This is NOT a mistake.

You actually CAN own a fine, ready-to-savor red Bordeaux with 15 years of maturity, that’s been cellared for you at the winery for UNDER $30. Agents Noir & Vine have been to Bordeaux twice this year to find you such deals, risking their lives and livers for Operatives to reap the benefits.

Château Carignan is in the commune of Carignan-de-Bordeaux, which has NOTHING to do with the grape variety bearing the same name, just the same as the Côtes de Bordeaux Cadillac appellation having NOTHING to do with the American ‘Standard of the World’ luxury car brand. And Prima, is simply a proprietary name for the flagship wine of Château Carignan, made only in the best vintages.

And 2008 was no exception. When Neal Marin left Wine Advocate, his very first article on Vinous was this retrospective “at ten years old the Bordeaux 2008s could be described as a ‘useful’ vintage. That adjective downplays my sentiment towards these wines, but it neatly encapsulates the fact that they occupy what you might call a qualitative ‘upper middle ground’ that renders them attractive… with a decade already on the clock, many of the top wines are drinkable but will mature and evolve over the next 10, 15 or at its peak, 20 years.”

For Robert Parker Prima is “a sleeper that exceeds the appellation’s standards and a noteworthy effort for value conscious consumers to seek out” and James Suckling for this 2008, writes “I love the finish on this wine with bright berry and milk chocolate character. Medium to full body, with fine tannins and a fruity finish. Why wait?” he asks, back in 2010 with an early impression. Why wait, James? Because what this wine has become with age is WELL WORTH IT!

Ripe and polished, with lots of blackberry, plum sauce, and melted black licorice accents are carried by dense and velvety tannins. Anise, violets, and incense notes push through the vivid finish, where there’s plenty of grip remaining for another decade at peak. A very, very impressive silky and complex beauty, representing the ultimate value in aged Bordeaux possible today.

The winemaking at Château Carignan is overseen by Louis Mitjaville since 1998, who also owns and makes legends such as Tertre Roteboeuf and Roc de Cambes. With a history dating back to the 11th century, Château Carignan was included in the great Southwold Tasting where 20 leading British wine critics and merchants (including 7 Masters of Wine) tasted their way through 264 of the top wines of Bordeaux. Carignan was by far the lowest priced in the entire tasting and it performed amazingly well, far better than many wines that were many, many times more than its price!

Highly limited library release, the very last of it around.

2/3 Stars, Remarkable – The Hachette Guide

“As usual, the team of this important Château (65 ha) did not skimp on the means and care to obtain a high-end prestige vintage. Aging (18 months) brings beautiful toasted notes to the bouquet of this pure Merlot. Then a well-structured, harmonious, and long palate develops. Fresh and complex, it deserves two or three years of patience to be ready.”