Bigger Bottles of Bordeaux

The Castéja family, at the helm at Château Batailley, have produced a delicious wine in 2021. The characteristic freshness of the vintage shines through and makes this a very appetising wine. As always with Batailley, there is a classic Pauillac structure, with plenty of fine tannins and concentrated black fruit and savoury flavours.

The Castéja family, at the helm at Château Batailley, have produced a delicious wine in 2021. The characteristic freshness of the vintage shines through and makes this a very appetising wine. As always with Batailley, there is a classic Pauillac structure, with plenty of fine tannins and concentrated black fruit and savoury flavours.

Tasted April 2022. Branaire-Ducru remains a Lay & Wheeler favourite in 2021. Delicate savoury spice notes frame a core of dark berry fruit, and moderate acidity creates a beautiful fresh finish. Tannins are fine and ripe and add to the moreish, savoury style.

Tasted April 2022. Rich, powerful, and inky with concentration of blackberry, raspberry, pepper, and dark chocolate flavours. Spicy, clove notes from 50% new oak. There’s a real lift and elegance to this to carry that generosity, possibly from some careful use of whole bunch fermentation. It finishes long, with saline flavours balancing the richness of this seriously impressive Moulis.

Tasted April 2022. Rich, powerful, and inky with concentration of blackberry, raspberry, pepper, and dark chocolate flavours. Spicy, clove notes from 50% new oak. There’s a real lift and elegance to this to carry that generosity, possibly from some careful use of whole bunch fermentation. It finishes long, with saline flavours balancing the richness of this seriously impressive Moulis.

Tasted April 2022. From the same team as Calon-Segur, Capbern in 2021 shows a lot of classic St-Estephe character with a stoniness to the palate and tannins, and a core of ripe black, brambly fruit. It has more aromatic notes as well of blueberry and a lot of earthy, graphite character. Always great value.

Tasted April 2022. Frederic and the team at Figeac have created an incredible wine this year. Bold and perfectly ripe black fruits, there's a brooding quality to the fruit. Very fine and elegant, with all structural elements in good proportion. There's a lovely spiciness building and the tannins are firm now but tightly packed and ripe. Plenty of savoury and mineral notes on the long, textural finish.

Tasted April 2022. Frederic and the team at Figeac have created an incredible wine this year. Bold and perfectly ripe black fruits, there's a brooding quality to the fruit. Very fine and elegant, with all structural elements in good proportion. There's a lovely spiciness building and the tannins are firm now but tightly packed and ripe. Plenty of savoury and mineral notes on the long, textural finish.

Tasted April 2022. One of our favourite Pomerol this year, the second wine of Gazin is full of soft red fruits, bramble and black plum. The fruit is juicy and concentrated on the palate. There's a slightly smoky, earthy note, and some mouth-filling tannins creating a fantastic texture. The slightly saline, mineral crunch makes for a really appetising finish. Delicious.

Tasted April 2022. Giscours is a real success in this vintage. A lovely silky, charming style with rose petals, graphite, lavender and tobacco framing a core of bramble, black cherry fruit. Fine tannins and a long minerally finish.

Tasted April 2022. More Cabernet was included this year than ever before, with 85% of the blend, with the only other years getting close being 2010 and 2019. This is refreshing and classic, it feels like the vintage really suits the style at Grand-Puy-Lacoste. There's a savoury, licquorice element, a core of dark berry fruit and a mineral-driven finish. 13%.

Tasted 2022. Yields reduced by 60% this year. Savoury, full of tension and a minerally lip-smacking quality. Fleshy red fruit and black berry fruit dominate the palate, with abundant fine tannins. Classic and elegant, with a lovely fresh finish.

Tasted April 2022. Full of classic Pauillac character with firm structure, herbal lift, graphite complexity and a core of savoury dark fruit. This isn't overly opulent, but has lots of power, complex licquorice and leather notes, and a mineral-tinged finish. 13%.

Tasted April 2022. Linear and precise with restrained blackberry, black cherry and graphite aromas. Medium bodied with a long, saline finish, this has a really mouth-watering, sapid quality. Crushed rock, petals and mint aromas create plenty of complexity but this is approachable and elegant first and foremost.

Tasted April 2022. Linear and precise with restrained blackberry, black cherry and graphite aromas. Medium bodied with a long, saline finish, this has a really mouth-watering, sapid quality. Crushed rock, petals and mint aromas create plenty of complexity but this is approachable and elegant first and foremost.

Tasted April 2022. Tasting the 2021 from Ormes de Pez it's easy to see why this property has such a loyal following. This has plenty of classic St-Estèphe character with a deep core of black fruit and savoury, earthy complexity. The structure is bold with broad tannins and a creaminess to the texture. There's bright sappy fruit keeping the wine fresh and fragrant and a long finish. Sophisticated and truly over delivers. 13%.

Tasted April 2022. Seriously impressive, with big, powerful flavours. Spicy chocolate mingles with pure black fruits. Complexity cascades as you taste, with more savoury, spicy notes emerging. It has a classic, old-school feel at the same time, with beautiful freshness and fine, mouth-coating tannins. One of our favourites.

Tasted April 2022. Full of perfume, energy and juicy black fruits. Velvety texture and plenty of ethereal, cooling, savoury Cabernet Franc character sending you back for another sip. The acidity is fresh and clean and the finish is seriously long. 13.1%.

Tasted April 2022. Marsau seem to keep getting better and better. 2021 is full of creamy red fruits and a lovely saline, mineral, cooling freshness on the palate. The tannins are silky and provide just enough grip. The wine is soft and full on the mid-palate and finishes long and fresh thanks to some refreshing acidity.

Tasted April 2022. Marsau seem to keep getting better and better. 2021 is full of creamy red fruits and a lovely saline, mineral, cooling freshness on the palate. The tannins are silky and provide just enough grip. The wine is soft and full on the mid-palate and finishes long and fresh thanks to some refreshing acidity.

Tasted April 2022. Another great performance from this St Estephe property on the rise. Full of precise, concentrated red berries on the nose, there’s some floral lift too. Baking spice, cedar, mint and saline notes build complexity and make for a lovely, long, fresh finish sending you back for another sip.

Tasted April 2022. Montaiguillon’s 2021 is another example of what incredible value this property represents. Situated in an elevated spot right on the border of St Emilion, the terroir is exceptional. This year the wine has concentrated blackberry, cassis and spiced plum fruit, but a distinct fresh red fruit character as well, giving amazing freshness. There are developing savoury, graphite, earthy notes beneath which will develop and integrate with age. This is a fantastic, balanced, classic Bordeaux for every occasion.

Tasted April 2022. Elegant with a slight creaminess on the nose along with intense bramble and blackcurrant fruit. This is a bold, unctuous wine, broad and creamy on the palate with mineral and spice complexity, and some more floral freshness so characteristic of the vintage. This has a lot of heft and power now, but you can tell it has the structure and concentration to age beautifully. 13%.

Tasted April 2022. Peymouton in 2021 shows a good level of ripeness with fresh, sappy red berries and some darker, more brooding fruit underneath. The structure is firm at this early stage, with lots of fine tannins and fresh acidity. The whole palate is tightly wound, ready to age gracefully in bottle.