Le Grand Chai Bordeaux 2014

Bordeaux produced lovely, fruit forward wines in 2014. Just take this velvety, plum rich claret from the team at Le Chai au Quai, beautifully situated on the river in Castillon. Chief winemaker there is Haut-Brion trained Jean-Marc Sauboua, a Bordelais with a brilliant network of contacts. For this wine he discovered three parcels of fine Merlot grapes from the superior Côtes de Bourg vineyards. So this wine may have standard ‘Bordeaux’ on the label, but in reality it’s anything but. Crafted at Le Chai, with nine months ageing in oak barrels, the wine has luscious, smooth, ripe redcurrant flavours with a creamy roundness. Delicious, easy, ripe fruit, it’s a versatile claret. Serve with chicken or pork casserole or cold meats and cheese.