Bordeaux were unloaded, uncorked, and organized by appellation across two tasting rooms at Binny’s. These were not just any wines -- these were 2020 Bordeaux barrel samples, shipped to us by Grand Cru Bordeaux producers. Twenty of Binny’s wine experts accompanied our Bordeaux buyer, Barbara Hermann, in small groups throughout the day. Barbara has been to Bordeaux over 50 times and several of the wine managers present have also attended En Primeur with her in years past. They recounted those visits to the chateaux, Barbara’s rigorous tasting itinerary, and shared detailed opinions on each wine.

Gradually staff worked their way through Saint-Emilion, Pomerol, and Pessac-Leognan. The famous communes of the Medoc were behind door number two. By the afternoon, these wines had been open for a few hours. The smell of fermented grape juice – red and black fruits, mint, eucalyptus, cedar and earth – brought us right back to the cellars of Bordeaux.

Here are our main findings:

  • Much to love on the Right Bank as Merlot fared well in 2020 conditions
     
  • Praise for Pessac-Leognan, particularly Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte and Chateau Pape Clement due to their fruit concentration and balance between acidity and tannins that others lacked.
     
  • Where other Medoc communes had some inconsistencies, the nine chateaux we received from Saint-Julien were knockouts. Chateau Beychevelle, Chateau Saint-Pierre and Chateau Gloria were most adored.

As we still work to remove the purple hue from our enamel and await the eventual arrival of this vintage, we don’t want you to go thirsty. We have some exceptional 2018 wines from Monday’s standout chateaux that we know you’ll enjoy.