Early morning fog over vines in the Bergerac AOP near Saussignac- Nouvelle Aquitaine, France

Bordeaux is famous for expensive red wine.

But most folks don’t know how large the Bordeaux and neighboring regions are- there are literally thousands of wineries stretching for miles.

After digging deep to challenge the “expensive” myth, I found two bottles that may turn your perception upside-down.

This month our French #winophiles group scoured France to bring you amazing wines for $20 or less (roughly €17 today). Like many countries, France is rich with wines in this lower price range; it’s just a matter of finding them. The Nouvelle Aquitaine region (the southwest quadrant of France where Bordeaux lies) is silly with them.

Almost two years ago when Mark and I came to Bordeaux, I found Le Chai Des Chartrons but was intimidated having never uttered a word of French; no English at this Cave. While I still consider myself a novice speaker, my work towards mastering ‘French wine lingo’ recently took me in.

“Bonjour monsieur, avez-vous une bouteille du vin préféré?

Asking Monsieur if he had a favorite wine, he looked, shared a handful then stopped, asking me to wait. He presented a wine from the back indicating this was his favorite at an amazingly low price. It went home with me. Wine #1.

That afternoon, Mark and I headed to Saussignac, a small town about 45 minutes east of Saint Émilion to meet a friend who raved about a new restaurant. Lorraine took us to Café Le 1500, the barely year old child of Lee and Michael. All about supporting local- we happily agreed to try their favorite wine. Dinner was fantastic, so was the vin! Wine #2.

I’ll start with wine #2:

Château de Fayolle, Sang du Sanglier, 2014 Bergerac Rouge    (€14 / $16)

This is 100% Merlot from the Bergerac AOP, just east of Bordeaux. The area is considered the Southwest (Sud-Ouest), adjacent to the Dordogne River. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec are grown, as well as Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle, Ugni Blanc and Ondec for whites- essentially the same varieties as in Bordeaux, plus a few more.

The 15th century château is located just outside Saussignac and produces red, rosé, and dry white, a Saussignac AOP Liquoreux (sweet), and a sparkling wine made in the traditional method.

Purchased in 2000 by the English brewery Ringwood, their emblem was a bore, hence the name Sang du Sanglier (blood of the bore). The current owners kept the name for this special cuvée.

• Color: Garnet with a ruby rim
• Aromas: Arcs of forest spice, vanilla and cocoa nibs on a solid base of boysenberry, blackberry and plum
• Palate: Fruits carry through, juicy freshness, a tactile sense of aliveness from the acid. Mouth filling and round, all flavors linger, velvety tannins with a dusty finish
• Acid, Tannins, Body: Medium
• ABV: 14.5%
• Wine Making: 1 week stainless vat fermentation, pre- post fermentation maceration, French barrel aging 12 months
  
• Wine Pairings: Coq au Vin, grilled vegetables, meats,  tuna or salmon, pasta with red sauce
  

A seriously delightful wine comparable with Bordeaux right bank wines at far higher prices. It draws you in with its jammy fruit, yet demands your attention on the palate, before smoothly lingering. Given the cost, we were amazed!

Wine #2: Châteaux Guiraud, Le G, 2015 Blanc Sec (€14 / $16)

This is a dry white from a 1^st growth château in the Sauternes AOP. It’s located in the southernmost part of Graves on the left bank of the Garonne River just south of Bordeaux. They’re known for sweet, complex Sauternes.  The blend is 70% Sémillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc. While they make a fair amount, it was my first taste, and another excellent quality to price ratio.

• Color: Lemon with a yellow-green rim
• Aromas: Medium intensity, delicate yellow and white floral blossoms, white peach, citrus and wet stone
• Palate: Crisp, fresh attack with mid-palate depth and intensity. Lingering citrus, chamomile and brie / non-sweet crème anglaise notes
• Acid: Medium
• Body: Medium
• ABV: 13%
• Wine Making: Fermented in barrels used two vintages for their Sauternes wine. Bâtonnage (lees stirring) for six months, no ML
• Wine Pairings: Sushi, grilled white seafood with miso sauce, salmon, Caprese salad, to name a few
  

We enjoyed this simple Caprese dish with Château Guiraud Le G

You can join me and the other talented #Winophiles to discover several affordable French wine finds if you’d like- just log into Twitter tomorrow, Saturday August 19th at 8 a.m. PDT (5 p.m. in France) and type #winophiles into the search box. Click the “Latest” tab at the top of the page to see all of our tweets in real time. You can tweet comments and ask questions too!

The #Winopiles Crew This Month

An Affordable Red and Tapenade, Languedoc-Style by Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Navigating the Languedoc with Domaine Magellan by Lauren at The Swirling Dervish 

4 French Wine Finds $20 and under with Croque Monsieur and Monte Cristo from Gwen from Wine Predator

Each day should be a celebration by Wendy from A Day In the Life on the Farm

Surprisingly Affordable Wine Region: Bordeaux! by Jeff at FoodWineClick!

My Favorite Under $20 Pet Nat; Patrice Colin “Les Perles Gris” by Martin at ENOFLYZ

Affordable French Wines Paired with Simple Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner by Jane at Always Ravenous

Mapping France in Wine Bottles: Where to Get Affordable French Wine from Jill at L’occasion

Cooking to the Wine: Casa Rossa Rosé with Sardine & Roasted Zucchini Penne by Nicole at Somm’s Table

Two Bargains from Bordeaux and Bergerac from me here at Savor the Harvest

Santé!