Bordeaux is a big, big place, and there’s a lot of wine made there and we love little properties like this. Back in 1855, when the top vineyards in Margaux and Saint Julien were being classified and turned into the icons that would have to live up to their billing for centuries to come, tiny Chateau de Retout (pronounced Ruh-Two) was vacant land, abandoned during the scourge of phylloxera, and remaining that way through two world wars. In fact, Retout wasn’t even planted again until 1958, and is still run, 67 years later, by the same family that named it. How often do you see that in this high-rent district a short drive on the same road from either Chateau Margaux or Chateau Beychevelle? But there it is: Unrated, unknown and under everyone’s radar. Well, not so much anymore. Over the past decade it, Retout’s production of top-quality Cru Bourgeois has earned itself the dreaded ‘super-secret Insider wine’ moniker that does nothing but drive up demand and prices. And then, probably much to the chagrin of the Soual-Kopp family who own it, the Wine Spectator magazine named their 2022 their #45 Wine of the Year in 2024. Suddenly, the wine one critic called ‘The new Sociando-Mallet, but better,’ is a secret no more! The story, as it always is in Bordeaux, is location, location, location. Perched on a narrow ridge, the estate is, indeed, equidistant between the Margaux and Saint Julien appellations, and has the attributes of both, the gravel and sand of the former overlaying some of the iron-rich clay of the latter. It makes for wines that can match finesse with oomph about as well as it can be done in Haut Medoc and, because it lacks the history and pedigree of its more hallowed neighbors, it’s still at a price that makes it case- rather than bottle-worthy. Planted to around 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot, the vines average around 30 years of age, with some parcels from the original 1958 planting still in the mix. The 2022 is a rich, ripe bottle of red that exudes lovely truffle-y, graphite-y aromatics that swirl around a solid core of deep, dusky dark berry fruit with hints of espresso, chocolate, camphor, vanilla and violet. There’s a level of finesse in the finish that shows off some of its proximity to Margaux and a density and intensity more like its neighbors to the north. Yeah, I am reminded a bit of the 1985 Sociando-Mallet, an Haut-Medoc with a reputation for presence, gravitas and elegance that, at the time, was still at a price we all can afford. Alas, only 48 bottles available.

Wine Spectator: Shows the ripeness of the vintage, with dark currant and blackberry framed by singed cedar and vanilla. Ends with a tug of warm earth, a light twang of iron and a steady grip. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2034. 92 points, #45 Top 100 Wines of 2024