If you love French wine, the past 18 months have been tough. If you import French wine, it’s been devastating. We’re referring, of course, to the 25% tariffs on wine set by the U.S. Trade Offices back in October 2019 as part of a 15-year dispute over government aid to Airbus and Boeing.
But it’s FINALLY over…at least for the next four months…
On March 5, “The European Union and the United States agreed on the mutual suspension for four months of tariffs related to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Aircraft disputes,” stated Katherine Tai, the newly-approved U.S. Trade Representative.
Seconds after the announcement, importers like us were urgently phoning négociants, freight carriers, brokers, etc. — frantic to book passage for wine that’s been sitting in storage for months on end. Not surprisingly, shipping millions of cases of wine simultaneously is “très, très compliqué.” Obviously, this situation will require some patience.
All to say, there is a WINE TSUNAMI headed this way, although it might not reach our shores for two-to-three months. In the meantime, we can revel in the possibilities!
And there’s more good news: In-bottle ratings for Bordeaux 2018 are currently being released and the reviews are excellent. Wine critic Jeb Dunnuck rates 2018 as an “undeniably great vintage..with truly profound wines from both the Right and Left Banks, offering richness paired with a classic Bordeaux sense of structure and balance.”
Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth writes: “This is a vintage worth stocking up on, both for serious collectors and more casual drinkers,” while James Suckling describes the Bordeaux 2018s as “wonderful wines with a beautiful depth of fruit and polished, strong tannins.”
Panos Kakaviatos, provided our favorite description of the 2018s in his Wine Chronicles, calling it a vintage for “Hedonists and Intellectuals” — referencing the many different winemaking styles due to Bordeaux’s warmest and driest harvest on record in 2018.
So, pour yourself a glass of something wonderful, get comfortable and spend time savoring the enormous list below — something we haven’t seen in a very, very long time. Cheers!
All products can be ordered directly online. Selections with asterisks ** are in-stock and ready to ship. Write mthibaultwine@gmail.com or call 850-687-1370 for additional information.
2018 BORDEAUX
Château Brane-Cantenac (Margaux) JD 94-96+ $69.99. 32 bottles
**Château Barde-Haut (Saint-Émilion) JS 95-96. $39.99. 23 bottles
**Château Branaire-Ducru (Saint-Julien) WS 94-97. $56.99. 28 bottles
**Château Beauséjour Duffau (Saint-Émilion) JS 99. $129.99. 10 bottles
**Château Bellefont-Belcier (Saint-Émilion) JD 95-97. $46.99. 23 bottles
Château Bellevue-Mondotte (Saint-Émilion) JD-98. $139.99. 24 bottles
Château Beau-Séjour Bécot (Saint-Émilion) WS-99. $66.99. 24 bottles
Château Berliquet (Saint-Émilion) JD 93-96. $49.99. 34 bottles
Château Boyd Cantenac (Margaux) JS 93-94. $54.99. 24 bottles
Blason d’Issan (Margaux) JS 93-94. $32.99. 12 bottles
Château Cantemerle (Haut-Médoc) JS 94-95. $34.99. 44 bottles
Château Cantenac Brown (Margaux) WE 95-97. $62.99. 34 bottles
**Château Capbern (Saint-Estèphe) JD 92-94. $29.99. 12 bottles
Carruades de Lafite (Pauillac) JS 95-96. $239.99. 12 bottles
Château Cheval Blanc (Saint-Émilion) DC 100 JD-100 $669.99. 4 bottles
**Château Clinet (Pomerol) JD-99. $92.99. 8 bottles
**Château Clos Fourtet (Saint-Émilion) DC-97. $119.99. 24 bottles
**Clos du Marquis (Saint-Julien) JD 94-96. $59.99. 24 bottles
**Clos de l’Oratoire (Saint-Émilion) WS 94-97. $44.99. 22 bottles
**Clos l’Église (Pomerol) JS 96-97. $92.99. 36 bottles
Clos de Sarpe (Saint-Émilion) JD 95-97. $69.99. 18 bottles
Cos d’Estournel (Saint-Estèphe) JD-98+ $188.99. 33 bottles
Château Ducru Beaucaillou (Saint-Julien) JS-99. $189.99. 43 bottles
**Château Duhart Milon (Pauillac) JS 95-96. $77.99. 15 bottles
**La Dame de Montrose (Saint-Estèphe) JS 95-96. $49.99. 9 bottles
**Château Du Tertre (Margaux) JS 94-95. $45.99. 24 bottles
**Echo de Lynch Bages (Pauillac) JD 93-95. $44.99. 34 bottles
**Château l’Evangile (Pomerol) JS-98. $244.99. 4 bottles
Château L’Eglise Clinet (Pomerol) JS-99. $299.99. 12 bottles
Château de Fieuzal (Graves) RP 91-93. $49.99. 12 bottles
**Château Fleur Cardinale (Saint-Émilion) JS 94-95. $44.99. 28 bottles
Château Feytit-Clinet (Pomerol) JD 96+. $69.99. 12 bottles
Château Figeac (Saint-Émilion) JD-98. $232.99. 9 bottles
**Château Fonroque (Saint-Émilion) WS 93-96. $39.99. 5 bottles
**Château Gruaud Larose (Saint-Julien) RP 95-97. $79.99. 12 bottles
Château Grand Puy Lacoste (Pauillac) WS 95-98. $79.99. 3 bottles
**Gravette de Certan (Pomerol) $68.99. 12 bottles
**Château Gloria (Saint-Julien) WS 93-96. $46.99. 112 bottles
**Château Gazin (Pomerol) WE 94-96. $89.99. 22 bottles
**Château Giscours (Margaux) JS 96-97. $68.99. 12 bottles
Château Gracia (Saint-Émilion) JD 94-96. $89.99. 11 bottles
Château Haut-Bailly (Pessac-Léognan) JS-99. $114.99. 17 bottles
Château Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan) JS-99. $539.99. 14 bottles
** Château Haut-Brisson (Saint-Émilion) JS-94. $27.99. 180 bottles
**Château Haut Bages Liberal (Pauillac) JS 96-97. $44.99. 26 bottles
Château Haut-Bergey (Pessac-Léognan) WE 92-94. $26.99. 24 bottles
Château d’Issan (Margaux) DC-96. $68.99. 48 bottles
**Château La Conseillante (Pomerol) JD97+ $225.99. 36 bottles
**Château La Confession (Saint-Émilion) JS 92-94. $35.99. 12 bottles
**Château Lafon Rochet (Saint-Estèphe) DC-94. $48.99. 24 bottles
**Château Lagrange (Saint-Julien) RP 93-95+ $49.99. 2 bottles
Château La Gaffelière (Saint-Émilion) RP 94-97. $71.99. 45 bottles
Château Langoa-Barton (Saint-Julien) JS 93-94. $52.99. 47 bottles
Château Laroque (Saint-Émilion) RP 95-97. $37.99. 36bottles
Château Lascombes (Margaux) WS 93-96. $86.99. 12 bottles
**Château La Tour Martillac Rouge (Pessac-Léognan) RP 93-95. $39.99. 22 bottles
Château Le Bon Pasteur (Pomerol) JS 96-97. $77.99. 12 bottles
Château Léoville-Poyferré (Saint-Julien) JD-100. $114.99. 12 bottles.
Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan) JD-100. $159.99. 8 bottles
Château Les Gravieres (Saint-Émilion) RP 94-96. $28.99. 10 bottles
**Château Lilian Ladouys (Saint-Estèphe) (JS 93-94) $25.99. 4 bottles
Château Lynch Bages in Magnum (Pauillac) JD-98+ $279.99. 3 bottles
**Marquis de Calon (Saint-Estèphe) JD 93-95. $33.99. 11 bottles
Château Margaux (Margaux) JS-100 JD-100. $579.99. 12 bottles
Château Margaux in Magnum (Margaux) JS-100 JD-100. $1159.99. 3 bottles
Château Magrez Fombrauge (Saint-Émilion) JD-95. $119.99. 10 bottles
Château Malartic la Graviere Rouge (Pessac-Léognan) WE 94-96. $52.99. 46 bottles
**Château Nenin (Pomerol) JS-97. $69.99. 10 bottles
Château Pavie (Saint-Émilion) JD-100. $358.99. 2 bottles
**Château Pichon Baron (Pauillac) JD-97+ $159.99. 32 bottles
**Château Pape Clément Rouge (Pessac-Léognan) JD-99. $94.99. 21 bottles
Château Pavie Decesse (Saint-Émilion) RP-95-97. $123.99. 24 bottles
**Château Pavie-Macquin (Saint-Émilion) DC-98. $75.99. 28 bottles
Pagodes de Cos d’Estournel (Saint-Estèphe) JS 93-95. $49.99. 18 bottles
Petit Cheval Rouge (Saint-Émilion) JD 93-95. $199.99. 2 bottles
Château Pierre 1er (Saint-Émilion) JD 90-92. $20.99. 24 bottles
**Château Poesia (Saint-Émilion) JS 95-96. $42.99. 26 bottles
Château Prieuré-Lichine (Margaux) WE 94-96. $44.99. 6 bottles
Château Quinault l’Enclos (Saint-Émilion) DC-94. $38.99. 38 bottles
Château Rol Valentin (Saint-Émilion) RP-90-92+ $36.99. 20 bottles
**Réserve de la Comtesse Pichon Lalande (Pauillac) JS 93-94 $49.99. 60 bottles
**Château Rouget (Pomerol) JS-97. $53.99. 21 bottles
**Château Saint-Pierre (Saint-Julien) RP 94-96. $59.99. 69 bottles
**Château Siran (Margaux) JS 94-95. $34.99. 34 bottles
Château Smith Haut Lafitte (Pessac-Léognan) JD-99. $129.99. 11 bottles
Château Soutard (Saint-Émilion) JD 94-97. $54.99. 4 bottles
Tertre-Roteboeuf (Saint-Émilion) JD-98. $184.99. 24 bottles
Château Troplong-Mondot (Saint-Émilion) JS-98. $109.99. 38 bottles
Château Valandraud (Saint-Émilion) JD-98. $174.99. 22 bottles
Château Villemaurine (Saint-Émilion) JS 95-96. $53.99. 8 bottles
2018 Duclot Grands Crus Box. $9,295.00. One only arriving late summer.
2017 Duclot Grands Crus Box. $6,850. One only arriving in a few weeks!
2018 BORDEAUX BLANC
Aile d’Argent by Château Mouton Rothschild (Pauillac) RP 93-95. $84.99. 9 bottles
Blanc de Lynch Bages (Pauillac) WS 90-93. $45.99. 18 bottles
Domaine de Chevalier (Pessac-Léognan) JS-98. $94.99. 12 bottles
Château Malartic la Graviere (Pessac-Léognan) WE 95-97. $59.99. 23 bottles
Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux (Margaux) JD-99. $229.99. 5 bottles
Petit Cheval Blanc (Saint-Émilion) JD 93-95. $114.99. 22 bottles
**Pape Clément Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) JS-98. $139.99. 3 bottles
Château d’Yquem in half-bottles – 375 ml. (Sauternes) DC-97. $167.99. 10 bottles
Here’s to catching the wave!
