A new cuvée here from Basket Range - a juicy, fruity, delicious chillable red blend. From Sholto Broderick at Basket Range Wines: This wine is comprised predominately of Merlot and Petit Verdot from our vineyard. These were macerated with the use of whole bunches and with gentle handling, which gives lifted fruit and a spice from the stalks. The components were then blended with small amount of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. This makes for a red wine with gentle tannin and a lifted mid-palate. The Bantam is a dynamic wine that showcases juicy soft plums, white pepper, and graphitic tannin, with a savoury, highly drinkable quality. Designed for earlier drinking, it's best served cooler, at about 12c.

The "100% Merlot version". Epic Super-Tuscan. Wine Spectator 93/100

We've been following this excellent property for over 25 years and it never disappoints. Very dark, black cherry aromas. Medium-bodied, the palate is elegant with lovely freshness and well played, soft tannins. Terrific value from the makers of Ch Faugeres, which sits across the fence and boundary as a Saint-Emilion Grad Cru Classé. High 2:1, 90-91 James Suckling

Flowers, black raspberries, liquorice, black cherries and plum scents are out in front here. Medium-bodied, silky, fresh, pure and vibrant, as well as refined in texture, the wine offers ample, sweet, ripe, red berries and a touch of cocoa in the finish. Drink from 2024-2040.

The wines of Château Tronquoy-Lalande know how to seduce from their youth and gain in elegance after several years in cellar. In their blends we find the particularity of the estate's grape varieties, atypical for a Saint-Estèphe wine, dominated by Merlot, which fruit combines with the power of the Cabernet Sauvignon. The hint of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc adds freshness, finesse and aromatic complexity.

Chateau Citran is one of the best performing Crus Bourgeois wines and this second wine is suave and sophisticated. Mint, blackcurrant and cigar box aromas lead to a velvety pallet. Deep and glossy appearance, sweet brambly nose, kirsch and vanilla. Fresh, moderate tannins, medium bodied and plenty of naturals concentration

Haut Bailly is one of the greatest Bordeaux chateaux that you've never heard of, which makes this second wine one of the best value Bordeaux that you can actually lay your hands on without it breaking the bank. Generous, fruit ladena and drop dead gorgeous.

The 12 hectare vineyard of Chateau Faizeau is planted to 94% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. The entire vineyard is one large block of vines. The terroir is a mix of sand, clay and limestone soils. On average, the vines are close to 50 years of age. However, the vineyard has some of the oldest vines in the Right Bank. The oldest vines survived the devastating frost of 1956. In fact, they have vines that are more than 100 years of age, as they were planted all the way back in 1911! More than just old vines, their hillside terroir is on perhaps the highest elevation in the appellation. The vineyard, located on the hill of Calon hits 89 meters at its peak.

Jane Anson 92/100 "Powerful, concentrated, extremely sexy and confident. Very young and knitted down at this stage, suggest holding off for a good five years at least, but there is a ripple of cassis, liquorice, baked earth, gingerbread and slate that suggests great things ahead. Owned by the Meslin family, aged in 100% new oak."

Black to the dark-crimson rim. Open and aromatic: black cherry, blueberry, some oak spice and vanilla but not too much. Powerful, compact, dry but still balanced and finishes fresh. Big and chewy but still harmonious.

Fruity red with notes of cherries, dark plums, roasted strawberries and walnuts. Creamy and elegant with a medium body, silky tannins and a fresh finish. Delicious now, but can hold too.

92/100 Tasted by: Jane Anson for Decanter (at Lalande-de-Pomerol, 08 Aug 2019) Drinking Window: 2019 - 2036 "With 46ha of clay gravels, Château Siaurac is one of biggest properties in Néac, owned by Artemis Estates. There’s no question that this is one of the best in the line-up, packed full of juicy fresh fruits and a lovely balance. It’s really utterly delicious and fresh without compromising on complexity. There are touches of cut herbs that I haven't found in many of the other wines, adding layers of aromatics, and the tannins are pliable but supportive. Well made by winemaker Pénélope Godefroy". "Very thick and sweet. Super-opulent but not overdone. Rich and peppery. Well up to AOC Pomerol standard." 16.5/20 jancisrobinson.com

93/100 Jane Anson "Touches of bitter black chocolate here, this is structured and softly tannic with walls and a sense of concentration and restraint. Great quality and impressive work by Clos de Clocher, and has clearly come into its own with a few years in bottle. One of the few 2017s that, for me, has improved since En Primeur, even if still a wine that will be best enjoyed young. A yield of 45hl/ha, 65% new oak.,"

