It dawned on me, with a chill, that I probably won’t live to drink the 2019 en primeur clarets that I’ve just forked out a substantial wodge for. It dawned on the considerably younger Mrs Ray, too, now busy earmarking which bottle to drink with whom as she throws aside her widow’s weeds and dances until dawn. It’s nice to know I’ll be missed.
The consensus is that 2019 was a stellar vintage in Bordeaux. It’s expected to be a long-lived one too and poor saps of my own vintage (1960 — a dreadful year) will sadly miss the big-boned beauties in their pomp.
All the more reason, then, to make the most of this fabulous offer of drinking clarets from Bordeaux specialists Corney & Barrow. Head of Merchant Sales James Franklin and I worked selflessly to come up with four different vintages, six different appellations and eight different wines. Oh, and we’ve a bonus box of dry white Bordeaux too. Don’t say we don’t try.
A fabulous selection of mature clarets for current drinking
The 2012 Ch. Balac (1) is a fully ripe Cru Bourgeois from the Haut-Médoc. Although a Left Bank wine, its Merlot content is high and, after 12 months in oak and a long slumber in bottle, it’s perfectly poised. It’s richly fruity, soft, slightly earthy but fresh with a touch of herbs and spice on the finish. £11.33 down from £12.95.
The 2012 Ch. du Grand Chambellan (2) is from Lalande-de-Pomerol, a Right Bank commune that all too often gets overlooked in the stampede to proud Pomerol itself. There’s great value to be found here, as can be seen by this corker: succulent, rich, with plenty of dark plum/damson fruit and soft, elegant tannins. £15.71 down from £17.
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