We just published our Bordeaux 2020 en primeur tasting report, and after going through 1,302 pre-bottled samples (mostly from the barrel) we concluded that 2020 has capped off the legends of 2018 and 2019 by making it a trilogy of greatness. It is also a vintage marked by the sterling quality of merlot, with a balanced distribution of top wines coming from Pomerol, St.-Emilion, Pessac-Leognan and Medoc.

The only challenge wineries have now is arriving at reasonable price points for these bottles, as they did with the 2019 vintage, which showed stunning quality and value. As James points out in the Bordeaux report, it doesn’t make much sense to buy wine in barrels if the same quality is available from other top vintages already in the bottle. But here we turn to the Bordeaux 2018, which is currently the most widely distributed vintage on the market, and recommend 10 wines from that vintage that over-deliver on quality at a price of about $15.

Although Bordeaux is a star in the high-profile fine wine market, it also flies under the radar in the world of great value wines. It’s a shame that many people write off the more affordable yet still excellent Bordelais offerings simply because the region’s sublime top wines have so long overshadowed its lesser or unsung names. In fact, Bordeaux should not be seen only as a mecca for collectors when it can just as easily be labeled the promised land for wine consumers looking for everyday pours.

The good news for Bordeaux is that it actually has more safe cards to play now – especially with global climate change – than ever before. “If you remember the vintages of the 1980s and 1990s, we have less and less poor vintages [by comparison] and we have more and more great vintages,” Jean-Philippe Delmas of Haut Brion and Mission Haut Brion said during a Zoom interview with James as they tasted 2020 barrel samples. Today, with fewer challengingly cool vintages and more generous, warmer years, the mediocre wines from the region that used to be considered “too green” could be evolving into much more balanced, predictable and drinkable bottles.

BORDEAUX 2018: Watch James Suckling lead a tasting Masterclass.

TASTING EXCURSION: Watch highlights of James Suckling’s tasting trip to Bordeaux.

The wet weather and subsequent mildew during the first half of 2018 significantly shaped the vintage, but the determining factor was the sunny, hot weather from mid-July until the end of the harvest in October. This left a wide picking window that resulted in various styles of wines, and the best combine freshness with structure and concentration – some with an exuberant, sexy allure given the ideal ripeness.

In our 2018 en primeur report, James wrote that the vintage produced excellent quality wines across the board, from the simplest Bordeaux to the greatest names, which is a sign of an exceptional year. Even so, we believe that 2020 took it up another notch, making for a trilogy of great vintages.

While climate change could be a threat to the ultra-premium wines that constantly seek finesse, nuance, inner complexity and that much talked-about “Bordeaux class,” to a certain extent it could also help enhance the generic quality and consistency for cool climate regions like Bordeaux, where merlot and cabernet could still be engaging in a slightly warmer climate.

Below are 10 wines from the excellent 2018 vintage that are now widely available. Scoring from 91 to 93 points and coming from Pessac-Leognan, Medoc, Moulis-en-Medoc, Cotes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux Superieur and generic Bordeaux AOP, they represent a fraction of the best value wines, and they all cost around $15. Add a few dollars more to the budget and this list would undoubtedly include many more beloved names such as Lanessan, Senejac, Marsau, Dalem, Haut-Carles, and La Vieille Cure. So find, buy and take advantage of these while they are on the market before you develop a thirst for the 2020s.

– Zekun Shuai, Associate Editor