Great Names Behind The ‘Lesser’ Labels

Skillfully blended by the team at first-growth Château Haut-Brion Clarendelle is a family of blended wines made from traditional Bordeaux grape varietals. Beautiful pale yellow colour. Very concentrated, round, rich, and wonderfully vivacious on the palate, with mineral overtones.

From the famous proprietor Denis Durantou, this blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc from a vineyard just adjacent to its more famous neighbor, Pomerol, is a terrific 2012, one of the best Les Cruzelles I’ve tasted, right up there with some of the impressive Lalande de Pomerols of 2009 and 2010. This wine is supple-textured, opulent and full-bodied, with a dense ruby/purple color, loads of mocha, black cherry and currant fruit. Long, full-bodied, rich, it is best drunk over the next 10-12 years. A sleeper of the vintage.

The 2013 Lune d’Argent is a blend of 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc offering lots of exotic mango, pineapple and Mandarin orange notes in its aromatics, crisp acidity, and a medium-bodied, fresh, lively mouthfeel.

‘Extraordinary value given Montlabert’s pedigree. 2010 is one of Bordeaux’s greatest vintages this century. Owned by the famous Saint-Julien property, Château Beychevelle, and the incredibly talented Hubert de Bouard of Château Angelus who oversees each vintage. Finely tuned and pretty aromatics, the palate is one of the best you will find at this price point.’

The Montlandrie was picked between 9th and 12th of October, a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc aged in 50% new oak. The bouquet is more sedate and more reserved than the Les Cruzelles or La Chenade at this stage – you have to coax out the aromas more. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, quite supple tannins. The acidity is just about perfect and there is great poise on the grippy, saline finish.

This is a wine to buy because of the commitment of two of Burgundy’s greatest names: Jacques Seysses, founder of Domaine Dujac and Aubert de Villaine, co-owner of Domaine de la Romanée Conti. Organically farmed, Saint Augusta is a selection of the best cuvées of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Offering attractive aromas of ripe black cherries, nutmeg and clove. The robe is rich and dark with chewy fruit. Everything is seamless and this is one of the best buys.

It has quite a forward, rich, generous bouquet with subtle honeysuckle and apricot notes merging with the apply aromas. The palate is fresh and crisp on the entry, a little grassiness at first, gently opening up to a gooseberry, nettle and green apple-flavored finish.

The Doisy-Daëne Blanc Sec 2014 has a pleasant, refined bouquet with scents of green apple intermingling with lime and granitic scents. The palate is taut and fresh with a sharpline of acidity and a penetrating malic finish that leaves the palate feeling totally refreshed and asking for more. Very fine.