9 Great Bordeaux Wines

Bordeaux doesn't need much introduction. These are the classic wines of Southwest France, complex and age worthy, and based on blends that have become benchmarks the world over. Of course, many people dismiss Bordeaux wines because of their popularity, a popularity that has driven up prices and introduced an unprecedented commoditization of wines that seems to rob the romance from many marques.

While the better-known Bordeaux are indeed going through an identity crisis (being a wine to drink vs. being a status symbol to collect and trade), the majority of Bordelaise are going through their own crisis, a crisis of confidence. They have been wrongly grouped with the many chateaux whose wines are priced out of the reaches of most, not to mention whose styles have veered far from what many a drinker thinks of as classic for the region.

So what is one to do? Look to the so-called "lesser Bordeaux," where values abound and one can still find fun, affordable wines that deliver an experience that is uniquely Bordeaux!

Click here for the 9 Great Bordeaux Wines Slideshow.

— Gregory Dal Piaz, Snooth