Château Chantecler, Pauillac Grand Vin

If you’ve ever wondered what a secret paradise looks like for Bordeaux collectors and value investors, look no further than Chantecler’s $99 Grand Vin from the enormously praised 2018 vintage. Among the final independent estates of Pauillac, this one-hectare cult château crafts a single cuvée that serves as a rare-earth magnet for Left Bank lovers of the highest order. While First Growths Mouton and Lafite churn out tens of thousands of cases and command the appellation’s highest 2018 prices ($800-$1,100+), next-door neighbor Château Chantecler produces just a few hundred cases, for about 10 times less. And I mean “next-door neighbor” quite literally: Dead center of Pauillac’s extortionate vine real estate sits one lone postage-stamp parcel of vines surrounded by the iconic trinity of Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild, and Pontet-Canet. For me, Chantecler’s affordable, exceedingly rare Grand Vin has reigned as the ultimate blue-chip Bordeaux experience for years: It is an unfeigned