I opened this bottle tonight, 2000 Chateau D'Aiguilhe, Cotes de Castillon. I seemed well structured, very big for Merlot, and in a half hour it opened up quite nicely. It is much better than I expected. I didn't record what I paid for it, so I got curious and looked it up on the net.
It seems to sell for 30 or 40 dollars or more a bottle. Though I bought
2000 Bordeaux wines somewhat schizophrenically, I'm sure I didn't pay that much for it. I'd be surprised if I'd have paid 20 dollars. There were very few wines I paid over 30 dollars for. And most that I bought didn't seem to go up in price much, like Ducru's second label that I paid 25 bucks a bottle it's still under 30.
There's another merlot based 2000 Bordeaux that this reminds me of, I think it's Haut Brisson. That was less than 20 bucks a bottle. I generally prefer cabernet, but I bought a case of that stuff, it was marvelous.
Whatever I paid for this D'Aiguilhe, I'd better enjoy it, it's better than I deserved, certainly a better wine than I'd have opened tonight.