A brief perusal of one of those vintage charts you see next to the cash register in wine shops will tell you that '95 was a super vintage in Bordeaux while '97 was mediocre at best. But they would be very mistaken. All red Bordeaux needs time to mature, and the better the vintage, the more time it needs. 97 on the other hand, was an only so-so vintage and while the wines will never be great, they are soft and accessible, and make for delicious drinking right now. Nick Passmore is a wine, travel and digital journalist, based in New York.
Prices are the importers' recommended retail price and often can be found for considerably less.
The commune of Moulis, between the more famous Margaux and St-Julien, is attracting increasing attention as people discover what fine, good value, wines are produced there. The concentrated and powerful Poujeaux is a prime example. Full, soft, rich, ripe and luxurious. At its peak. A famous property much improved under new ownership since '95.