Wine with Gerard Richardson

I LOVE autumn and the run up to Christmas. I know I spend a bit of time ribbing our garlic-loving neighbours but when it comes to claret-style wines they really are peerless.

I know there are some wines from Bordeaux that aren’t great, but when you move into the mid and high quality wines, though, they can be sublime. There are blended variations of cabernet, merlot, petit verdot etc all over the world and I’m a big fan, but the French ones come with something I adore: tannins. Yes, tannin, that dry tasting, tooth-lining plant extract that adds real class if the winemakers gets in balance with the fruit.

Each region of Bordeaux blends their grapes in different measures, and some of them favour one grape in particular as is the case with Pauillac where cabernet is the king or pomerol whose crown prince is merlot and that’s what makes the region so interesting. That and, of course, the North European weather and the variations of sunshine which means every vintage literally can taste different, unlike much of Australia’s.

The Wine Society Claret

Is there anything more reassuring than the Wine Society claret? It’s just sublime for the price with soft plummy fruit, smooth but evident tannins and a nice mellow finish. It’s like a hug in a glass.

The Wine Society £7.50

La Reserve de Leoville Barton

Yeah, it’s expensive but this is a world class wine, the best I’ve ever tasted under the Barton label. Slightly toasty on the nose with really classy dark autumn fruits and a hint of mint on the finish.