Christmas is the time for fine claret, whether the grub you plan to gorge on is a juicy rib of beef, a succulent saddle of lamb or the dread festive turkey. And, if you’re canny, there’s no need to break the bank. We’ve put together three keenly priced clarets with our partners Mr Wheeler. Each has unimpeachable credentials, from truly great estates. Drink long and drink deep.
The 2014 Vieux Château Saint André (1) from Montagne Saint-Emilion is a complete and utter claret-lover’s delight. Produced from fruit grown on his own six-hectare estate by Jean-Claude Berrouet (who, being the former winemaker at Ch. Pétrus, certainly knows his onions), the wine is almost indecently flirtatious and approachable. A blend of succulent, brambly Merlot with just a splash of structure-giving Cabernet Franc, the wine spends a perfectly judged spell in oak and is full of soft, ripe, dark fruit, vanilla, spice and even a whisper of black coffee.
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