Bordeaux Snapshot Case

Bordeaux can justifiably claim to be the world’s premier wine region. While there are excellent whites and world-beating dessert wines from Sauternes it’s the reds, aka Claret, on which Bordeaux’s reputation rests. From humble ‘everyday’ clarets to some of the most expensive wines in the world there are reds to suit every pocket and in our Snapshot Case, we’ve picked 3 good value examples from across the region.

To start we’ve picked a good value, honest claret – Chateau Buisson-Redon, a straight AoC Bordeaux – made from a 60/40 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc which are the mainstay varieties of the Right Bank vineyards from where this comes. Soft and welcoming, part of it is aged in oak which adds a smoothness to its essential soft and plummy character making it a good, versatile everyday drinking wine.

For our second pick, we’ve stayed on the Right Bank but moved along to Saint Émilion which is known for its Merlot dominated blends. Château La Croix Ferrandat is made by the Union de Producteurs de Saint Emilion and is a soft and seductive, unoaked, wine that allows the rich plummy and brambly flavours, a hallmark of these wines, to really stand out. It’s mellow enough to easily drink by itself and it pairs well with red meats and cheeses.

To complete the picture we finish off in the Médoc on the Left Bank at Chateau Lacombe-Noaillac. The Médoc is the tongue of land, north of Bordeaux, between the Gironde estuary and the sea and here Cabernet Sauvignon is the predominant grape, the character of which is well demonstrated in this wine. It has a characteristic savoury edge that sits along the plump fruit and makes it great with roast and grilled meats.

So that’s our Bordeaux Snapshot case, a whistle-stop tour around the region.