Claret

Vintages:
1982 -	A great vintage. Very ripe grapes giving extraordinarily plump wines, easy to drink in their youth. Now that they are maturing, little wines should probably be drunk up, while grander wines are still tasting astonishingly youthful. I recommend leaving them in the cellar for years yet.
1983 -	Quicker maturing than 1982. A classic claret vintage. Virtually all wines from this vintage are ready to drink now, but many will keep as well.
1984 -	The worst vintage of the 80s, although some reasonably good wines were made.
1985 -	A large vintage of lovely wines - approachable in their youth, with really attractive flavour.
1986 -	Although this is said to be a keeping vintage, below Classed Growth level the wines are fine for drinking now.
1987 -	This was a brilliant vintage for small shopkeepers like us. Attractive, fruity wines for early drinking were made. Unfortunately, most wines (apart from those at the top level) are now tiring.
1988 -	A classic claret vintage - best of all for Merlot (St. Emilion, Pomerol).
1989 -	A very hot summer produced rich wines, but with more fruit than structure, so a less impressive vintage (also more uneven) than 1990.
1990 -	A really wonderful vintage. Certainly a great vintage. It was almost impossible to make bad wine in 1990.
1991 -	Not a good vintage. However, there are exceptions.
1992 -	My advice is to avoid 1992s. They seem to me dilute, one-dimensional and dull.
1993 -	A much better vintage, rather underrated, with many wines exhibiting nicely defined fruit.
1994 -	Said to be better than 1993. I'm afraid most of those that I have tasted lack the elegance of 1993, and seem to me rather clumsy. Better for wines from the right bank (St Emilion, Pomerol, etc), and Bourg and Blaye than the Medoc.
1995 -	All the 1995s I have tasted have been delicious.
1996 -	After tasting more 96s I am coming round to them. Some very nice wines were made.
1997 -	The wines that I have tasted seem most attractive and very forward, for early drinking. This vintage is still drinking very well - and unfairly overlooked.
1998 -	Good vintage, especially for Merlot.
1999 -	Sound vintage - more interesting on the right bank (for example, the delicious Ch. d'Aiguilhe below). A bit patchier on the left bank; however, there are good wines in a soft style which are already providing very good drinking.
2000 -	Absolutely delicious wines, with lots of ripe, forward fruit, making many, even at classed growth level, excellent for drinking now. Although prices for the grandest labels have been quite stiff, those for wines at less exalted levels have remained very reasonable.
2001 -	An underrated vintage, in the shadow of 2000, but ultimately may turn out superior to its predecessor. The wines seem to be maturing more slowly than the 2000s, while retaining a better balance - worth buying.
2002 -	There are always exceptions, but this is definitely a weak vintage.
2003 -	Small vintage, atypical, exceptionally deep-coloured wines. Particularly good in the northern Medoc.
2004 -	Attractive vintage - and some very advantageous prices since punters are chasing the 2003s and 2005s.
2005 -	Undoubtedly a terrific vintage, and below the superstars not greedily priced.

RONAN BY CLINET 2009 AC Bordeaux This wine comes from the owner of Ch. Clinet, Ronan Laborde, hence the name. The vines are located just outside Pomerol, and are 100% Merlot. So this is effectively a Pomerol in all but name. The wine is plump and rich, capable of taking several years' cellaring.				£12.95
Ch. BERNADOTTE 2002 AC Haut Medoc This property was bought in 1997 by May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, owner at the time of Ch. Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, who put considerable investment into it. In 2007 it was sold to Champagne Louis Roederer. The 2002 is firm and solid, a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. It needs decanting several hours before drinking in order to open out the flavour.				£13.95
Ch. MOULIN À VENT 2004 AC Moulis Gentle Cru Bourgeois claret, lovely for drinking now. Excellent value.				£14.50
Ch. CISSAC 2002 AC Haut Medoc This vintage was a great success at this property. *A selection of other vintages also available* MAGNUMS also available (2001 and 2003) @ £39.95				£17.95
Ch. de FONBEL 2007 AC Saint Emilion Grand Cru This property belongs to Alain Vauthier, owner of fabled Ch. Ausone, and he has spared no expense here in reviving the vineyard, with impressive results. The wine is a blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 3% Carmenère. A lovely wine was made in this vintage: supple, with really delicious leathery oak flavours complementing the plummy fruit.				£19.95
Ch. BOUTISSE 2008 AC Saint Emilion Grand Cru Drinking well now. The Wine Spectator describes it as "ripe, fleshy, toasty" and puts it in its top 25 wines of the vintage, along with Châteaux Margaux, Palmer, Montrose and Lynch Bages. Will continue to drink well over the next 10 years.				£19.95
Ch. CANTEMERLE 2004 AC Haut Medoc Dense, almost black in colour, with vigorous but soft blackcurrant fruit and touches of vanilla, this stood out at a comprehensive of 2004 clarets tasting put on a couple of years ago. A wonderful wine, with a great future ahead of it, though delicious for drinking now, if decanted.				£28.95
Ch. LAMOTHE-CISSAC 2000 AC Haut Medoc MAGNUMS Peppercorn in his book on Bordeaux describes the wines from this estate as "stylish, with solidity and fruit." I couldn't put it better myself. The 2000 has rounded out, with tannins which have now softened, but it is still firm, with lots of dark fruit flavours, with a firm, dry finish. 2002 MAGNUMS also available @ £27.50				£29.95
CLOS LOUIE 2005 AC Côtes de Castillon A garage wine! This vineyard covers a total of 0.8 hectare. Very old vines, average age of 150 years. A blend of Merlot, Malbec, Carmenère, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.				£29.95
SARGET DE GRUAUD-LAROSE 1999 AC St. Julien MAGNUMS Second wine of the Second Growth Ch. Gruaud Larose. This is lovely, mature Medoc claret.				£49.50

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