Château Ramage La Batisse 2011

Château Ramage La Batisse is a Bordeaux lover’s dream. A 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot aged 12 months in fine French barriques, it’s superbly balanced, with layers of subdued dark-fruit, complex cedar tones and spice notes.

It's deliciousness is no surprise, given the neighborhood from which it hails.

Turn right out of Lafite ($1,100+ a bottle for their flagship). Head past Mouton ($1,000+). Go through a small wood, and the next vineyards you’ll come to are those of Château Ramage La Batisse—planted to the same soils. Comparatively, this Cru Bourgeois Supérieur estate offers exceptional value and has “an impressive track record for quality for close to 30 years … Ramage La Batisse represents an elegant style of Bordeaux” (critic Robert Parker).

Decked out in over a dozen medals (including three golds, so far!), it’s cellared to perfection, absolutely singing, despite its significant age. Its tannins have softened to create an ideal texture, and you’ll find plenty of red and black fruit flavors complemented nicely by a complex wood spice and an earthy soil character. Just be sure to be gentle: Because it’s more than a decade old, the wine’s cork may crumble a bit when you pull it. This is totally normal, and nothing to worry about considering the wine’s maturity.

If you’ve caught our offers on earlier vintages, you’ll know how good Ramage is—and you’ll wisely pounce on this one.