10 wines from the Bordeaux Masters 2024

LIONS DE SUDUIRAUT BLANC SEC 2023

Producer: Château Suduiraut

Region: Bordeaux

Country: France

Grape varieties: 57% Semillon, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, 13% Sauvignon Gris

ABV: 13.5%

Approx. retail price: £18

Medal: Gold

A specific plot of the Château Suduiraut vineyards planted to Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc was selected to produce this delicious dry white wine. Grown on gravel and sand soils, the vines are an average of 20 years old, giving excellent fruit expression. Pale lemon-green in hue, the wine displays yellow and green fruits, and grilled nuts and smoky oak, with juicy lemon and lemongrass notes.

Dry, the mid-weight palate has zesty acidity balancing the orchard fruits and gentle wood with touches of allspice and kaffir lime leaf adding an extra dimension. Long and lemony, this wine is a very good match for king scallops with cauliflower purée and peppered golden raisin sauce.

CHÂTEAU DE MALLERET CRU BOURGEOIS EXCEPTIONNEL 2020

Producer: Château de Malleret

Region: Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux

Country: France

Grape varieties: 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot

ABV: 13.5%

Approx. retail price: £27

Medal: Gold

Located at the gateway to the Bordeaux region in the Haut-Médoc, Château Malleret was first owned by Pierre Eyquem in the 16th century. After passing through a number of Bordeaux owners in the 17th and early 18th centuries, the estate was leased, then purchased, by Philippe-Frédéric Clossmann, whose descendants operate the estate today. The estate was named a Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, and in the 21st century the Clossmann family have developed very fine wines indeed, with the advice of world-class consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt. This wine is a lovely example of claret.

Deep ruby-coloured with a tinge of garnet on the rim, the wine has morello cherry and black plum fruit, with cedarwood and hints of fresh black pepper and mint. Mid-weight, the palate flavours are framed by lively acidity and dense, satin-textured tannins. Gently warming on the finish, the wine is really attractive and would be a foil for Bordeaux’s classic roast leg of lamb.

CHÂTEAU MONGRAVEY MARGAUX CRU BOURGEOIS SUPÉRIEUR 2019

Producer: Mongravey SARL

Region: Margaux, Bordeaux

Country: France

Grape varieties: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc

ABV: 13.5%

Approx. retail price: £35

Medal: Gold

Created by the Bernaleau family in 1981 at Arsac, the estate wine was designated Cru Bourgeois Supérieur in 2018. Comprising 29 parcels (12 hectares) of vineyards on a mosaic of soils around Margaux, this lovely wine exhibits a deep ruby hue, Victoria plums and cassis, with creamy vanilla oak and a haunting, crushed violet accent.

Dry, the mid-weight wine has a juicy attack with good flavour definition, balanced by zesty acidity and linen-textured tannins. Aneat, focused wine to pair with rosemary-infused roast pork loin with new season rhubarb.

CHÂTEAU MAZEYRES POMEROL 2019

Producer: Château Mazeyres

Region: Pomerol, Bordeaux

Country: France

Grape varieties: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc

ABV: 14.5%

Medal: Gold

Approx. retail price: £40

The site has roots going back to the 2nd century BCE, and pottery dating from the 3rd century AD has been found on the property. Vines have been grown here since at least the 14th century. In 2020, the Guillard family acquired the property from Sogecap (part of Société Générale), and has continued its long-term collaboration with Alain Moueix.

The 25.5ha of vines have been cultivated using biodynamics since 2012, becoming certified in 2018. This pristine wine has a deep ruby colour and is packed with Christmas pudding fruit, accented by cedarwood and whiffs of ginger and cardamom. Mid-weight, the concentrated flavours are balanced by brisk acidity and velvet tannins. The oak is nicely integrated and the finish is plush and long. Perfect to go with slow-cooked oxtail in red > wine with herbs and root vegetables.

CHÂTEAU LA FLEUR DE BOÜARD 2020

Producer: Château La Fleur de Boüard

Region: Lalande-de-Pomerol, Bordeaux

Country: France

Grape varieties: 82% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot

ABV: 14.5%

Approx. retail price: £40

Medal: Gold

In 1998, Hubert de Boüard, the owner of Château Angélus, acquired 25ha of vines close to the confluence of the Dordogne river and the Isle tributary, on the graveland-clay hillside facing the finest Pomerol growths. This wine is a gem, showing Victoria plum, morello cherries, cigar box oak and hints of herbs, such as dillweed and mint.

Dry, the palate has good freshness and satin-textured tannins supporting the intense but elegant flavours and a lingering, lifted finish. The wine will be delicious with confit de canard with fresh green peas and Bayonne ham.

