It’s difficult to muster sympathy for overpriced wines when their sales stall, which is exactly what’s happening in Bordeaux, where purchases of triple-digit bottles are down. Imbibers are increasingly choosing cheaper, easy-drinking reds from the New World, and the recession has only accelerated the trend. However, we should shed a tear, not for the top-ranked wineries—they’ll survive—but for the smaller producers. Vineyard acreage in Bordeaux is shrinking by about one per cent every year as the petits chateaux, which do not have the clout or capital of the grand estates, rip out vines to reduce oversupply or simply go out of business. These wineries are the backbone of Bordeaux, one of the largest and most accomplished wine regions on the planet. With 120,000 hectares of vineyards, Bordeaux’s wine production is about 70 per cent that of Australia’s. And it’s incredibly diverse, with each sub-appellation putting a slightly different spin on how to blend the classic Bordeaux varieties: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, petit verdot and malbec.

In recent months, Vintages stores have released a flood of great 2005s from small family-run properties. I’ve given many of these bottles a score of 90 points or higher. At a fraction of the price of the grand cru wines, they offer a relatively accessible way to learn about the classic French varieties and are the ideal choice for establishing or rejuvenating a cellar with wines to drink in the middle of the next decade. They have structure, integration and elegance that most wineries in the rest of the world still strive to achieve. Bordeaux is about finesse, and even as the wine world has turned upside down, that has not changed.

Clos Puy Arnaud 2005
$45 | Côtes de Castillon | 92 points
Castillon is a younger region where the land is similar to that in neighbouring St. Emilion, yet cheaper. It’s attracting respected winemakers like Thierry Valette, who’s creating complex merlot on his new 12-hectare organic property. The nose shows spice, sweetness, licorice, cedar and lead pencil. Notably tannic and firm but not austere. Excellent length. Best 2011 to 2018. Vintages. LCBO 500686

Red

Château Bégadanet 2005
$19.95 | Medoc | 88 points
Few tipplers treat bordeaux as an everyday red, but at this price it could be a weekend red—in about two years. This cabernet-based blend offers a complex nose of raspberry jam, cedar, mineral and a touch of iodine (due to the winery’s proximity to the ocean). It’s fleshy and smooth, with choppy tannin; cellaring will help. Vintages. LCBO 138875

Château Clarke 2005
$39 | Listrac | 91 points
Edmond de Rothschild bought this property in the 1970s and has restored it from near-ruin. Made from equal parts cabernet and merlot, the Château Clarke has a silky texture and fine tannin. Berry, chocolate and cedar notes are well integrated. Great acidity and length. Best 2010 to 2020. Vintages. LCBO 503904

Château L’Archange 2005
$62 | St. Emilion | 92 points
The 2005 merlot-based reds of St. Emilion and Pomerol are generally superb. This tiny 1.2‑hectare property has produced a real beauty with ripe raspberry, floral, cedary oak and vanilla notes. It’s smooth, dense and rich enough to convert New World fans. Best 2010 to 2018. Vintages. LCBO 501213

Château Rauzan-Gassies 2005
$73 | Margaux | 93 points
The grand cru classé properties of the Medoc peninsula are divided into five tiers. Classified as a second growth, Rauzan-Gassies offers a comparatively affordable way to experience the svelte, perfumed quality of wines from the famous appella­tion. Based on 65 per cent cabernet sauvignon, it sports a fragrant bouquet of raspberry, mocha, cedar and signature Medoc pencil lead. It’s elegant and dense yet still tannic; cellar it to at least 2012—it could be enjoyed throughout the next decade. Vintages. LCBO 505693

Château St. Georges 2005
$34.95 | St. Georges St. Emilion | 91 points
The estate has been in the hands of the Des­bois family since 1891. It’s one of few properties in this region that use as much as 20 per cent cabernet sauvignon in the blend (many use none), which gives the wine a firmer, more tannic feel. However, the 2005 vintage has worked its magic, lending ripe berry, cedar and herbal nuances. Best 2011 to 2020. Vintages. LCBO 960310

Château Tour de Castres 2005
$26.95 | Graves | 88 points
Second wines—the less expensive, less concentrated wines most châteaux produce—offer great value. This lighter 2005 bottle, from an organically farmed 18th-century estate, is in peak form, balanced with sour red fruit, pine and damp earth scents typical of Graves. Now to 2014. Vintages. LCBO 138842

La Fleur de Boüard 2005
$60 | Lalande De Pomerol | 92 points
Pomerol makes the most refined and voluptuous reds of Bordeaux. Lalande de Pomerol sits next door, and this is one of its star wineries. The gravelly vineyard (80 per cent merlot) is in the deft hands of the de Boüard de Laforest family, who also own a top-ranked winery in St. Emilion. The wine has honed floral scents, black raspberry, oak spice and herbs. It’s charming enough to open now but will age to 2020. Vintages. LCBO 500959

Dessert Wine

Château Doisy-Védrines 2005
$32 half bottle | Sauternes | 92 points
Golden sauternes (barrel-fermented sémillon from late-harvested grapes) is Bordeaux’s gift to the sweet wine world. This great example has flavours of tamarind, honey, apricot, crème caramel and wax. The stellar 2005 vintage is supple, supported by good acidity and warmth. Vintages. LCBO 500140