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Delicious depth and richness with real freshness give this Bordeaux white perfect balance. It’s a collaboration between our award-winning winemaker Jean-Marc Sauboua and owner of Château Le Coin Ludovic Roussillon.
The key ingredient is Sauvignon – Gris that is, not Blanc – which combines spicy richness and lime freshness. All the grapes are tended at Ludovic’s superb estate in the Entre-Deux-Mers, just over the river from Le Chai au Quai, our winemaking HQ in Castillon.
His claret is always a hit and nine years ago we persuaded him to make us a white too. The limestone soils help to produce lovely fruit intensity, while old-vine grapes and a tiny portion of oak fermentation lends even more richness. Great solo or with a creamy gratin.
Corbières is one of the best-known regions of southern France, adored for its characterful, robust reds, laced with dark fruit, wild herb and tobacco notes. This is a terrific find from the Terre d'Expression cellar in Fabrezan. It's a cooperative cellar, that works with its growers to gain exceptional quality grapes. All the fruit for Villa Pech Fourcat comes from a single estate in Boutenac, the only village in Corbières which may be named on the label.
Its wines are supreme thanks to very stony soils, hot dry summers and cooling winds. Vines for this red are, on average, 65 years old and very low yielding, which only adds to the power and intensity of this fabulous wine. For drinking now, open a couple of hours beforehand and decant.
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Christophe Reboul Salze is a big name in Bordeaux. Born in central France, he fell in love with the region's wines in his youth. Arriving in Bordeaux in 1980, he decided to make his passion a career. He gained a decade's experience trading in Grand Cru Classé wines and became director at one of the leading houses. Then started his own négociant business, which remains today a leader in the field.
However, he wanted to make wine too, so he purchased three estates in the Right Bank's Premières Côtes de Blaye and employed Stéphane Derenoncourt as consultant. The results have been exceptional. This superb claret uses a cuvée from each of his properties, Châteaux Les Grands Marechaux, Gigault and Belle Coline. A fine exclusive Bordeaux red.
Its vineyards are nearly all planted to Merlot, with a small amount of Cabernet Franc, and tended with meticulous care. As you can see from critics' scores, it is an admired claret and one that ages very well too. Matured in French oak (50% new), it has structure and length, but above all an appealing depth of luscious fruit and spice – like Christmas in a glass! It’s a luxurious sipper, ideal with cheese after the Christmas feast. “Spiced plums and cocoa-dusted blueberries ... Succulent" (James Suckling, 94pts)