At twelve years old, this pre-teen is more than ready to be enjoyed! Bordeaux wines with dominant merlot tend to be more approachable and easier to enjoy as a younger wine. The merlot dominant wine is soft and smooth yet full of blackberry, plum, green pepper, smoke and vanilla aromas and flavours. 

The jury is out on this wine from St. Emilion, whether to drink or hold. If you're looking for a Merlot dominant wine, look no further than this blend of 90% with added 10% Cabernet France for structure and concentration. As one would expect, it's soft and fleshy with plum and blackberry fruits, laced with clove, walnut, and black tea. This will still evolve over time but can be enjoyed now.

This blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30 % Semillon offers some of the best value with excellent quality in white Bordeaux. Classic and elegant, the acidity is vibrant with lip-smacking salinity and further flavours of green apple, fennel, and a touch of jasmine.

This underrated wine is made by the Chateau Cheval Blanc team, so it's no slouch. With 74% merlot, 14% cabernet sauvignon and 12% cabernet franc, this medium bodied wine is pure and balanced with cherry, plum, tobacco, leafy herb, and chocolate notes. Enjoy this wine now!

The La Tour Carnet from Haut-Medoc is a blend of 68% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Petit Verdot to add that backbone structure. Dark red cherries, plums, smoke, leather, and cedar abound with silky tannins and fresh acidity. Although this is ready to drink now, give it ample time in a decanter for optimal drinking experience!

Margaux shows us the elegance and feminine side of Bordeaux. This second label of Chateau Brane Cantenac, a Second Growth of Bordeaux is a blend of 65% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Already silky and very promising, it expresses black fruit aromas of blackberry and fleshy cherry mixed with elegant toast, smoke, and vanilla. The tannins are refined and balanced and is absolutely in the drink window.

Haut-Medoc holds some incredible value when it comes to Bordeaux. Don’t underestimate these wines! A typical H-M blend of 50/50 merlot and cabernet, it’s just right with attributes of red fruits, flint, cedar, and pepper spice.

With all the excellent qualities of this legendary wine from Pauillac, the blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot can be opened and enjoyed, especially if you like the Pauillac style of cassis, cedar, graphite and earth aromas and flavours.

Located in Graves, to the southwest of the Gironde Estuary, the Domaine itself is located in a clearing in the middle of forest which protects the vines from extreme temperatures, sometimes called a secret garden in the Graves. This is the concept of terroir that is so dear to many in France, especially Bordeaux. The terroir of Chevalier is like a greenhouse, a unique ecosystem that the grapes (mostly) benefit from.  ight bank of Bordeaux, to the east of the Gironde Estuary, the Domaine itself is lcoated in a clearing in the middle of forest which protects the vines from extreme temperatures, sometimes called a secret garden in the Graves. This is the concept of terroir that is so dear to many in France, especially Bordeaux. The terroir of Chevalier is like a greenhouse, a unique ecosystem that the grapes (mostly) benefit from. The 2014 Chevalier is a blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, and 5% petit verdot, giving a wine of great structure that will be a decade old next year. Refined, yet opulent with a full array of blackberries, blackcherry, earth, forest floor and spicy oak notes. 

The second label of First growth Chateau Latour is just as impressive as its big brother, and at 12 years old, if there is more than one bottle in the cellar, time to see how it's evolving. Not an epic vintage, but well made, nonetheless. The tannins are fresh, there is good weight in the mouth and the typical flavours of cassis, cedar and graphite are here in this iconic Pauillac.

Another well known Chateau from Margaux, this popular third growth of the 1855 Classification offers great value/quality from Margaux. With a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot and 20% Merlot, this is a ‘pretty' wine with floral and black tea notes interwoven with the plum, red cherry, cassis, cedar, and graphite. A classy wine that can be enjoyed now.

Perhaps not as popular as the neighbouring vineyards of Lynch-Bages, it is still very much Pauillac with many improvements being done at both the Chateau and in the vineyards in recent years. Made from 83% Cabernet Sauvignon for that power, structure, and flavour profile; and 17% Merlot for softness and roundness, this can still be further aged, but can be opened and enjoyed now. Enjoy the notes of tobacco, graphite, plum, black currants, mushrooms, and dried fruit of this wine!