Most of us do not have superhuman salaries like Warren Buffet. He had the ability to bath in Bordeaux first growths. He has water fights with Montrachet. If one wants to try Cheval Blanc, Chateau Latour, Leoville Las Cases, Chateau Palmer, Chateau Pichon Baron from good vintage but can't afford the price tag, here are some alternatives.

Most of us do not have superhuman salaries like Warren Buffet. He had the ability to bath in Bordeaux first growths. He has water fights with Montrachet. If one wants to try Cheval Blanc, Chateau Latour, Leoville Las Cases, Chateau Palmer, Chateau Pichon Baron from good vintage but can't afford the price tag, here are some alternatives.

Petit Cheval Blanc, Saint Emilion: Just tasted the 2004 a couple of days ago. Ripe, ripe, ripe, but what a perfumed bouquet of white flowers and currant-mocha-java-bliss, Made me think of the song from Laid Back, which I believe I do not believe was inspired by wine. Pierre Lurton, the winemaker for Cheval Blanc may never had heard of the group "Laid Back."

Clos du Marquis, Saint Julien: The 2001 were a steal in 2006. I bought it in San Francisco for about 20 a bottle and the flavors erupted from the glass like a volcano. The price may have been less because I was a sommelier at the French Laundry at the time. Vibrant blackberry fruit, smoked earth and balance like a gymnast. Now that the US dollar is weak, this is hard to find for less than 50 a bottle.

Les Forts De Latour, Pauillac; The wine is consistently among the best wines in the Medoc. I tried the 1989 out of the Magnum and the 1996 recently. The 1989 had flavors of cigar, cedar mulberry cherry with a long toasted cranberry finish. The 1996 wine from Forts De Latour is dynamite as well. The wine was little more subdued than the 1989, more cranberry, cassis, where the 1989 had more ripe blackberry flavors.

Les Tournelles du Longueville, Pauillac; I just bought the 2000 for 13 a bottle in halves. The wine is magically delicious. It is as if one could smell the dirt from which it was harvested. Good dirt. Aromas of campfire, leather, toasted cedar, baked cherries and just enough oak to balance the fruit.

Alter Ego: Have yet to try this wine, but what a name from Chateau Palmer. Maybe the people at Palmer were big Superman or Batman fans.