WHAT

Red

WHEN

2020

WHERE

Fronsac, Bordeaux, France

Château Castagnac has been in the Coudert family since the late 1800s — named after the local word for chestnut, which tells you something about how long people have been paying attention to this particular corner of the right bank. The estate is now in its 5th generation, and Lydia Coudert has been running the commercial side since 2016. They've gone HVE certified, switched to indigenous yeasts, and kept sulfites low without making a big deal about it.

Fronsac is Pomerol's quieter neighbor — same clay-limestone soils, same Merlot-dominant blends, a fraction of the price. The 2020 is 100% Merlot, fermented with native yeasts and aged 12 months in French oak. Dark plum, black cherry, a little earth and dried spice — it's structured but not rigid, with tannins that have started to settle nicely. Decanter scored it 92.

A proper Bordeaux at a price that doesn't require a special occasion. Open it with a steak, a duck breast, or anything braised low and slow.