What to drink this week
Christmas claret
What is it about claret? There’s been a fashion in recent times—especially among sommeliers and the hipster crowd—to knock red Bordeaux or at least dislodge it somewhat from the elevated pedestal it has occupied for so long. There is, however, something especially satisfying about the wines made in the environs of the Gironde; a certain seriousness to go with mature ripeness, restraint as well as richness.
Why you should be drinking it
Some recent fine vintages—the underrated 2014, the warm 2015, the classic 2016 and now the very promising 2018—are providing some excitement and dispelling the idea that claret is about as thrilling as a Scottish bank manager’s suit. In the satellite areas of St Emilion and Pomerol, and in Médoc at cru bourgeois level, there are some genuine bargains to be had.
What to buy
Château Moulin de Curat Puisseguin St Emilion 2014 (www.waitrosecellar. com; £14.99) has good density of colour and a combination of Merlot (65%) softness with Cabernet Franc (25%) freshness, with a certain earthiness I find attractive. Château Les Moines 2009 (below, £17.95; www. tanners-wines.co.uk), by contrast, is a cru bourgeois from the Médoc made from 70% Cabernet Sauvignon. These Cabernets, from a great vintage, were clearly exceptionally ripe and there is great plummy richness on the nose, with good density and structure on the palate. Château La Fortune 2016 (£33.99; www.oxford wine.co.uk) is a tiny Margaux cru bourgeois on a fine gravelly site, where Michel Rolland consults. The results are most impressive, with great depth of colour, layers of blackcurrant and blackberry fruit and—most important of all—the elegance and finesse of really classy claret.