L’OR DU CIRON SAUTERNES 2020

Producer: L’Or du Ciron

Region: Sauternes, Bordeaux

Country: France

Grape varieties: Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle

ABV: 13.0%

Approx. retail price: £11.99/37.5cl

Medal: Gold

This wine is produced by Maison Sichel from vineyards near Preignac in Sauternes, where the cooler Ciron tributary meets the warmer Garonne river, thus producing the inevitable fogs that encourage botrytis. A very good example, this wine has a pale lemon-gold hue and apricot, orange marmalade and honey with a lemony overlay.

Sweet, not luscious, the wine shows lively acidity and a waxy texture, with a gentle vanilla overlay. Polished and pretty, with tangerine zest notes, the wine will suit almost any fruit dessert and is a knockout with apricot tart.

MAQUIS VIOLA 2019

Producer: Viña Maquis

Region: Colchagua

Country: Chile

Grape varieties: 85% Carmenere, 9% Cabernet Franc, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV: 14.0%

Approx. retail price: £93

Medal: Gold

This is well-recognised as one of Chile’s finest Carmenere wines, so it is no surprise that the wine is traded on La Place de Bordeaux. This Carmenere is a beautiful example. In colour, the wine shows a deep ruby core with a ruby rim. The aromatics and flavours have concentrated dark cherry, blackcurrant and raspberry fruit, and gentle toasty oak, accented by sweet red pepper and herbal hints and a violet floral lift reminiscent of Cabernet Franc.

Dry, the mid-weight palate has welldefined flavours underpinned by racy acidity and integrated, satin-textured tannins and spicy notes. Rich, creamy and complex, with layers of flavours and a lingering finish, this wine will pair very nicely with lamb chops with a Port and tarragon demi-glace.

PENFOLDS BIN 169 COONAWARRA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2021

Producer: Penfolds

Region: Coonawarra, South Australia

Country: Australia

Grape variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV: 14.5%

Approx. retail price: £230

Medal: Gold

One of six ‘Icon’ Penfolds wines to be sold on La Place de Bordeaux in 2024, this Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon was the first to appear there and has been sold through La Place for two years. Coming from the terra rossa soils of Coonawarra, this expression, deep ruby in colour, shows vibrant blackcurrant fruit, raspberry jam and vanilla/cedarwood with hints of mint, herbs and rose petals.

On the palate, the cassis core and wood flavours are supported by bright acidity and dense, satin-textured tannins, accented by chalky minerality, and clove and nettle notes. The lengthy finish is peppery and savoury. A great wine to pair with elegant rib-eye served on the patio at dusk.

VIK 2020

Producer: Viña VIK

Region: Millahue, Cachapoal Valley

Country: Chile

Grape varieties: 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Cabernet Franc

ABV: 14.8%

Approx. retail price: £120

Medal: Gold

VIK has more than 300ha of vines in Millahue (‘place of gold’), a sub-zone of Cachapoal Valley. With the peaks of the Andes in the background, the views across the rivers and myriad vineyards are sensational. And so is this wine, VIK’s iconic expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, augmented with Cabernet Franc. Almost opaque purple-black with just a hint of garnet on the rim, the bouquet smells like top-class claret, with plenty of cassis and a violet aromatic lift, with cedarwood and notes of earth and leather.

Precise, the palate has zippy acidity and dense, satin-textured tannins supporting the flavours with subtle kitchen spices following through the mid-palate. Really well-balanced and layered, with a lingering finish, the wine is well-suited to beef Wellington or an equally complex dish.

MORLET FAMILY VINEYARDS COEUR DE VALLÉE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020

Producer: Morlet Family Vineyards

Region: Napa Valley, California

Country: USA

Grape varieties: 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc

ABV: 15.6%

Approx. retail price: £230

Based in St. Helena, Napa Valley, Luc and Jodie Morlet have vineyards and vinegrowing partners in Napa and in Sonoma County, from which they have been crafting amazing wines since 2006, and the Coeur de Vallée wines are sold on La Place de Bordeaux. The Morlet-owned, eight hectare Coeur de Vallée vineyard on the Oakville Bench is the source for this fantastic wine. Almost opaque purpleblack and appearing youthful, the bouquet is aromatic, redolent of elegance and harmony, showing red and black fruits and almost Ribena-like cassis, with spicy oak and hints of sweet red pepper, violets, leather and fresh herbs adding complexity.

The palate is dry and quite full-bodied, with flavours balanced by brisk acidity and satin-textured tannins, accented by spicy red pepper and crushed red rose notes. Beautifully defined and persistent, the wine, though young, could be drunk with heart of veal Ossau-style, marinated in chicken stock, onions, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, celery leaves and quatre épices, then roasted with garlic, and served with a demi-glace made from the marinade.