Claret always preoccupies wine collectors at this time of year, and with a rather enthralling 2017 En Primeur campaign still unravelling before our eyes, I thought I would point out two particularly impressive red Bordeaux, both drinking, that I found recently.
While we wait for our youthful purchases to mellow, it's important to keep one's standards up without breaking the bank, and both of these fellows are well under the magical 20 quid mark.I am a huge fan of Ducru-Beaucaillou, 2me Cru, Saint-Julien, and the 2017 vintage was one of the most arresting wines of the vintage. Within this chteau's portfolio, Fourcas-Borie is a wine that is made by the same team as Ducru, but the price is much more affordable because it hails from the less fashionable environs of Listrac.
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Take note that this is a 2010 one of the most sensational vintages in the past three decades and the Wine Society assures me that they not only have stock, but also that the price is indeed correct. This is a steal!
It is also worth you dipping your hooter into 2012 Chteau Poitevin, Cru Bourgeois Mdoc (£17.95, LeaAndSandeman.co.uk) because this is another mighty performer. It isnot only drinking but it also looks particularly complex and rewarding right now because it comes from the slightly softer 2012 vintage. Don't miss these wines.
Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com).
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Matthew Jukes has worked in the UK wine business for well over three decades and during this time has written 14 wine books.
Matthew regularly lectures, judges, speaks at wine conferences and runs masterclass tastings for both corporate and private clients all over the world. Matthew is also the creator of his ground-breaking initiative, the One Day Wine School, an indulgent day of tasting and learning first performed in 2006.
He has been the MoneyWeek wine correspondent since 2006 and has written a weekly column for the Daily Mail’s Weekend Magazine since 1999. His four highly-acclaimed, annual wine reports – the Burgundy En Primeur Report, the Bordeaux En Primeur Report, the Piemonte Report and the 100 Best Australian Wines – are published on his website, www.matthewjukes.com.
Matthew is one of the world’s leading experts on Australian wine and, with Brisbane-based wine writer Tyson Stelzer, runs an annual competition in Australia to find ‘The Great Australian Red’. He was made Honorary Australian of the Year in the UK at the 2012 Australia Day Foundation Gala dinner.
Matthew is a winner of the International Wine and Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year Trophy. His thoughts, recommendations and tastings notes are followed very closely by the wine world at large.
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