The greatest vineyards have of course proved that they will produce great wine whatever the conditions. In a region as renowned and celebrated for its rich history as Bordeaux, twenty years is a mere blink of the eye. However, the changes over the last two decades have been profound. Vineyards have changed hands, new winemaking techniques have come and gone and of course the worldwide interest in the very greatest wines has gone into overdrive.
Fashions have seen the rise and fall of the garagistes and the influence of the consultant winemaker. However, for all of these human elements, the...
Case 6 x 75cl £1,545.60
Case of 6 x 75cl £2,175.60
Bottle 75cl £362.60
Case of 6 x 75cl £2,115.60
57% Merlot: 43% Cabernet Franc - This is a wine that requires respect and attention. Notes of cherry liqueur, minerals and crushed stones rise,rather than leap, from the glass without any sense of force or coercion. The attack brings further notes offresh autumnal fruit- damson and bright black cherry- and silky, smooth textures, showing a wine of the highestcraft. The...
moreBottle 75cl £352.60
Bottle 75cl £145.64
A remarkably restrained wine in this vintage. Elegant aromas combine subtle red berry fruits with delicate mineral and savoury notes. On the palate, the tannins are firm, but refined, and the fruit, though sweet and ripe, is balanced by a very refreshing acidity with mineral notes on the finish. Over-all this is a very elegant wine. Drink 2019 - 2035
moreBottle 75cl £145.64
Single bottle£142.00
Bottle 75cl £142.00
Deep, rich and boundless on the palate with aromas of truffles, earth, red fruit, cherries, plums and herbs. The intense concentration is the ideal balance between rich aromas and tannins which complement each other perfectly. This will be excellent come 2011 but will continue to delight for at least two decades more. A stunning wine and one that will be...
moreBottle 75cl £312.60
Case of 6 x 75cl £1,875.60
Bottle 75cl £312.60
Case of 6 x 75cl £3,375.60
Bottle 75cl £562.60
Case 6 x 75cl £2,247.60
Rich, leesy, mealy wine with notes of lemon and pink grapefuit, sherbet and a considerable sense of dimension here. Oak showing too but very well integrated with the zippy fruit. The finish reverberates, comes back time and again with another wave of flavour. Terrific wine. 83 Sem : 17 SB
moreBottle 37.5cl £192.30
Case of 12 £2,307.60
Bottle 37.5cl £192.30
Beautiful notes of spice on the nose, with an intricate lacy detail and lovely soft fruits, this is enticing and enveloping, with a cloak of velvet surrounding the tannins. There is quite a drive behind it too but the overall feel is of voluptuousness and seduction. Drink 2019-2030+ - 17
moreBottle 75cl £212.60
Single bottle£602.60
Bottle 75cl £602.60
In the next twenty years, we will undoubtedly see further pressure on supply at the top with prices continuing to stretch credulity. But what of the hundreds of smaller producers, who have struggled so badly in recent times? Theirs is not the good fortune of great terroir and in a fast moving world, it is here that reform is needed most strongly. The EU wine lake has been emptied and the bad practices that it encouraged are happily draining away too. For the consumer, the result must be the guarantee of ever greater quality because whatever the level of classification, if Bordeaux wants to maintain its position as the number one wine region in the world, quality must be at the centre of its plans.
