BEST-BUY BORDEAUX: Hindle’s pick of 30 top-value clarets
This top 30 was a selection of the highest-scoring wines in our tasting of more than 160 wines (see scores table, p22), covering a spread of vintages, appellations and price points. I also favoured wines that were more approachable right now and would be perfect to buy and drink today. Some of the others need more time before revealing their full potential; however, many can be cellared too, again increasing the overall appeal of this excellent and much-loved category.
1 Château Grand Français, Origines, Bordeaux Supérieur 2018 93
£17 Wanderlust Wine Gorgeous nose of dark bitter chocolate with ripe blackcurrants. Round and playful, this is bright and upfront in the glass with lively acidity that gives a zing to the red berry fruit. Menthol elements and touches of spiced liquorice join on the mid-palate alongside touches of minerality giving nuance, while florality and freshness stays from start to finish. Excellent drinkability now with an airing, and also potential to age. Blend of 55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, aged 12 months in 50% new oak barrels. Organic. Drink 2022-2027 Alcohol 12.5%
2 Château Ramafort, Médoc CB 2010 93
£18.95 From Vineyards Direct Aromatic and expressive, smooth, supple and generous, this is charming in a bold, characterful and evocative way, giving a sense of the power and heat of the vintage in the ripe, chewy fruit and still quite dense tannins that provide the large frame and structure of the wine. Intense and full-on, with liquorice, smoke, tobacco, cedar, coffee beans and clove spice; round, full and persistent. A bargain to stock up on while you can. Equal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Drink 2022-2025 Alc 13.5%
3 Jean-Baptiste Audy, Haut-Médoc 2018 93
£11.95 Jeroboams An excellent wine with everything you want: ripe chunky fruit, tannic structure, acidity, freshness and nuance from savoury spices. Big and bold, chewy and ripe, but the tannins are finessed. I wouldn't necessarily drink this now as it's all very overt, but definitely one to buy and hold on to. A bargain, 60/40 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, aged 12 months in concrete and steel vats. Drink 2023-2028 Alc 14%
4 Jeroboams, Red, Bordeaux 2016 93
£14.95 Jeroboams
Smells wild and potent, concentrated and full, a touch of cassis and violet to the nose. Concentrated and persistent with racy acidity that gives this a real lifeforce. It's forward and expressive, but nicely enveloping with bright crunchy fruit still and excellent underlying acidity from four months' ageing in stainless steel. It has a nice complexity, but more appealing is the freshness and brightness. Drink 2022-2025 Alc 14%
5 Ronan by Clinet, Bordeaux 2016 93
£13.95-£15.50 Berry Bros & Rudd, Gerrard Seel, Mr Wheeler Expressive nose full of ripe red fruits and floral scents. The smooth, sappy red berry fruit is smooth and detailed, succulent, with tannins that are massy and chewy though also have a slightly chalky edge giving more texture and flavour detail. A 100% Merlot made by the same team as Château Clinet in Pomerol with a collection of growers across Bordeaux. Perfect for drinking, though with life in it yet. Drink 2022-2026 Alc 13.5%
6 Château Argadens, Bordeaux Supérieur 2018 92
£12.99-£14.95 Christopher Piper, Davy’s,
House of Townend, Tanners, Waud Wines
Ripe and scented, full of dark chocolate and blackcurrants. Smooth and balanced, with a joyous sweet side to the strawberry and red cherry fruit on the palate, mouthwatering acidity keeping things lively. Chewy fruit and sticky black liquorice edges take centre-stage, with grip from the tannins giving structure underneath. Confident and striking, from an estate owned by Maison Sichel since 2002. Blend of 63% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2017 vintage is also very appealing, in a cooler, more classic style. Drink 2023-2027 Alc 14%
