Friends, would love to stock up on some aged Bordeaux that’s not super expensive.
Key criteria being
1 10-20 years of bottle age
2. UK 12 bottle case price of < $1200
I am aware of the 25% duty and willing to wait it out.
So far the best two options I have come up with are
2005 Grand Puy Lacoste
2005 Leoville Poyferre
Any other suggestions would be great.
I would only buy Leoville Poyferre if you like super rich, very modern styled Bordeaux. Very different in style from Grand Puy Lacoste.
Sort of an open-ended question, and I have no idea what is available in the UK or the prices. As for the two wines listed, the GPL is likely to please if you lean towards a traditional style, and the Leo P if you like the so-called “modern” profile. For me, both wines are almost certain to benefit from lots more time in the cellar, so I am not sure how suitable they are if you are looking for something to drink.
More generally, and if you are looking to consume now, I’d look for wines in the 1999, 2001, 2002, and 2004 vintages, and for much older wines, for 83 and 85. Recommending specific wines won’t help much because availability is going to be scattershot
Thanks Neal. Open ended is a matter of perspective 
Eg asking for a wine recommendation for <$100 would be open ended.
Anyway I appreciate your point that not many people will have access to UK prices. I said UK prices only because I find back vintages a lot easier to procure in the UK with a reliable pricing.
The only reds I buy these days are ready-to-drink bdx (and infrequently burgs) so the kind of wines you are talking about. And I have no way of directing you to specific wines because it is a matter of paying attention to offers and striking when you see something good. They pop up every now and then, but specific wines pop up at value prices so infrequently that naming specific wines is not really possible.
Neither of two wines appear available in the US for under $100, best price I saw was $125.
GPL would be an excellent choice, however.
Neal’s recommendation of 2001 and 2004 is solid, I just grabbed some 2004 Haut Bailly for $60. 2008 may be a solid grab as well. Haut Bailly is excellent in 2008.
I’d have been all over that 04 HB!
Damn. I want some $60 haut bailly
I am getting 2004 Haut Bailly for $65 in the UK and 2008 for $85.
Lowest US price is $80 and $100 respectively.
Given the shipping cost and uncertainty on tax, it’s not enough difference to import.
Thinking of vintages, I would also look for 1996s from the Medoc.
I’ve seen it too. Cellar release?
Still not clear to me if you want current drinking only or drink and cellar or only to cellar. Citing 2005 wines suggests only to cellar.
I agree. Good 2005s need time. I have no experience with 2002, but I’ve had several wines from each of the other vintages Neal mentions that have been in a good place in the past couple of years. A lot of back vintage Bordeaux gets sold in the US. You don’t have to buy in the UK.
Socciando Mallet?
Cantemerle?
I’ve had '96 Lagrange multiple times over the past 2 years and it has been exactly what I look for in high quality fully mature Bordeaux. I also had a 2000 Clerc Milon which was excellent now but will also age for a bit longer. Both of these are available ~$100 in the US, potentially less if you search/wait for auction.
Lots of lovely bordeaux < $100 that is fully mature. I would encourage looking for older bottles (ie: Not 2005) if you’re looking to try them anytime in the next few years.
I second this. I’ve recently enjoyed a '01 GPL and an '02 Pontet Canet, both were drinking beautifully (especially the GPL) and were $100 or less including auction premiums.
Drink and cellar. But cellaring is really for the short term (< 5 years). So ideally something that’s drinking well and becomes even better with some more age.
10-20 years of bottle age to me implies intent to buy and wait or has a palate preference for younger BDX. In that vein, 05 Poyferre may not be a bad call. My own perspective when backfilling is to look for slightly more mature wines (I’m in to 89-90s, and 95/96) that I plan to drink in the next year or two, but to the OP:
Strong second on Haut Bailly. '98 was also a good vintage, slightly beyond the given age range
Don’t count out Ch. Issan, which is incredibly ageworthy. Even great vintages can be found for <$100 ('85, '89, '90, '00, '05)
2004 Pontet Canet the other night was drinking very, very well, seems to auction around $80
Board wisdom would suggest Meyney, Sociando, Cantemerle.
“Off” vintages of Montrose age very well, and I’ve had good experience with Calon Segur (pushing it price-wise). I would search for 2001 and 2004, and broaden to 95 (right) 96 (left) and 98 (both)
Dinesh are you located in the USA or UK?