If there’s an upside to the current situation it’s that there’s plenty of well-priced Bordeaux options out there. Bordeaux Superieur (often called Bordeaux sup, pronounced like “soup”) is a step up from basic AOC Bordeaux and there is good value to be found in this category, typically for under $50. As for the classified growths, you don’t have to spend Petrus money to get great wines. Many producers make what are often referred to as “second label” wines, made from grapes from the same property as the flagship wines that don’t make the cut, typically because they are from younger vines. Sometimes they plant adjacent vineyards dedicated to their second wines or, in rare cases, operate a second winery, such as Chateau Angelus which recently opened Carillon d’Angelus, a state-of-the-art facility and architectural jewel just outside of St. Emillion. The directors of Angelus have stated that this is not a second label, but rather a distinct wine that stands on its own merits. I had the opportunity to try them side by side a while ago and, while there are similarities, the statement is fair.