There is nothing that Esme Johnstone and David Campbell of FromVineyardsDirect.com don’t know about Bordeaux. Their contacts there are legendary and they put them to good use in quietly snapping up the surplus production or the wine that doesn’t quite fit the final blend of the Grands Vins from some of the region’s finest châteaux.
These ‘defrocked’ clarets (and one Sauternes) are made using fruit from the relevant château itself, with the same care and attention that goes into the Grands Vins, by the same winemaking teams, and they allow canny wine lovers the chance to enjoy a bit of Bordelais stardust at the fraction of the usual price.
I reckon the 2010 St. Julien (1), from one of the commune’s ‘Super Seconds’, noted for its well draining, beautiful pebbles, is about as good a claret as you can get for less than 20 quid (the Grand Vin sells for around £165).
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