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.

Our Buyer for Bordeaux, Jean-Marc Sauboua, praises this wine as "Lovely mellow maturity to this well-aged Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, a sibling to Château Plaisance", their flagship Grand Cru.

The 65-year-old vines are planted on prized gravel and sandy soils in the southwest of Saint-Émilion, which means they are very well drained and the grapes at harvest time are exceptionally concentrated. The fruit is hand-picked and meticulously selected.

This opulent Gold-winning Grand Cru is a Merlot dominant blend (80%) with the balance made up of Cabernet Franc (10%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%). A careful hand in the vineyard and the cellar, along with 14+ months' ageing in new oak, ensure pretty fruit with enough power and structure to age. Indeed, it’s rare to obtain a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru with over 10 years’ age and at such a sensible price!

Enjoy aromas of mature red fruits, tobacco, earthy undergrowth, as well as tertiary elements of leather. Over 10 years cellaring has resulted in a silky palate of mellow red fruit, earthy tobacco and gentle spice oak notes. Stand the bottle upright a few hours, so that any sediment there is will drop to the bottom. Then carefully decant. Serve with simple dishes to show it at its best – roast duck or crisp pork belly works best.

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.

Bordeaux was blessed in 2019. "The vintage is looking very good" said Jancis Robinson MW, "harmony, balance and freshness are definitely the hallmarks of 2019" declared James Suckling. This is a very appealing claret from a third-generation estate that also impressed the judges, taking two Golds.

It's situated in Auriolles, in the Entre-Deux-Mers and since the current generation, David Mauro, took over, he has started to convert the vineyards to organic. The aim is to improve the health of the land and create a wine with even more richness and depth. The vines on the property are on average 45 years old, producing a moderate amount of concentrated grapes. Mostly Merlot with a little Cabernet Sauvignon, this is an appealing, supple claret.