7 Château Beaumont, Haut-Médoc CB 2015 92
£18.50-£19.95 Christopher Piper, Goedhuis & Co, House of Townend
Fruity, round, smooth and direct, this has a lovely frame, well structured with enough dark fruit richness, acidity and freshness to be complete and compelling. Still lots of power but well controlled with a bright undertone. Sweet sticky liquorice plumps up the cool blue fruit elements. From the same stable as Château Beychevelle, lovely Médoc character and a sense of elegance and refinement. Blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. Drink 2022-2028 Alc 13.5
8 Château Charmail, Les Tours de Charmail, Haut-Médoc 2016 92
£13.95 Slurp
Opulent fruit to the fore with blackcurrant, black cherry, plum, liquorice and strawberry melding together, underpinned by racy acidity and really chewy, ripe tannins. Power and concentration, bold and characterful, a full wine with a juicy succulence that stops it being too much. Nice minerality gives nuances of wet stone, graphite and pencil lead. Drinking well, though will age more. Blend of 38% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 16% Cabernet Franc, aged 12 months in oak barrels. Drink 2022-2028 Alc 13.5%
9 Château du Périer, Médoc CB 2015 92
£13.95 Slurp
Potent and alluring on the nose, controlled and balanced with ripe and sumptuous blackcurrant and strawberry fruit, crunchy mouthwatering acidity and a seriously salty, liquorice and wet stone tang that gives a chalk-like texture on the palate. Round and full with a lovely completeness. Delicious to drink now, and at a great price. Equal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, grapes from a 7ha boutique estate in the commune of St-Christoly, north of St-Estèphe. Drink 2022-2026 Alc 13%
10 Château La Fagnouse, St-Emilion GC 2016 92
£16.90 Private Cellar
A great find: round and creamy, balanced, powerful and concentrated but with layers of flavour and texture. Smooth and velvety blackcurrant and black cherry, sumptuous but also nuanced – glamorous and stylish, and very moreish,. Blend of 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, aged for 12 months in one-year-old oak. Drink 2022-2028 Alc 14.5%
11 Château Lafite Monteil, Grande Réserve, Bordeaux Supérieur 2018 92
£19.99 Naked Wines
Perfumed and richly fruited on the nose, this smells wonderful. Creamy, smooth and sensual, a lovely expression of the 100% Merlot here (14 months in oak). Balsamic strawberries, wild raspberries and bright red cherries with toasted spices, liquorice, vanilla, dried orange peel and coffee bean notes adding piquancy on the tongue. Touches of extraction or oak mark the mid-palate and finish. A serious wine that needs longer to settle and integrate, but it will be delicious in time. Drink 2024-2028 Alc 14.5%
12 Château Lalande d’Auvion, Médoc CB 2019 92
£14.99 Waitrose
Rich and concentrated, smooth and sensuous, really delivering the Médoc character in terms of fresh fruit, herbal scents, soft spicing and gorgeous acidity. Joyful, lifted and balanced, not overly complex but highly enjoyable. Great texture, a slightly chalky sensation to the tannins, a lingering taste of blackcurrant. Crunchy, fruity and vibrant. 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc; 20% aged for nine months in oak barrels and 80% in stainless steel.
Drink 2022-2025 Alc 13%
13 Château Plaisance, Bordeaux 2015 92
£14.49 Hallgarten Wines, Strictly Wine
Coffee beans, tobacco and smoked blackcurrant aromas on the nose. Characterful and full of flavour and texture, with a delicious iron-rich undertone that gives it real nuance. Bold and direct in style, not plush or particularly expansive, the tannins fine and integrated, and the focus suggests more life ahead of it.
