So I'm walking through the wine isle of the grocery store on my way to get something for dinner and I see a nice looking nicely packaged bottle of wine, the name was Chateau Belon. It was a 2000 Bordeaux from Graves for $18. I'm guessing it's mass produced crap with nice packaging but maybe it's a young ready to drink decent 2000 Bordeaux. The few I have are way too young still but I'd love to try something from the vintage if its ready now. Maybe like Chateau Simard (but hopefully better) it is aged before it's release?

Between the price for that vintage and the fact that I've never even heard of it I know it isn't a great or probably even very good wine, but I was going to pick one up just to try it, however I decided to check it out on the web first and pick it up next time if it looked half way decent. I've looked everywhere and can find next to nothing on it so my questions are...

1. Has anyone had it or even heard of it?
2. Is there a chance it's a decent representation of the spectacular 2000 vintage? I mean how bad a wine could you make there in 2000?
3. Does anyone speak French, maybe they can pull some info off their web site www.chateau-belon.com[URL=http...teau-belon.com[/URL] for me.

I'd like to give it a try just for kicks unless it's really the French version of two buck chuck in a nicer bottle so any input would be greatly appreciated.

For $18, you should take one for the team. I've had a few second labels (S de Siran, for example) that were quite good at the same price point. But I'm a little leery on wines at that price point that are released much later than the rest of its neighbors. Either the chateau doesn't need the cash flow, a third party bought their inventory recently at pennies on the dollar, or the chateau thought a little bit of time would do this wine some good. Let us know!

Very impressive website. Kudos to CH Belon for that.
There is not talking or reading on the website but if you click on the "biblioteque" or Library button on the left, there is an english translation of the history of the Chateau that may answer some of your questions.

Can't hurt to try it out but beware. I had a 2000 petit chateau recently that showed extremely well on release but now is fading fast. Not in a dumb phase, just faded and lacking fruit.

I've never heard of Belon, but as DD said, for $18, buy & try. Good luck!

Well I got around to opening this finally and while this should probably be in tasting notes since I started it here I'll add this here.

Nothing terrible but nothing special. Deep ruby, almost purple in color. Decanted and sipped it over four hours. Big nose right away, very floral with some black fruits, especially blackberry. On the palate it was very closed down for a few hours but opened up slowly to reveal black cherry and blackberry fruit with lots of pepper and some tar. Decent length finish, especially the tar flavor. The wine was a little thin but not bad for what it is. There's many better bottles out there for the price, although probably not many if any 2000 Bordeaux. Probably good for a few more years at least. 87 points.

Sounds like an appropriate wine to toast the Red Sux season. Save one for the Patsies.