Across the river from famous Margaux lies the Premières Côtes de Blaye. With Stéphane Derenoncourt as winemaker, this estate is ensuring the region’s wines get the recognition they deserve. Cuvée Viva is a rich, world class, modern claret.
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Fine Bordeaux can be expensive, but if you know where to look, you can find smaller estate wines of star quality at an extraordinarily good price. Taste for yourself here!
Château du Gazin is a family-owned château located on the famous Right Bank near Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. It was established in 1532, complete with a castle and dovecote, which showed its prestige. It has been owned for the last 80 years by the Robert family, who have once again built it into a prestigious estate.
Their lovely Château du Gazin Bordeaux comes from vineyards in Canon-Fronsac AOC, an appellation with clay-limestone soils similar to those of Saint-Émilion, renowned for its big, full-bodied reds. A lavish blend of velvety, plummy Merlot with red berry Cabernet Franc and inky Malbec, it has delicious aromas of black fruit, plums and cherries, and a woody tobacco note. The palate is smooth and textured, the luscious fruit and fine tannins all in beautiful balance. It’s a seamless, luxury wine with a decadently long finish … decant and serve with your finest roast meats.
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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)
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Fronsac's fine Château Dalem perches high on a hill, surrounded by its 14 hectares of sloping vineyards. It's an historic estate, with records dating back to 1610, that stayed in the same family until 1955. Michel Rullier then took it over and today it's run with great success by his descendant, Brigitte Rullier-Loussert. 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 (92 points from James Suckling and 94 from Vertedevin), 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 fruity depth. Perfect with roast meat or wild mushroom risotto.
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In 1969, Michel Bécot acquired the château and brought the area under vine up to 18.50 hectares thanks to the purchase of neighbouring vineyard plots with the same terroir. He also turned seven hectares of former underground limestone quarries into a storage cellar where tens of thousands of bottles age under ideal conditions. His work in improving and embellishing the estate went on until his retirement in 1985. His two sons, Gérard and Dominique, have followed in their father’s footsteps while introducing numerous technical innovations to both the cellars and the vineyard. Only the ripest, healthiest grapes are now harvested, and then sorted one by one. Gérard’s daughter, Juliette, started working at the château in 2001 in order to market wines from the family estate.95-97 points Wine Advocate Displaying a deep purple-black color, the 2020 Beau-Sejour Becot prances out of the glass with showy scents of preserved plums, chocolate-covered cherries, wild blueberries and raspberry preserves, plus suggestions of rose oil, ground cloves and licorice. The elegantly crafted, medium-bodied palate shimmers with energy, offering a fantastic intensity of crunchy red and black fruits, supported by fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and perfumed. Simply stunning. (5/2021)
94-96 points Jeb Dunnuck The vivid purple-hued 2020 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot is another ethereal, incredibly perfumed, mineral-laced Saint-Emilion, which is common from wines from the upper, limestone plateau. Gorgeous cassis and black cherry fruits as well as floral notes, violets, and chalky minerality all define the nose, and it’s medium-bodied, has wonderfulness and purity, and reveals a liqueur of rocks-like minerality on the finish. It’s another thrillingly complete wine from this team that shines for its purity, elegance, and complexity. (5/2021)
J. Suckling : 96-97/100
Anthocyanes / Y.Castaing : 98-100/100
Terre de Vins : 98-98/100
Decanter : 95/100
Jeb Dunnuck : 94-96/100
Wine Advocate : 95-97/100
Vinous – N.Martin : 92-94/100
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