There’s a story locals tell about Chateau Lanessan: when the 1855 Classification was being drawn up, the owner simply didn’t want to do the paperwork. So this estate whose vines sit directly against those of Gruaud-Larose, a Saint-Julien Second Growth, on the same gravel soils was left unclassified. The result, nearly two centuries later, is one of the best values in Bordeaux. The 2016 vintage is widely considered one of the great modern Bordeaux harvests, and Lanessan’s traditional approach (concrete fermentation, a mix of old and new barrels) makes for a wine of real classical bearing. Approximately Classified Growth quality at a fraction of the price.