If you ever find yourself in Bordeaux wandering around Pauillac knocking on the doors of famous Chateaux like Mouton, Lafite, Latour, Pontet-Canet, etc. and you keep getting denied entry; we have an alternative solution for you.
Located approximately 1 mile from the border of Pauillac rests the Hubert de Bouard (Chateau Angelus) generated Chateau Bernadotte. Coming from Jeb Dunnuck's 99 point vintage is the 2016 Château Bernadotte Cru Bourgeois Supérieur from the Haut-Medoc.
This deceptive beauty will impress your palate like you're drinking Pauillac but without the $100+ price tag. It blankets your nose and palate with fresh red plums, ripe raspberry, dried thyme, cracked cinnamon stick, and beetroot. Honestly, I can't believe it's NOT Pauillac.
Bernadotte utilizes the same philosophy as its neighboring Grand Cru Classé Chateau to produce wines that overdeliver. They do this by controlling every aspect of production from vine to bottle, deliberately lowering yields to increase fruit quality, and subdividing terroirs to create the perfect blend. They know what they're doing, and they're doing it at one of the highest levels.
We're not the only ones to take notice of Bernadotte's impressive wines. In 2018, the estate was graced with the title of “Crus Bourgeois Supérieur." This prestigious title is awarded to estates that are environmentally responsible and whose wines are judged by a tasting committee. The wine god, James Suckling, also gave this wine a 93 point score.
So if you want to experience Pauillac without flying into Bordeaux and renting a car for $1200 only to get denied at doors of every major Chateau, we recommend bringing home some of Bernadotte.
After all, it's 93 points, from a 99 point vintage, produced with the help of Hubert de Bouard (Chateau Angelus), only 1 mile from Pauillac, AND it's 55% off. The BHW wine sleuths have secured a big win for our family of wine lovers once more. Time to capture your W before it's all gone!
