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