Bordeaux is one of the toughest nuts to crack in the wine world. You have to spend quite a bit to get something really good, and you’ll mostly be disappointed with anything under £15. However, it remains one of the best and most important fine wine producing regions of all time.
If I’m spending a decent amount on a bottle, I’m much more likely to head towards the Pinot Noirs of Burgundy…so I’ve spent quite a bit of time sourcing good, but affordable clarets. You should focus on areas such as Fronsac and the Cotes de Bourg and Blaye, and mostly ignore the first growths of the Medoc unless you want to take out a second mortgage.
What you should be looking for from Bordeaux, irrespective of price is structure, decent tannins, and acidity in a good, dry, food-friendly red.
I feel you get better value on the right bank, where Merlot is the favoured grape. This also results in softer, more approachable wines that are ready to drink sooner. You do still get the structure and the tannins however, that help to make the wines more suitable to matching with a wider variety of dishes.
Chateau des Maures Lalande de Pomerol 2015 (Majestic, £15.99, or £13.99 in a mixed six pack). Lalande de Pomerol is a satellite region of Pomerol, and the wines have a lot of the characteristics of their big brothers from up the road, but at a more affordable price. 2015 is a 9/10 vintage with the wines of Pomerol and the surrounding areas showing very well. This bottle is lovely with roast lamb.
Chateau Lagrange Les Tours Les Cent Rangs 2010 (Inverarity One to One, £12.49). 2010 was a spectacular vintage (10/10) following the life-changing 2009. The best wines were tannic, powerful and rich as well as being good agers. The Chateau Lagrange les Tours les Cent Rangs is the very definition of great value, and you should really try to put one in your rack before they all disappear. Cheers!
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