Some slurps enjoyed over the last few months (Sorry Marco, they’re all French. )
2013 Château de Maillert, Haut-Médoc
Gold medal winner, Concours International 2016
13% ABV £15 a bottle
Though less of a primadonna than thinner skinned varieties, nonetheless the Bordeaux star grape, Cabernet Sauvignon, makes some demands of its own. To perform well in a maritime climate like Bordeaux, it needs well-draining gravel soils to help it ripen fully. Unfortunately, wines meriting only the broad Haut-Médoc appellation can be rather simple, due to haphazard pockets of gravel in predominately heavier clay soils.
Clay lacks the heat transferring properties of gravel, so grown in it, Cabernet Sauvignon may have difficulty developing maturity and complexity in finished wines from the region.
2014 Château d’Anvichar, Bordeaux
Gold medal winner
14% ABV
2007 Château Le Boscq, Saint Estèphe
56% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc.
13% ABV £25 a bottle
2010 Château German, Castillon, Côte de Bordeaux
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Médaille d’Or, Paris 2012
13.5% ABV ~ £20 a bottle
2007 Château Capbern Gasqueton
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
13% ABV ~ £30 a bottle
2011 Château Les Grands Maréchaux, Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux
14.5% ABV £16 a bottle
2003 Château Ramage La Batisse, Haut-Médoc
Awards:
Japan Wine Challenge, 2007: Seal Of Approval
Le Guide Hachette des Vins, 2007: 1 Star
Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, 2006: Silver
Concours des Grands Vins de France Macon, 2006: Or
13% ABV £14 a bottle