Lying close to Margaux's Châteaux Giscours and du Tertre, Château Cazauviel remains surprisingly under the radar. It was inherited by Régis Bernaleau from his father in 1978 and today remains in family hands. It is situated on the prized gravel soils of the Arsac plateau, which lends both an intensity and a finesse to the wine. This pretty claret is from a vintage struck by early April frosts – the most devastating for many years.

It reduced yields, but as Decanter wrote, "there are some excellent wines." Most, like Cazauviel 2017, are not long keepers, but makes delightful drinking now. Ideally open a couple of hours before serving and decant. It'll make a delicious glass with roast chicken with morels or a mushroom croustade.

Once a sister property to Thomas Barton's Châteaux Langoa and Léoville Barton, 18th-century Château Le Boscq was purchased by Maison Dourthe in 1995. It then went through a complete renovation and a big step up in the quality of its wine. Its 18 hectares of vineyard, unusually in one single block, are planted on gravel and clay soils in the northern part of Saint-Estèphe.

Clay provides a cooler soil which favours Merlot, hence a higher than normal proportion of Merlot is planted – just over half, with 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, the usual hero of the Left Bank, plus Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. A year's ageing in nearly half new oak barrels adds to the gravity and longevity of this firm claret. Open early and decant or cellar a while.

Château Peybourdieu is exactly the type of small, under the radar property we love to champion. It also illustrates Robert Parker’s advice not to “overlook the so-called petits vins of Bordeaux – they frequently compete with wines selling for two or three times the price”. Winemaker Denis Cayé is the third generation of his family at the property and his years of experience are evident in this fine 2021 vintage. The estate lies just north of the Haut-Médoc, between the Atlantic and Gironde estuary, protected from strong winds by forest.

A classic Médoc blend of Cabernet and Merlot, it delivers blackcurrant, earthy and oaky hints with a liquorice and cigar box character. Open a few hours early and decant. It's excellent with roast meats.

Founded 200 years ago, Château Pédesclaux is a magnificent estate, both in terms of wine and architecture. It combines the beauty of the 19th century with the modernity and technological advances of the 21st.

The additional work was undertaken by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, whose aim was to place “production at the heart of the estate within a high-performance building that is entirely fit for purpose and makes a harmonious whole with both the château and its surroundings”. It's quite something to behold.

Since the Lorenzetti family took ownership they've converted to organic. Their top wine is a rich, Cabernet-based claret, supported by Merlot, and finely expresses its gravel terroir. Still a young wine – best to cellar or open early.

L’Épiphanie de Pauillac is the latest of our secret releases from iconic Bordeaux châteaux. It hails from Pauillac’s top tier – a Premier Grand Cru Classé estate. There are only three in the appellation: Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild and Latour. We guarantee this wine is from one of them. It isn’t their Grand Vin, of course, but it’s made from the same fruit by the same winemaker and housed in the same barrels. Yet it costs less than 1/16th of the Grand Vin’s price.

L’Épiphanie de Pauillac has blackcurrant, cherry and ripe plum infused with subtle spice, cedar and cigar box notes. These classic aromas combine with firm tannins for a complex wine with a long finish. By all means open a bottle now, but cellaring will pay dividends.