With a vineyard of 3.67 ha in an exceptional terroir, the Château Vray Croix de Gay is one of the top estates of the renowned Pomerol appellation, whose enormous potential and unique style has become world-renowned. The strength of Château Vray Croix de Gay lies in its vineyard. Located in the heart of the Pomerol gravel plateau, on the Right Bank of the Bordeaux region, the estate’s 9 plots are subdivided into micro plots and spread over 2 vineyards. One of these is located alongside Château La Fleur behind Pétrus, and the other is set just in front of the Château Trotanoy. 93/100 Wine Advocate "Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Vray Croix de Gay opens with notes of warm blackberries, boysenberries and black raspberries with wafts of stewed tea, fragrant earth and cloves. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with expressive black fruit, framed by ripe, rounded tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and spicy."

This second wine of the excellent Premier Grand Cru Classé estate Ch Trotte Vieille also has a high percentage of Cabernet Franc which really gives the wine its special character. With 46% Cabernet Franc in the blend there is a lovely coolness tot he wine that makes it so delicious and moreish. Drink now or keep, this is an excellent wine that benefits from the no expense spared attitude employed in making the Grand Vin.

Victoria Moore writes (of the 2013 vintage) "a favourite all-rounder red. It’s merlot made precisely à point; there’s a juicy generosity, but also a refreshing leafiness: redcurrant leaves and lightly stewed damsons."

This generous wine offers a beautiful balance and good body. Notes of ripe, slightly candied fruit create a modern and appealing aromatic profile. A ready-to-drink wine, truly representative of the vintage and appellation. It's a family Estate, Vignobles Mourgues located in the Entre-Deux-Mers region, about 80 km east of Bordeaux. The current manager, is Jérémy Mourgues, he joined the family business in 2005, after his studies. The property is HVE (High Environmental Value) certified, testifying to the Mourgues family's commitment to sustainable agriculture and to environmental preservation practices, to value the precious land of their ancestors.

Deep ruby in colour, this Merlot incorporates scents of rich black cherry and plum, displaying further complexity on the palate. Flavourful and medium bodied with hints of cedar and dark chocolate leading to a pleasing finish.

2nd Wine of Ch Laroque, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé. Made of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc from vines more than 50 years old, the medium to deep garnet-purple coloured 2021 Les Tours de Laroque opens with pretty raspberry coulis, black cherries and warm plums scents with underlying fungi, black loam and cracked pepper hints plus a touch of beef drippings. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and fresh, with a firm line of grainy tannins, it delivers a graceful, earthy finish.

First Class Leafy, blackcurrant aromas. A hint of coffee. Hugely juicy on the palate. Ripe red and black fruits intermingled. Creamy texture. Just the right amount of grip to the tannin. Fresh and enjoyable. Drink 2024-2034

CWM Ranking - High 2:1 The best wine I have tasted from this usually reliable estate, an improvement even on the 2016 vintage. Packed with ripe fruit the extraction is well controlled, allowing the palate to build and remain fruity to the finish.

Ruby red colour. Aromas of raspberry, cherry and spice. Very good balance in the palate. Fruity and supple.

The ever-increasing quality requirement for Château Montrose and La Dame de Montrose, and the increasingly precise selections, now allow an annual production of a 3rd blend: the Tertio de Montrose. Produced on the exceptional terroir of Château Montrose and vinified by the teams at the property, this wine is the fruit of a classic blend of the great Bordeaux grape varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

This natural wine is chocca block packed full of bramble fruit notes with raspberry and blackberry dominating the aroma, smooth and juicy with complex notes of blueberry and moderate acidity and smooth tannins on the finish.

The wine displays a bright ruby red colour. It shows a vibrant, fruitfilled aroma of sleek cherries, subtle raspberry, and soft, black pepper. The nose carries through beautifully to the palate and is nicely supported by refined tannins with a smooth finish

The Saint-Estèphe is produced from the younger fruit of Château LesOrmes de Pez. The blend is 59% CabernetSauvignon, 39% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc.The young fruit delivers a forward, silky style for immediate pleasure but the classic Saint-Estèphe structure is also clearly on show. Dark-crimson rim. Open and aromatic: black cherry, blueberry, some oak spice and vanilla but not too much. Powerful, compact, dry but still balanced and finishes fresh. Big and chewy but still harmonious.

