I have been buying a few cases here and there of relatively minor Bordeaux Châteaux in the last few vintages as frankly I have noted a significant surge in quality at this level. I think that sticking a few cases at £125 to £200 per 6 bottle case in bond away in the cellar in strong vintages is something of a no-brainer. Firstly, these aren’t bank breaking wines, and I know they will impress with just a little patient cellarage. Equally, not meaning to shatter illusions, but when it comes to Bordeaux I don’t drink top end wines every time I am entertaining – those occasions are very much the exception. I find wines of this level really handy as they are interesting to me, they don’t disappoint but I am happy to serve them even when entertaining friends with just a passing interest in wine.
When I first entered the wine trade, shops were packed full of Petit Châteaux Bordeaux, that seemed to be offered at fair prices, but often completely underdelivered in terms of quality. Today, it is a different world. In part, this is down to a change in both viticulture and vinification, the former perhaps being aided by climate change to some extent too. Whatever the reason, there are a whole host of affordable Bordeaux, that drink relatively early and really deliver striking value for money. Invariably, we highlight one or two that catch our eye in our en primeur suggestions, and occasionally we get the chance to taste a few with a little bottle age.
One such estate that has increasingly caught my attention is Château Mangot (pronounced like the fruit – no soft ‘g’ here as I found out). This estate has punched above its weight in the last four or five vintages. It comes from a 37-hectare estate to the east of St. Emilion on clay-limestone soils. Owned by the Todeschini family, Château Mangot is an historic, if under the radar, Château, which dates back to the mid-1500s. Cultivated organically, the grapes are harvested and vinified plot by plot, enabling the team to harvest at optimum ripeness, and giving the winemaking team control over which components make it into the final blend. There is a real sense of care in the vineyard and the winery demonstrated by the Todeschini family, and that has clearly paid dividends.
I rated the 2022, and then the 2023 highly, but both will require five or six years to enter their drinking window. I recently had a chance to taste the 2019, which I think is going to provide great value drinking now and over the next decade. There is an immediacy about this style; it is ripe with an expressive dark berry and stone fruit character – notes of loganberry, damson and plum are lifted by a red fruits vibrancy. This is a medium-bodied style, with a notable juicy, fleshy quality, and just enough tannic backbone to provide gentle direction. This is high on early drinking appeal.
More recent vintages of Mangot are a touch more sophisticated, and may demand a bit more patience, but the immediacy of the 2019 is part of its essential appeal. What I note here is the clever, and limited use of oak, which harnesses the freshness and vibrancy of the fruit. This is smart winemaking and returns to the point I made above, that advances in both the vineyard and cellar have breathed life into a number of lesser known, Petit Châteaux.
Wine critics can only afford so much time to lower end wines in Bordeaux, so often you get a very clipped note. One critic even erroneously described Mangot as a wine from Pessac-Léognan in his tasting note, rather than correctly identifying it as a St. Emilion! Such slips can easily be forgiven, but it means when looking at lower end Bordeaux, you probably need to rely on your merchant a little more. That said, I include a good note from William Kelley below, whose views on Mangot certainly seem to coincide with my own.
2019 Château Mangot, St.Emilion Grand Cru
£130 per 6 bottle case in bond
£145 per 3 magnum case in bond
92 points, William Kelley, robertparker.com
Bursting from the glass with notes of plus, sweet red berries and hints of licorice, the 2019 Mangot is medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with beautifully powdery tannins and a succulent core of fruit. Giving, charming and lively, it has turned out very well. Traditional barriques are complemented by amphorae in the chai. Drink 2021-2043
