The Irish wine specialist chain O’Briens have their French Wine Sale running from 27th April to 24th May, all with a reduction of at least 20%.They also have a rosé wine sale which will run for the whole summer. Expect more on that in the near future. In the meantime, here are some of the red Bordeaux wines which hit the mark at different price points.
Château des Léotins Bordeaux 2023
While the left bank and right bank areas in Bordeaux take all the plaudits, there’s still a lot of good Claret made outside of these famous areas. For white wines, the Entre-Deux-Mers subregion – between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers – is a source of accessible wines, in terms of both style and price.
Reds from the same area carry the humble AOC Bordeaux label, but the clay and limestone soils can also produce tasty reds. This Château des Léotins is such a red. The property is owned by Vignobles Lumeau, a family-owned concern in Sauveterre-de-Guyenne, now run by their eighth generation. They produce more than a dozen different wines – including a white and a rosé – with different blends, oak treatments and personalities.
This bottling is a blend of Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon. After picking the grapes are cold soaked for three to five days, then fermented at 25C. Fermentation and maturation are both in stainless steel tanks to emphasise the grapes’ fruit flavours.
In the glass it pours a deep ruby red with purple flecks. The nose shows notes of strawberry jam and spice. The palate has ripe red and black berry fruits, along with plum and chocolate from the Merlot.
This is an enjoyable red Bordeaux which offers great value. Perfect for kicking off a barbecue!
ABV: 13.0%
RRP: €12.79 on promotion
Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie
Château Saint-Bonnet Médoc Cru Bourgeois 2018
Another Bordeaux subregion that often gets overlooked is AOC Médoc; not the Médoc peninsula as a whole, but rather the wines from the northern reaches which are lower-lying and closer to the meeting of the Gironde and the Atlantic. This section does not have the gravel banks which serve Cabernet Sauvignon so well in the famous communes of Pauillac, Saint-Julien and their neighbours, so Merlot is more common, especially on clay rich soils. There are no classed growths in the Médoc AOC, but there are some wines which carry the Cru Bourgeois designation (the next level down).
Château Saint Bonnet is owned by the Merlaut family , proprietors of St Julien’s famous Château Gruaud Larose. The head of the family, Jean Merlaut, is a fervent ambassador of the Médoc appellation and has made significant investments in the region, including the acquisition of 137 hectares of vines. He also hired Regis Portfilet from Châteaux Lafite Rothschild and Duhart Milon as winemaker.
The assemblage of this wine is thus typical for the area, being 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. The predominance of Merlot results in a velvet richness and plenty of oomph with 14.0% abv. Plump plums enter like a rugby player heading to the bar in need of a pint, followed by blackcurrant and a coterie of finer notes. In comparison to the simpler wine above, oak does play a role in the maturation of this wine, adding to the structure of course, but also notes of cedar and tobacco box.
Overall this is a delicious wine which gives you a taste (pun fully intended) of what Bordeaux can do, without breaking the bank.
ABV: 14.0%
RRP: €20.79 on promotion
Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie
Château Villa Bel-Air Graves Rouge 2022
While I’m on the subject of under appreciated Bordeaux subregions, here’s another: the wines of Graves, particularly AOC Graves. Wine has been made in the Graves area south west of Bordeaux for hundreds of years, even before the Médoc was drained to make it suitable for viticulture. The best areas were delineated into the new Pessac-Léognan appellation in 1987, but the remaining Graves has some under-rated wines.
Château Villa Bel-Air was bought by the JM Cazes family of Lynch-Bages in 1988 and have made significant investments to improve quality. Many of the vineyard plots had addition drainage added and were totally replanted, making for nicely mature vines now.
As we’re in the Graves, both red and white wines are made, but here we’re just looking at the red. The blend is generally 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, though it varies appropriately with the vintage. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks but then maturation is in a mix of new and older oak for 12 to 15 months.
And what is the result? This is a banger! It has all the lovely plum and cassis that you’d expect, but there’s also intoxicating vanilla and lifted spices swirling in between the berries.
As a generalisation, Pessac-Léognan of both colours can be magnificent, while Graves wines tend to be more modest, but this Château Villa Bel-Air is worthy of being considered as a proper grown up wine. It really punches above its price point.
ABV: 14.0%
RRP: €20.79 on promotion
Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie