Bel-Air Marquis d'Aligre Margaux 2009

Château Bel-Air Marquis d’Aligre is emblematic of old-school Bordeaux. A far cry from the region’s increasingly identikit, modern style, these wines offer a taste of a bygone era.

Octogenarian Jean-Pierre Boyer farms 5ha of traditional Bordeaux varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec – in Vire-Fougasse, two kilometres west of the village of Margaux. These meticulously farmed, low-yielding vines preserve some of the appellation’s oldest parcels, as well as ancient strains and forgotten varieties.

Little has changed in Jean-Pierre’s 72 vintages. Finding contemporary Bordeaux to be showy and superficial, he has proudly stuck to his artisanal approach to produce gloriously fragrant and exceptionally long-lived wines. With pure fruit and complex tertiary notes, these are some of the ultimate expressions of unadulterated Left Bank terroir.

Jean-Pierre eschews the en primeur market, preferring to hold back bottles in his own cellar until they are ready to drink. As such, the château has been a reliable source of well-priced, mature wine to those in the know. However, with no one to take over the estate, its future is uncertain.

With Bordeaux’s increasingly uncompromising prices and corporate affectations, Bel-Air Marquis d’Aligre represents one of the last of its kind – Margaux as it should be.

Expressive and charming, with savoury nuances not dissimilar to mature Burgundy. All succulent red cherry and suave, earthy complexity that will reward ageing.