Eric Asimov Selects Ch Puy Galland in New York Times Wine Column on Lower Priced Bordeaux

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 Puy Galland comes from Bordeaux where the
Cotes de Francs vineyards are in the
undiscovered (and high value) area
just 10K east of Saint-Emilion.

Cotes de Francs. A rolling, green part of Right Bank Bordeaux that’s producing some of Bordeaux’s least known but most amazing little wines.

I’ve always got my eyes open when it comes to affordable Bordeaux made by winemakers whose livelihood actually depends upon their making a knockout wine. Of course, I am especially keen on finding them in great years like 2005.

All of this points right to Chateau Puy Galland. Bernard Labatut’s Chateau Puy Galland is exactly what I look for. A classy Bordeaux with flesh and black cherries, very round in the mouth. Many people don’t realize it, but there are a lot of affordable wines in Bordeaux that just get shouldered aside by the Classified Growth buzz. Yes, you can drink great Bordeaux every night – you just have to know where to find them.

There is a round, substantial, dark-fruitiness to this wine. Bernard Labatut suggests nothing less than foie gras for his beauty, but I think we can stoop to things less lofty. I’ve had Puy Galland with a roast chicken or a grilled pork chop and the wine didn’t seem to be embarrassed at all.

Cynthia Hurley