Jean Christophe Meyrot, ex La Violette (one of the top properties in Pomerol) . Full on but good structure. Juicy palate. Certainly ripe. Warm, good acid, persistent. More powerful than elegant. Forthright. Dark ruby color with black fruit notes like blackberries and black cherries, violet and dry herbs, leather and black pepper, nice minerality and French oak, some vanilla and tobacco. Nice balance and structure with a long finish.

A beautifully put-together claret, made from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc from vineyards located on cool limestone soils. The terrific Stephane Derenencourt consults here. Lovely extraction with lots of fruit, ripe tannin and acidity. Long and complex and able to age although beautiful now. Attractive, deep ruby. Delicate nose scented with wild strawberries, fig, dried plum and a smoke touch. The palate is full-bodied with silky tannins and displays wonderful harmony with pleasant, lingering fruit. An elegant, beautifully crafted wine.

A delightful, classy and juicy bistro-styled blend of Merlot, Carignan, Marselan and Mourvedre. Charming and attractive fruit. Punches well above its weight.

In July 2011, Nicolas Thienpont bought three hectares in the Côtes de Castillon area. This new wine admirably reflects the finesse, class and minerality of these soils.Old vines 50+ years. Very dark crimson. Smells of little ripe wild berries. Hint of Cab Franc's more linear character even though it is only 5%. Good combo of dry minerality and sweet fruit. VINIFICATION AND AGEING Vatting: 24 to 28 days Ageing time: 16 to 18 months Barrels: 50% new wood, 50% one-year-old wood SPECIFIC METHOD The whole berries are placed in the vats (no pressing). The vats are temperature controlled. Extraction by pumping over during the first fermentation. Malolactic fermentation in barrels and in vats. Aging on fine lees to bring down the alcohol content: first racking after 6-10 months (before the summer) and the second a year later before bottling. Fining and filtering are done only if necessary.

Las Condes Merlot has clean and intense aromas of ripe red fruits especially plums, cherries and strawberries accompanied with cinnamon notes. The palate offers these same flavours and confirms a well-balanced wine with soft tannins and a pleasant finish

Las Condes Merlot has clean and intense aromas of ripe red fruits especially plums, cherries and strawberries accompanied with cinnamon notes. The palate offers these same flavours and confirms a well-balanced wine with soft tannins and a pleasant finish

17.5/20 Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com "on the nose, still very primary and youthful. Black cherry, bramble, juniper. Interesting and complex array of fruit with a touch of cedar complexity but there is clearly more in store."

17/20 Jancis Robinson 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Includes the unclassified parcels of Angélus as well as those in St-Christophe-des-Bardes and in proximity to Figeac. First vintage from the new cellar in St-Magne-de-Castillon. Sweet, lightly spiced fresh dark fruit. Smells generous and warm and inviting. Chewy but rounded tannins, rich, savoury with oak but not heavy with char; the fruit can carry the barrels better here. Very primary but in balance.

CWM Ranking: Starred First

While this claret still has serious layers of tannins, it also delivers considerable ripe black-fruit flavours. The estate in the Figeac sector of Saint-Emilion has produced a powerful wine that is firm and that will age further. Drink from 2025 Deep ruby. Pronounced aromas of black cherry, blackcurrant, black plum, smoke, cedar, mint, clove, violet, capsicum. The palate is dry, high acidity, high tannins, medium alcohol, medium(+) body, pronounced flavours of black fruit, smoke, mint, cedar. The finish is long. This is an outstanding wine.

Chateau Citran is one of the best performing Crus Bourgeois wines and this second wine is suave and sophisticated. Mint, blackcurrant and cigar box aromas lead to a velvety pallet. A second wine means that it's made from slightly younger vines than the Grand Vin, but with just as much care. An excellent freshness, balancing acidity, ripe fruit flavour and a great potential to improve with age. It has perfumed notes of raspberry, black cherry and strawberry, a great texture and a long finish

A firm, silky wine with very fine tannins, dark fruit and a fresh finish. Medium body. A blend of 60% merlot, 34% cabernet sauvignon and 6% cabernet franc. Sourced from 25 years old vines (on average), aged for 12 months in french oak. Blackberry, cassis, cigar smoke on the nose with pleasant vanilla notes, medium body with soft tannins and flavours of black currant, plum, liquorice and well integrated oak.

This property, ably run by the Dourthe team led by Frederic Boniface, consistently produces charming wines that have structure but can be drunk within 5 years of bottling. Virtually all Merlot there is very good handling of oak, tannins and available acidity. It would be a shame not to have some of this for everyday drinking.