which bordeaux

[martyp77]

banal question: which red bordeaux shall i buy for about 15-20$ ?

[Innkeeper]

Sometimes if you peruse the whole board you can find your answer. A recommendation for 1997 Chateau Moulin de Poncet was posted by Wine Board member Hotwine on 4/16/00 under the heading Best Buys. He was very enthusiastic.

[hotwine]

Thanks for covering for me, Innkeeper.
Marty, I am indeed enthusiastic about the Poncet; it was wonderful stuff. The '96 Ch. Grand-Jean that we tried over the weekend had a leaking cork; it was still nice, but not like the Poncet (we won't know until we try another bottle what affect the cork had on the tasting.) The Grand-Jean was about $11 locally, the Poncet about $8-9.
The problem with lesser Bordeaux is availability: while most good wine merchants carry a selection of the grand cru classe Bordeaux, very few stock a large selection of the lesser Bordeaux. Their rationale is probably based on margin - they stand to make a greater profit per bottle on the world-famous wines than on the unknowns from the same region. The best advice I can offer is for you to visit several wine shops in your area, and ask to see their lesser Bordeaux; buy a few bottles of each that you find that are within your price range, try them with Bordeaux-style menus, and decide for yourself which ones meet your requirements. When you find something that you really like, return to that merchant and tell him how much you enjoyed it, and ask him to maintain a stock on hand. Then be sure to return to his shop for subsequent purchases on a regular schedule.