Bordeaux
FEBRUARY 2026
When you get the opportunity to special order a 97pt Saint-Émilion Grand Cru for wine club... you don't pass it up. And that is how Bordeaux became your February wine club theme! To that we'll add a Bordeaux Blanc from an Entre-Deux-Mers producer. Our 3-bottle club members will get a Lalande-de-Pomerol in addition. Truly a special club. Hope you enjoy!
A little about Bordeaux
Bordeaux is one of a handful of world-renowned growing regions, famous for their complex, age-worthy, red blends. The region is comprised of the vineyards around the Gironde Estuary known as the Left Bank (Medoc, Saint-Estephe, Margaux, Pessac-Leognan, Graves & more) and the Right Bank (Pomerol, Saint-Emilion & more). Near the town of Bourg, the Dordogne River branches off to the east. The land in the middle is known as Entre-Deux-Mers ('Between Two Rivers'), which produces mainly white blends.
The Left Bank is known for gravelly, limestone soils, supporting the growth of a muscular, tannic Cabernet Sauvignon which dominates the blends from this part of Bordeaux.
The Right Bank, with predominantly limestone and clay soils, is more conducive to growing Merlot, which produces rounder, softer, fruiter wines (in comparison to the Left Bank) but still with good complexity, acidity & structure. Your reds are both Right Bank blends.
2-BOTTLE CLUB
Vignobles Carles
Jérôme and Gilles Carles are the fourth generation to run this estate with four properties in Saint-Émilion (Château Panet, Château Haut-Fonrazade, Clos La Rose, and the one your wine comes from: Château Coudert) as well as one in Pomerol: Château Croix des Rouzes.
Château Coudert is located on one of the highest plateaus in Saint-Émilion, 10 minutes down the road from Château Angelus (a Cru Classé house). They use the same winemaker (Jean-Philippe Fort) as their famous neighbors. In addition to getting this crazy-special wine, 2022 is considered a legendary vintage.
Château Coudert 2022 Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Bordeaux, France • Reg $44.99 | Mixed Case $35.99
90% Merlot, 10% Cab Franc from clay-limestone soils. 12 months aging in oak barrels, 90% new. Earthy, limestone, clay, marl in the nose with blue & red fruit and a note of licorice from the oak. Flavors of blueberries, dark plums, blackberries, with cassis on the back palate. Finishes super long with fine tannins, cedar, again a note of licorice & earth (in a fine way). Enjoy with steak, lamb, or a mushroom-based dish.
We haven’t had a wine of this caliber in wine club in quite some time. The wine you’re getting for the money is crazy-town. Enjoy. Drink now (with several hours open or decant) to 10 years. If you have a special birthday or anniversary in the next years... tag it and enjoy then!
Château Haut-Rian
Bordeaux, France
Pauline Lapierre (pictured) is the owner & winemaker at Château Haut-Rian, a 70-hectare estate with vineyards located in Entre-Deux-Mers and Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux. Pauline’s parents founded the estate in 1988. After finishing her oenology degree, she took over running the family estate in 2019, with her husband Michael joining in 2020.
The estate — made up of many plots ranging from 2-4 hectares “spread across five villages for a greater diversity of soils, climates, and grape varieties” — is certified biodynamic & organic. From Pauline: “The oldest plots on the estate were planted in the 1940s and the most recent are a few months old. The average age of the vineyard is 25 years. We only work with grapes from our own plots. We are Sémillon lovers. Subtle and delicate, with a beautiful structure on the palate, it adds a lot to our white wine blends.”
For more on Pauline Lapierre & her estate>
Chateau Haut-Rian 2024 Bordeaux Blanc
Bordeaux, France • Reg $14.99 | Mixed Case $11.99
Blend of Sémillon 60% & Sauvignon Blanc 40%. Lime, lemon rind & honeydew on the nose. Noticeably fuller-bodied on the palate for a Bordeaux Blanc (it's the Sémillon) with flavors of ripe pear, apple & citrus. The winery says to enjoy this wine with a dozen oysters (our local Hama Hamas pictured below) . We'll add to that shellfish & fish dinners in general (including salmon), roasted chicken, pork medallions with a spinach cream sauce & more. Drink now to 2 years.
3-BOTTLE CLUB
Château Canon Chaignon
Bordeaux, France
"Château Canon Chaigneau has a long history, with wine first being cultivated on the rich land in Roman times, nearly 2,000 years ago. More recently, London born wine merchant Romik Arconian, & his partner, Marine Fontana - trained as an agricultural engineer - have taken over the vineyard. We are supported by our two young children, with a few close friends as investors.
Understanding the importance of that long legacy, we are delighted to have been able to maintain close ties with the previous owners - the Marin family - who have owned & operated the estate since the 60's, and remain shareholders to this day. Indeed, Louis Marin, stayed on as ‘Chef de Culture’; a role he has undertaken for almost 40 years." –winery notes.
The estate — located approx 800m from Château Petrus — has 21 hectares of vineyards in iron, limestone, and clay soils which the winery says adds depth and flavor and a lush, long mouthfeel. We agree.
Chateau Canon Chaigneau sits at the highest point of the plateau, meaning they "have exceptionally deep soils, running down to the water table. ... It’s worth noting that vines are very much like icebergs - what you see on top is a very small percentage of the whole plant. They generally grow around one metre per year below the surface. Our vines are on average 35 years old, so there are a lot of roots down there (!) meaning that they'll absorb even more of the flavour profiles of our fabulous terroir."
Château Tour Chaigneau 2022 Lalande-de-Pomerol
Bordeaux, France • Reg $28.99 | Mixed Case $23.19
92% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Pressac. Beautiful nose of lavender, violets, blueberries, blackberries. Palate changes to red & black plums, blackberries, herbal notes. Good acidity, fine tannins. LONG, pleasant, earthy finish. Fuller-bodied and really good fruit for Bordeaux. The winery suggests enjoying this wine with beef stew. Drink now to 3 years.
A Note from Jens:
Your wine club pick-up tasting is always the 2nd Saturday of the month. We host this tasting so that you can taste and learn about your wines before enjoying them at home.
This month's club is special, particularly because of the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru (vineyards pictured above), but all of the wines are amazing. You'll see. (I predict Julie will be caressing that Lalande-de-Pomerol until she can put it on the table in December as a 2026 favorite!)
You can also taste the Portalis EXPLORES club wines. February's theme is Monastrell from Spain's Jumilla region. Great, everyday reds in their own right.
Cheers,
Jens Strecker, Owner
Portalis Wine Shop
If you are here because you’re curious about our wine clubs: Here’s more general info & online sign-up. You can also peruse the last 12 months of both clubs to get a feel for the themes we pick and the wines we showcase: Portalis EXPLORES (our everyday wine club) & Portalis FLAGSHIP (our signature club).