From a fourth-generation-owned Pauillac cellar, B de Fonbadet may fall under the humble Bordeaux label, but it’s intensity and complexity leave no doubt about its high-end quality. This 2019 has even won the Decanter’s esteemed Platinum medal.
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This juicy, full-of-fruit red sums up the best of Aussie wine – gorgeous ripe flavour, good intensity and freshness. Way & Cat is short for ‘wayfaring catador’, catador being Spanish for taster.
So the name is a tribute to how the team source their fruit – they head out into the vineyards to taste the grapes of their grower friends. When they find the selections they like, they vinify each parcel separately, then blend the results into fruit first expressions of the varieties they chose. That blend changes vintage by vintage, depending on what performs well that year. It's top for versatility too – great as a glass on its own, tasty with roasted vegetable quiche, sausage and mash. And just the ticket at a barbecue.
A fear of heights is a non-starter for those working in the vineyards of Vallée du Paradis. They perch perilously on the slopes below Peyrepertuse, an ancient Cathar fortress some 800m high in the Pyrenees. So collecting the intensely fruity, aromatic grapes is not for the faint-hearted. Luckily, winemaker Benjamin Andrieu is willing to put fear aside to tend them.
?The result is a really appealing red, with bright fruit and seductively spiced notes. Syrah brings ripe blackberry, herbs and liquorice notes, while juicy Grenache and peppery Carignan add even more depth and body. A top choice for those who love smooth, silky reds with the warmth of southern France. Great with grilled meats, pasta with pesto, aubergine bake or on its own.
Rich, ripe, finely crafted Médoc made in a truly accessible style – ready now yet with the structure for ageing. Merlot with a little Cabernet, from superbly positioned vineyards, this Bordeaux has dense cassis with a full creamy edge of oak.
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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.
