Excerpt from Forbes Advisor, The Euro's Current Outlook in 2022: "By September, the Euro plummeted below parity to 0.9685, levels unseen since June 2002. This occurred after the region's economic outlook worsened, thanks to the closure of Nord Stream 1, which drastically limited the available energy to fire the eurozone economy."

Some days, you eat the bear; some days, the bear eats you. I'm not sure why that quote from The Big Lebowski resonates in my brain, but it is also a truism that, during rough times, we need to take advantage of good opportunities. In the summer of 2022, the Euro in relation to the dollar tanked by almost 10%. It was bad for Europeans trying to cope with war and scarcity of heating fuel. Good for American businesses looking to buy, i.e., wine. Values could be found by negociants for wine that were priced less than the En Premier First Release price, a system of discounted Classified Bordeaux wine offered by wineries before they are bottled. This was the case with Chateau Belgrave 2015, which is why a great price was offered to us and now to you.

Château Belgrave is a stylish Fifth Growth from the Haut-Médoc, which has always offered excellent value for money. The property is separated from St. Julien to the east by a stream bordering directly on the vineyards of Chateau Lagrange, Third Growth ($76), and very close to Chateau Beychevelle Fourth Growth ($153). Belgrave is one of 18 wineries awarded Fifth Growth Grand Cru Classe from the 1855 classifications (less than 5% of all Bordeaux) and is one of the few that have not added on to its vineyards as is allowed in Bordeaux. 

Château Belgrave is one of the oldest wines in the Médoc, beginning in the 1800s. The area was a prime hunting ground and a hunting lodge that paved the way for the grand château. The ferret on its current label is a nod to its hunting history, along with its second wine, Diane de Belgrave, an homage to the Roman deity Diana, the goddess of hunting. In the 1800s, it was known as Château Coutanceau after the family who owned it, but négociant Bruno Devès changed its name to Belgrave in 1845. He renovated the estate, building the elegant château replacing the hunting lodge, plus a winery and vat rooms. 

Since 1979, it has been in the knowledgeable hands of Bordeaux négociant, Maison Dourthe, owner of nine top Bordeaux Chateau's, who have invested heavily - replanting the vineyards and modernizing the winery and cellar. Refurbishment of the winemaking and aging facilities was finally completed in 1986 when Professor Alain Regnier advanced the methods used for cultivating the vineyard and Michel Rolland in the winemaking, selection, and aging. These changes meant that the wine received high praise across the board and is still among the elite in the Medoc.

Chateau Belgrave is a 150-acre block encompassing two hilltop vineyards with soils composed of gravel and pudding stones deposited several thousand years ago by the Gironde, overlying a clay sub-structure. Later-ripening varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot flourish. At the base of the hills, Merlot thrives in the gravel-sand soils or clay outcrops.

When it comes to the harvest, the grapes undergo rigorous selection, notably via optical sorting, to retain only perfectly ripe berries. One of the first properties in the Médoc to practice cap-punching, the tank room at Château Belgrave is equipped to vinify in separate batches and respect the individual character of the selectively harvested batches. Finally, aging on the fine lees for 12-14 months in French oak barriques defines and enhances the aromatic profile of future wines.

Lovely, deep, concentrated appearance to this rich and complex wine. Elegant on the nose, where intense, dark berry fruit aromas intermingle with spice and licorice. Initially delicate on the palate, gaining rapidly in intensity to reveal rich and flavorsome mouthfeel underpinned by fine-grained, silky tannins. The wine culminates in a long, lingering, and racy finish, defined by freshness and spice.

Blend: 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot

A dense and layered red with wet earth and blue fruits. Sweet tobacco, too. Soft tannins give this full-bodied wine a juicy richness and decadence. Plump mouthfeel. So good now but better in two or three years. James Suckling 93pts

This is packed with dusty tannins that are supported by intense acidity. The texture, initially dry, then reveals layers of black fruits and vibrant acidity. The finish is dry and lingering, with good tannic grip. Wine Enthusiast 93 pts

Smoky, brambly undergrowth is the dominant impression here, a lovely autumnal feeling. It is a well made wine with clear grip on the attack, but is lacking a little pep towards the finish where the tannins get just a touch dry - give it a few years to allow them to soften. This was the first year that Belgrave used an optical sorting machine. Decanter 91 pts

The 2015 Belgrave has a attractive blackberry, raspberry and pressed iris bouquet that displays commendable intensity. The palate is quite grippy with slightly hard tannins but there is plenty of fruit with hints of autumn leaves and fennel toward the slightly bitter finish. Enjoy this over the next decade. Vinous 90 pts

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Belgrave has a nose of crushed black currant, chocolate-covered cherries, warm plums and lilacs with touches of garrigue and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied with firm, ripe, grainy tannins and wonderfully pure black fruits with lovely floral accents, it finishes long and perfumed. Drink 2018 - 2029 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 90 pts

Chateau Belgrave 2015  

We found it very exciting to taste a top-notch 2015 Bordeaux wine that you would not otherwise be able to drink unless you had bought it 8 years ago and stored it in your wine cellar. Most of us did not have the foresight to lay down this wine with an eye to the future; my own cellar can barely keep up with my current drinking habits. The wine pours with a dark garnet color with hints of brickish hue on the edge. An olive, black fruit nose. Flavors of black olive tapenade, dark chocolate, cumin, brown sugar, Boba Milk Tea, and whet-stone-minerality. Balanced acid and fine grainy tannins. Here is a rare opportunity to buy a fifth-growth Bordeaux that has already been aged and is just starting to reach its peak in drinkability. With time in the glass, the wine opened up even more, and flavors rounded out turning this into a real keeper of a wine now with years left to enjoy. These opportunities do not come by often, and we will run out of stock on this wine with no more available. Them the facts, don't kill the messenger.

Regular Price: $45.99

(Lowest in-stock price on the internet)

*Sale Price is on 3 or more bottles

Wine is packed in a 12-bottle wooden case

*Wine pricing for these wine promotions are held for two weeks after the email offer.

We can hold wines in unpaid reserves for two weeks to allow you time to pick up your wine. If it takes you longer than that to pick up your wines, give us a call, and we can process your wine and move it to paid reserves.

Orders must be done by replying to this email. The reason is that I need to keep control of the inventory in one central spot. Emailing or calling your favorite wine geek at one of our four stores may not get your orders in on time to be counted or processed and this creates a helter-skelter for us to get you the wine. For the same reason, ordering on our online Web Store is linked to our regular price, and this sale price is only offered on the email platform. It is also why it takes me some time to respond due to the deluge of orders that I sometimes get. We haven't reached the efficiency or volume of Amazon yet. Thank you in advance for your patience.

Let me know your preferred store for pickup: Attleboro, Norwood, Sturbridge, or Swansea. If you don't state the store, I will assume you are picking up in Sturbridge.

Place your order now while you've got everything in front of you. Reply to this email along with your name and which store you want to pick it up.

I will confirm your order via email when it is ready for pickup. Please give us at least 48 hours to respond.

From our family at Yankee Spirits to your family and friends, we wish you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and an incredible New Year. Thank you for a fabulous 2023, and we look forward to serving you in 2024.

Cheers!

—John Hannum, Fine & Rare Wine Specialist

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