Home Winners > Winners 2020 > Bordeaux

Winner Details

Bordeaux

You know that party guest who sits in the corner for the first three hours, looking as if they wish they were somewhere else, then suddenly cuts loose at one in the morning and has to be dragged off the karaoke machine/dancefloor so you can go to bed? Well, that’s Bordeaux in SWA.

For years, the region did nothing, but it’s absolutely flying now. Year after year our tasters enjoy the full gamut of styles; year after year, we get plenty of medals.

Usually our star is the Left Bank, but this year it sat back to allow its peer from across the Gironde to take centre stage. The whites, too, were popular, with the Château Reynier cheap enough to be worthy of consideration for any kind of venue.

From The Tasting Teams

‘I thought the whites were quite impressive: easy-drinking, at a reasonable price and good quality. They’re always great for by-the-glass options, and they make a good alternative to Sancerre and Chablis.’ Markus Dilger, Dilger Sommelier Selection

‘In the Right Bank we found some really nice wines under £30 that were able to explain their terroir in a really good way.’ Mattia Tabacco, Oeno

‘From about £25, the Left Bank wines were quite powerful and tannic, with good concentration of fruit. Fortunately it’s easy to sell those £25 and above wines in England.’ Rui Pereira, Cavalry and Guards Club

‘The Right Bank reds was a good flight across the price ranges, and I was happy to see that a lot of the wines had plenty of fruit. There were a lot of shining examples of what Bordeaux is, in both classic and modern styles – totally worth the price.’ Carolina W Seibel, Comptoir Cafe and Wine

‘These were consistent in quality. It goes to show that even in years that aren’t so favourable in terms of weather conditions, those wines can still really shine. There’s room for movement in terms of upselling, or doing some of these via Coravin.’ Michael Driscoll, Careys Manor Hotel & SenSpa

‘White Bordeaux is always a good alternative if you don’t know what to choose, because these are wines that match a wide variety of dishes.’ Markus Dilger, Dilger Sommelier Collection

‘I wouldn’t necessarily call these good-value, because some were over £30, but when a wine is recognised like this, customers will spend money on it.’ Chiara Sieni, MM Grocery

‘This was a very solid flight, and really informed me that there are good price points out there.’ Tim Smith, Winesurfer Consulting

Award winners

Found 40 wines

France: Bordeaux

Denis Dubourdieu Domaines, Clos Floridène 2018, Bordeaux, France

Gold medal winner

'A very perfumed and pungent wine with great toast, a hint of white pepper, some nutty character and preserved lemon notes. Very fresh, with crystalline acidity, and a zesty and zingy finish.'
Olivier Gasselin, OenoTrade.

'This is showing some complexity, starting with a pleasant nose of tropical fruit, plum and apricot, and a palate that's spicy and creamy, with good texture.'
Guillaume Mahaut, ETM Group.

£19.21 Matthew Clark

Château Reynier, Bordeaux Blanc 2018, Bordeaux, France

Gold medal winner

'A fresh and incisive wine that's flinty, floral and juicy. It's crunchy and crisp on the palate, with a mineral finish.'
Olivier Gasselin, OenoTrade.

'Wet grass, gooseberry and white flower notes on this fresh and light wine, with stone fruits coming through on the palate.'
Charlie Carter, L' Atelier Du Vin.

'Good typicity, with lemon/lime aromas alongside herbal notes, and a touch of minerality too.'
Angela Reddin, team leader.

£8.09 Davy's Wine Merchants

Antoine Moueix Propriétés, Château d'Hanteillan, Haut-Médoc 2017, Bordeaux, France

Gold medal winner

'I love the acidity and balance of this young, bright wine, with herbaceous, peppery notes and fresh fruit too.'
Chiara Sieni, MM Grocery.

'Bright and juicy, plus a blackcurrant nose with lots of intensity. The palate is balanced and interesting, not to mention refreshing, with a good balance of acidity and tannins. This sings, with good complexity, and will age too.'
Jade Koch, team leader.

£24.95 ADVINI

Château Pontet Bayard, Montagne-St-Emilion 2016, Bordeaux, France

Gold medal winner

'Super elegant in style, with good integration of fruit and oak.'
Rémi Cousin, Le Gavroche.

'A great ripe start to this wine, fruity with nice complex touches, as well as minerality and spice. There's a lot of oak too but it melds well.'
Angela Reddin, team leader.

'A nice and vibrant expression of Bordeaux with modern use of oak. Really good and could age for a couple of years.'
Mattia Mazzi, Cornerstone.

£13.48 Matthew Clark

Château Gardegan, Bordeaux Superior 2015, Bordeaux, France

Gold medal winner

'Everything is balanced and in harmony, with some fresh acidity.'
Harry Crowther, Grape Times UK.

'Bright and energetic red fruit here, leading to some good oak that doesn’t overpower.'
Jade Koch, team leader.

'Dried flowers, wet leaves, sandalwood and forest floor on the nose, leading to a smooth palate with ripe tannins. A match with duck breast.'
Filippo Pastorini, consultant.

£11.02 Bibendum

Château Edmus, St-Emilion Grand Cru 2015, Bordeaux, France

Gold medal winner

'An intense and complex wine with high acidity dancing with tannins and flavours of jammy morello cherries, as well as cedar and spices.'
Lucie Hammerschmiedova, Portland Restaurant.