Blend of 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 14 months in concrete tanks. Drink 2022-2025 Alc 14%
14 Château Roques Mauriac, Damnation, Bordeaux 2018 92
£17.99 Virgin Wines
Wonderfully evocative aromas, richly scented and darkly fruited. Full and round from the start, this has presence in the mouth, very concentrated with lashings of sweet, sticky liquorice that really matches the ripe, dark blackcurrant and black cherry fruit, reflecting the dominance of 85% Cabernet Franc with 15% Merlot (12 months in oak). A bold style with energy and plushness, though also direction and elegance. Excellent to drink now but could easily hold for a few more years. From a family estate in the heart of the Entre-deuxMers. Drink 2023-2028 Alc 14.5%
15 Château Saint Ahon, Haut-Médoc CB 2019 92
£16 Cavavin
Smooth and characterful with rich, deep black fruit flavours alongside liquorice and milk chocolate nuances. Quite a serious, calm frame slowly expands around the palate, widening the flavours without shouting too much. Nice expression, nothing pushed too much, with signature flavours and freshness throughout and a pleasantly minty undertone. Really delivers for easy-drinking Bordeaux pleasure. Blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, aged 12 months in oak barrels. Drink 2022-2026 Alc 13%
16 Duboscq Claret, Bordeaux 2018 92
£10.99 Kwoff
Cinnamon, sweet spices, pink flowers, raspberries, red cherries and blackcurrants on the nose. Smooth and silky texture, mouthfilling but refined, with precision and focus. Crunchy fruit balances chewy tannins with texture and bright acidity, then a lift on the finish with tangy mint and a liquorice element. Nicely complete, good quality at this price. Unoaked blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink 2022-2027 Alc 14%
17 Jean-Pierre Moueix, Bordeaux 2016 92
£12.95 Private Cellar
Lifted and lively, smooth and supple, generous but in a delicate and graceful way. Tannins are supremely integrated, still with a grip and suppleness that holds attention, and it has a silky texture that guides the creamy strawberry and red cherry flavours and touch of herbal mint through to a long finish. Charming blend of 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. The JP Moueix, St-Emilion 2018 is also excellent and worth seeking out (£13.95 The Wine Society). Drink 2022-2024 Alc 13.5%
18 La Chenade, Denis Durantou, Lalande de Pomerol 2019 92
£17.68 Appellations, Cuchet & Co, Justerini & Brooks, Latimer Vintners, Lay & Wheeler, Richard Kihl Perfumed nose, floral and inviting. Smooth and satisfying, creamy strawberry and red cherry. Dense and full, confident without shouting too loudly. I'd give it another year or so but I like the style: velvety but refined, with herbal-edged blackcurrants and a touch of liquorice, seductive in the best way. An absolute bargain blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, and the last vintage made by legendary late winemaker Denis Durantou of Château L'Eglise Clinet. Drink 2022-2026 Alc 14%
19 Château Bonnet, Réserve Rouge, Bordeaux 2018 91
£18.90 Daniel Lambert
Bold and concentrated on the nose. Ripe, fresh and succulent with mouthwatering acidity and fleshy texture, full of personality with bright strawberry and blackcurrant fruit underpinned offset by plush tannins. Menthol and wood-spiced elements provide the backbone, quite apparent now but giving a sense of the structure and layers of flavour. A mighty wine that can be aged before opening. A 60/40 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grown in Entre-deux-Mers, aged 12 months in 20% new oak. Drink 2025-2030 Alc 14%
20 Château Cissac, Haut-Médoc CBS 2018 91
£15.67-£19.99 Averys, Bon Coeur, Fine & Rare, Frazier’s, Justerini & Brooks, Tanners, Wine Direct Bold, with opulence and plushness. Tannins are ripe, chewy and mouthfilling, you feel the heat of the vintage here, blackcurrant and black cherry fruit a little stewed in its ripeness but here is also a fresh mint and liquorice tang and a lifted finish that complements the fruit. Nicely complete, with great density and texture. Classy and confident blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec, aged 16 months in 25% new oak barrels. Drink 2022-2027 Alc 14%
21 Château d’Haurets, Bordeaux 2016 91
£12 Montrachet, Oddbins
Round and creamy, with a gentle purity yet directness and tension that still drive the wild strawberry, cooked raspberry, eucalyptus and liquorice flavours through to the finish. Definition and detail, a comforting claret that delivers in terms of flavour and texture. Blend of 79% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, aged 12 months in stainless steel and oak. A reliable buy from the Ducourt stable: its Château des Demoiselles, Castillon 2015 is also worth seeking out (£16.67 Blanco & Gomez). Drink 2022-2024 Alc 13.5%
22 Château Daviaud, Bordeaux 2019 91
£9.95-£11.99 Amps, Cambridge Wine Merchants, DBM Wines, Drink Finder, Dunell’s, Gusto Wines, Haynes Hanson & Clark, Palmers Wine Store, SH Jones, Uncorked
