Vignobles Luc Schweitzer, Château Bourdieu No1, Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 2018 (14.5%)

chateau-bourdieu.com POA $ Monsieur Touton Selection, Misa Imports

For the second year running, Blaye has stormed into our Best in Show selection, on this occasion with a Value wine from the exciting 2018 vintage. It was a warm and generous year, and you can read that generosity in the deep colours and vivacious aromatic ripeness that lifts from the glass. The wine is deep, round and approachable on the palate, the primary plum and damson fruits beginning to soften into something a little more savoury and meaty. There are, though, firm shaping tannins behind those prominent fruits, while the acidity is supple and fruit-packed. This sturdy Value Best in Show will certainly continue to evolve for another half-decade yet, and would show convincingly among peers of loftier price.

Luc Schweitzer purchased Château Bourdieu in the early 1990s, although his relationship with the property stretches back to his salad days. ‘During my childhood I saw Château Bourdieu every week on my way to boarding school,’ he recalls. ‘And having always lived in the world of wine, I decided in 1993 to buy it.’

Schweitzer has increased plantings from

20ha to 75ha, with significant investment going into plot-based winemaking.

‘Château Bourdieu No1 is composed of 89% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Malbec,’ says Schweitzer. ‘Our land is well exposed on the Bordeaux coast and benefits from mild summer temperatures. The vines develop perfectly on a clay, limestone and gravel soil which gives our wines sustained colour and body, while remaining round and supple.

‘We work our vines daily to preserve biodiversity and since 2018 our wines have been labelled HVE (high environmental value) Level 3 which is the highest within the programme. We always aim to respect the environment and thanks to all our efforts we will obtain organic “Bio” certification in 2023. Perfection does not exist, but we do our best to achieve it.’