Christmas Clarets - The Super Six

The second wine of one of our favourite châteaux, Cissac, this is lighter bodied than its big brother but boasts a great nose and a good core of fruit. 2018 was a lovely ripe vintage which brings a supple richness to the wine. Drink now and over the next couple of years.

Wonderfully expressive and rich aromas, with a classic Médoc nose – cedar and toasty oak notes, bramble fruits and cherry. On the light side of medium bodied with a lovely rich core, and a persistent, perfumed quality. This is fresh with crisp, red and dark cherry fruit flavours, a savoury twist and supple, grainy tannins.

A forward, juicy style, medium-bodied with gentle toasty oak on the palate. Simple but expressive, lovely to drink young and from a Bordeaux region that’s once again on the up. Another great vintage that made classy wines, this is ready to drink now.

A ripe nose of blue-tinged Merlot fruits, notes of plum and dried spices, and pressed dark flowers. Supple on the palate, very well-balanced and notably juicy, this is medium-bodied with fine crisp tannins, and a gently toasty, fragrant length. Attractive stuff, nicely proportioned and easy to drink!

Now eight years old, this second wine is impressive; very ‘clarety’ in texture and flavour, layers of sweet fruit and fine tannins. An excellent wine to accompany a meal, 2016 is delivering brilliantly balanced wines and we were thrilled to find this. Will happily last a year or two more.

The nose leads with orange rind and crisp red fruits alongside softer, earthier dark fruits, some classic Médoc salinity and spicing. The palate is creamier and pretty smooth and juicy, offering just a little ink and a rich grippy sensation. Layers of flavour, sweet fruit and attractive cedar and oak abound in this well-balanced offering.

We love this Saint-Émilion property – Ch. Laroque is going from strength to strength yet is still affordable. Their second wine is more approachable but still reflects the quality of the property and the vintage. It is spot-on for drinking this Christmas and opens up really well in the glass.

Ripe, soft blue/black fruits on the nose give a gentle creaminess, which leads to a juicy, medium-bodied palate. This fans out on the palate and shows a speckled quality of fine tannins, with spicy red fruit flavours and some woody complexity. Rounded and juicy, and ready to go!

Sourced this summer, we had to dig around to find a 2009 that was drinking as well as this. If you like mature claret with plenty of breadth and interest, those dried fruit and aged tannins coming through on the palate, then this one’s for you. A great vintage, a great find, drink now.

Complex, developing and flavourful, the colour belies its age! The nose has a mix of wild cherry and crisp dark fruits, rich cherry liqueur, a little varnish, toast, and some sea scent. Nicely weighted on the palate, saline-tinged red fruits with pockets of sweetness and a savoury streak. Lightly grippy but with ripe tannins.

PRESENTED IN WOODEN CASE WHEN YOU BUY 6

In the ‘Ten Year’s On’ Blind Tasting at Southwold this year Ch. Tronquoy (junior partner of Montrose) wowed the judges and performed on a par with some very illustrious Bordeaux properties. There is no doubt that this stylish claret has developed very well; enjoy now or keep for a few more years.

Sweet-tinged red fruits and brambly forest fruits aromas backed by some fine toasty oak, a little iron and damp earth. The palate offers a classic Saint-Estèphe savoury, mineral vein and plenty of structure, overlaid with supple, saline-infused, soft dark fruits, fine spicing and a mix of toasty oak and cedar. Classy claret and notably long.