Château Bastor-Lamontagne
There are few châteaux lying outside the two tiers of the 1855 classification of Sauternes and Barsac (three tiers, I suppose, as we should not forget the exalted premier grand cru classé position enjoyed by Château d’Yquem) which attract much attention. This is perhaps not surprising; in a region where the wines are still disregarded by many for being unfashionably sweet, prices have long remained favourable to the discerning Bordeaux drinker. As a consequence there simply hasn’t been the same need to hunt out alternative good-value châteaux beyond the realms of the grand cru classé châteaux as there is in, for example, Pauillac or St Julien. With some strengthening of prices in recent years, however, as more and more châteaux channel their harvest into dry wines, reducing the volume of the sweet grand vin produced, that might not always be the case.
There are, therefore, some unclassified châteaux – perhaps more than you might imagine – which are worth knowing about. One of the few unclassified estates that should be regarded in this manner is Château Bastor-Lamontagne, an estate with which I have been familiar ever since my first taste of the fresh, blood-orange tones of the 1986 vintage. Since then I have on occasion noticed this fresh, flavoursome, citrus fruit trait in a number of other more recent vintages. Often lighter and brighter than their more highly-ranked peers, the wines of Château Bastor-Lamontagne have a character that will appeal to many looking for a less turbo-charged style of Sauternes. Classified or not, this is a property with which we should at least be familiar.