Chewy and plump, this is round and full, offering plenty of ripe red and black fruits and a gentle florality alongside massy tannins and balanced acidity. Nice energy, smooth and forward fruit with a minty fresh finish. An extremely drinkable unoaked blend of 45% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Malbec. Maison Sichel took ownership of the estate in 2020, having first overseen production of this 2019 vintage. Drink 2023-2026 Alc 14%
23 Château du Moulin Rouge, L’Ecuyer du Moulin Rouge, Haut-Médoc 2018 91
£14.95 Davy’s
Milk chocolate and blackcurrant aromas, really invite you to take a sip. A slightly cooler feel, less exuberant and plush than some of the other 2018s with blue fruit nuances and creamy elements, more detail to the tannins as the plushness isn't taking centre stage. Nice definition and a delicious juiciness, gentle but still delivering plenty of flavour and signature. A 60/40 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot: the second wine of this 13th-generation family estate. Drink 2023-2027 Alc 12.5%
24 Château La Croix de Grézard, Lussac St-Emilion 2018 91
£15.99-£17.99 Drink Finder, Field & Fawcett, Noble Green, Shekleton Wines, Tannin & Oak, The Grocery, Whole Foods Market
From a boutique estate of 9ha owned by Englishman Bill Boulter. Good aromatic expression and a clear fruit profile. Dense and concentrated with chewy and ripe tannins, but there is a real elegance to it, too, those tannins well integrated. A well-priced wine that has everything you want: ripe chunky fruit, structure, acidity, freshness and nuance from savoury spices. Not necessarily to drink now, but definitely one to buy and hold on to. Blend of Merlot with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink 2024-2028 Alc 14%
25 Château La Grave, Médoc 2019 91
£18 Montrachet
Vibrant and lively, but rich and concentrated, too, with the characteristic iron-mineral tang of northern Médoc, along with notes of blood orange, blackcurrant and juicy plum. Very minty too, classic style with a smooth texture and long, lifted finish. Very moreish. Blend of 75% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot, aged 12 months in oak barrels. Drink 2022-2025 Alc 13%
26 Château La Tessonnière, Médoc Cru Artisan 2016 91
£14.75 Hallgarten Wines
Dark and brooding nose, full of rich black fruits. A wine of power and propulsion, with ripe fruit but still slightly austere tannins that provide contrasts in palate texture. Expands after a few minutes in the glass revealing a hint of sweet juiciness before it deepens with liquorice, tar, coffee and tobacco elements that give nuance and structure. Delicious for the price with a salty, graphite wet stone minerality at the end. Blend of 52% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, aged 18 months in stainless steel. Drink 2022-2026 Alc 13%
27 Château Larose-Trintaudon, Haut-Médoc CBS 2018 91
£27 Liberty Wines
Fresh and fruity on the nose, lively and zingy blackcurrant, strawberry and red cherry. A vein of wet stone, graphite and salty minerality balances ripe fruit on the palate, the tannins plentiful yet less plush than some other 2018s, leaving the other elements to shine through. Feels a cooler, slightly more defined wine because of that. It's controlled and easy to drink: a blend of 47% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, aged 12 months in oak barrels. Drink 2023-2027 Alc 14%
28 Chateau Maine-Pascaud, Côtes de Bordeaux 2019 91
£12.50 Castelnau Wine Agencies, Salut Wines Ample and bouncy, this has a marked creamy edge to the fruit with an appealing crushed velvet texture to the tannins that really serves to plump up the blackcurrant and black cherry flavours. Black liquorice and clove come in towards the end giving depth and balance. Great personality and freshness, but I would wait another year before opening. Blend of 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink 2023-2027 Alc 13.5%
29 Château Penin, Cabernet Franc, Bordeaux 2018 91
£13 WoodWinters
This massal selection Cabernet Franc (propagated from 80-year-old vines in Pomerol) is beautifully floral on the nose: scents of violet and rose. Juicy and succulent, simple but in the best way: pristine, focused, all driving in one straight line – a benefit of ageing for 18 months in 100% stainless steel vats. Tannins give a hint of grip and structure while red cherry and strawberry flavours are lifted by acidity and a gentle sweetness that makes this so pleasurable to drink. Drink 2023-2026 Alc 13.5%
30 Mouton Cadet, Rouge, Bordeaux 2019 91
£10-£11 Morrisons, Ocado, Slurp, Tesco
Creamy strawberry and red cherry mingle with cinnamon spices giving a touch of heat, with a touch of oak piquancy and lively acidity. Nicely complete with personality and drinkability, direct and persistent with a long finish. Blend of 87% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc. A good buy for the price, and the Mouton Cadet Réserve Médoc 2016 is also worth seeking out for a bold, characterful and classic claret (£16.95 Slurp). Drink 2022-2026 Alc 13.5%