Cut-Rate '97 Brane Cantenac

[GG Mora]

At a local wine shop today I noticed a number of bottles of 1997 Brane Cantenac deeply discounted. Normally going for $54 & change, they were marked down to $38 something. I asked the shop owner "why so cheap?", wondering if the wine was known to have gone a little off or something. He told me that it had to do with the not-so-recent fracas over the French refusal to play with us in Iraq, that the American shunning of produits de France was leading importers and distributors to drop prices in an effort to move inventory. There was another Bordeaux similarly marked down.

A few questions: Is this likely to be true? If so, is a 1997 Brane Cantenac worth drinking at $38/bottle? Should I go back and buy up every last one?

Thanks for any input.

Edited for clarity (I hope).

Edited December 16, 2003 by GG Mora (log)

[docsconz]

I suggest that you buy one and try it. If it is good, go buy more while they have them.

[redwinegulper]

It can never hurt to try a bottle, but I would proceed with caution. The '97 was one of the weaker years, and sold slower than the 95, 96, 98 and 99. That being said, some retailers picked up the 97 because it was the cheapest of the bunch...and for a lesser investment they could have a decent Bordeaux on the shelf. The caution is that many of these wines have been sitting for some time, and the lower teir retailers do not properly control the store temperature.

[Craig Camp]

Even if you have to buy one and try it at the store please do so. There is a very high possibility that these bottles have been badly stored for years.

Sounds like a high-risk deal.

[Mark Sommelier]

'97 was a very light vintage. You should be able to find '99s discounted similarly, and they are meatier more substantial wines.

[balex]

Yes, but some of the 97s are drinking nicely now: I have drunk Ducru and Latour a Pomerol recently and they were both delicious, fruity and not massively concentrated as you say. Not great wines but worth a try -- it might be to your taste

[ctgm]

Agree with Mark Som that the 99s are a more attractive proposition.

Having said that the 99s aren't ready to drink yet IMO and the 97s are very nice now and very under-rated. I would think that it might be worth a punt and it should be good drinking for a few years yet. The one that I have had quite a lot of is Cos which I think is a very good effort.

Has anyone noticed that a lot of the 1997s all taste a little alike (from the same appellations)?

[jackal10]

The '97's are good value for current drinking.

I'm just finishing the last of a case of '97 Rausan Segla, and very nice it is too.

In a normal year it would still be hard and closed.

The 97's are not long lasting, so retailers are moving them on to take on more recent vintages. They form a useful stop-gap until some of the bigger vintages are ready.

[GG Mora]

Thanks for all the feedback. In an interesting twist, someone else brought a bottle to the small dinner party I attended last night. It's not so odd, really, this being small town Vermont where the wine stores are few and the choices on the random side.

I apologize in advance that my wine vocabulary is limited. The '97 Brane-Cantenac was delightful – nothing off about it. The nose was full and spicy, and I'd swear there were hints of rosemary, but I can be so off at picking up on hints. The flavor was rich, fruity, and what I would call "expansive"; it lightly singed those key spots under the tongue. My only criticism is that the whole in-the-mouth experience dissipated a little too quickly. Perhaps this what you meant, Mark, when you said it was "light"? It was a pleasant an unobtrusive accompaniment to the meal: gnocchi in white truffle cream, followed by beef Wellie (didn't know anyone made that anymore) and winter squash. And it rather showed up the other plonk being served.

Anyway, for $38 a bottle, I plan on picking up two or three for quaffing over the hols. Definitely outclasses a number of other selections in that price range. As to finding other vintages, that's not so easy to do here, but if I get out into the world any time soon, I'll certainly seek out the '99 for comparison.

For the record, wine prices in Vermont run on the very high side.

[docsconz]

Where do you shop in Vermont. I have had pleasureable shopping in the past in Gillingham's, a shop in Woodstock.

[GG Mora]

I'm down in the Manchester area. Never shopped at Gillingham's, though a beau once brought a nice Caymus Cab from there to dinner.

My options are Manchester Discount Beverage (which is where I found the wine in question), Wines by George, Village Pantry du Logis and the various supermarkets. The first three have some interesting selections, but nowhere here would I find anything as grown up as a range of vintages.

On occasion I get to Table and Vine in Northampton, MA, which has an excellent selection, and the prices are much better than those in Vermont.

[docsconz]

You might also consider heading over to Saratoga. Putnam Wine on Broadway is an excellent wine shop with a very eclectic selection. William Roach, the proprietor is very knowledgeable and a lot of fun. I haven't been there in a while because I always walk out of there having bought too much wine I can't resist