'Deep black fruit concentration on an intense and very aromatic nose, with some nice tertiary character too - meaty and leathery, as well as some smokiness.'
Juan Manuel Marcos Perez, The Gilbert Scott Restaurant.

£22.64 Top Selection

Château du Puy Bonnet, Montagne-St-Émilion 2018, Bordeaux, France

Gold medal winner

'Brooding dark cherries and cassis on nose, with juicy concentration and mid-palate denseness of fruit, and with a dry, savoury finish.'
Claire Love, Loves Consultancy.

'A nice fruity and oaky Bordeaux that's plump and led by meaty dark fruits, with Merlot weight and warmth on the palate. The tannins and acidity help with a clean dry finish too. Excellent value.'
Mattia Mazzi, Cornerstone.

£12.79 Jascots Wine Merchants

Château Bouscaut, Château Lamothe-Bouscaut, Pessac-Léognan 2015, Bordeaux, France

Silver medal winner

'A pleasurable wine that's quite complex on the nose, with cassis, pepper, and a spicy, meaty character, leading to more spice and mature fruit on the palate.'
Michael Driscoll, Careys Manor Hotel & SenSpa.

'Elegant and restrained, and balanced with good oak integration, showing some tertiary character too.'
Rui Pereira, Cavalry and Guards Club.

£19.67 Liberty Wines

Denis Dubourdieu Domaines, Château Reynon 2018, Bordeaux, France

Silver medal winner

'A balanced and pleasing wine with some subtle citrus notes, minerality and grassy aromas and flavours.'
Emanuel Pesqueira, Edwardian Hotels London.

'Green apple with gentle herbal and citrus notes, with a refreshing palate, a light seaweed note and salinity.'
Andre Luís Martins, team leader.

£15.94 Matthew Clark

Direct Wines, L’Epiphanie de St-Emilion 2018, Bordeaux, France

Silver medal winner

'A classic style, carried out with aplomb, with bright, sassy, crunchy fruit touched with herbs and graphite notes, and a clean, driving finish, with oak handled superbly. Excellent winemaking - a graceful and vibrant number.'
Angela Reddin, team leader.

'Lovely, ripe and firm fruit leads to a structured palate, showing intensity, concentration and well-integrated tannins.'
Mattia Mazzi, Cornerstone.

£13.16 Laithwaite's Wine

Château Pédesclaux, Fleur de Pédesclaux, Pauillac 2014, Bordeaux, France

Silver medal winner

'A joyful wine, with maturity racing along and tertiary notes replacing some fruitiness. Very easy to drink.'
Michael Driscoll, Careys Manor Hotel & SenSpa.

'Big structure, but elegant and balanced, with notes of cigar box and dry tobacco coming through, with velvety tannins and some spice.'
Rui Pereira, Cavalry and Guards Club.

£25.71 Matthew Clark

Château d'Issan, Moulin d'Issan 2017, Bordeaux, France

Silver medal winner

'A good example of Bordeaux, with a tannic mouthfeel supported by freshness and acidity, and a mineral, clean finish.'
Harry Crowther, Grape Times UK.

'Warming and elegant, with gentle fruit and blackberries, and some good tannin structure, with acidity holding it together.'
Jade Koch, team leader.

£17.52 Matthew Clark

Château Lestrille Capmartin, Bordeaux Supérieur 2012, Bordeaux, France

Silver medal winner

'A nice elegant touch here, with balanced herbal notes and a little oak to frame the fruit.'
Joshua Castle, Noble Rot.

'Soft fruit with some bell pepper and herbaceous notes going from the nose to palate.'
Timothy Connor, Heddon Street Kitchen.

'Blueberry, chocolate and vanilla, with a hint of meat, leading to ripe tannins and a long tobacco aftertaste.'
Filippo Pastorini, consultant.

£12.99 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Union de St-Emilion, Château Viramiere, St-Emilion Grand Cru 2014, Bordeaux, France

Silver medal winner

'Intense, complex and savoury, with notes of cherry jam, black pepper and spice, and some age development in evidence.'
Lucie Hammerschmiedova, Portland Restaurant.

'Some leathery, forest floor notes together with red flowers, graphite and an earthiness, with matured black fruit, cherries and plums, and some high yet soft tannins.'
Juan Manuel Marcos Perez, The Gilbert Scott Restaurant.

£16.17 Bibendum

Château Larcis Ducasse, Murmure de Larcis Ducasse, St-Emilion Grand Cru 2014, Bordeaux, France

Silver medal winner

'Enchanting, with red and purple berries, roasted hazelnut and a florality too, high acidity and smooth yet lively tannins.'
Carolina W Seibel, Comptoir Cafe and Wine.

'A highly textural wine, with creamy, intense red and cassis berry fruit.'
Claire Love, Loves Consultancy.

'A good, fresh expression of Bordeaux that's both juicy and gentle.'
Mattia Mazzi, Cornerstone.

£26.37 Bibendum

Château Le Peu-Saincrit, Bordeaux Supérieur 2017, Bordeaux, France

Bronze medal winner

'A lovely Bordeaux nose with rich fruit and herbaceousness. This is light and fresh - great for the summer.'
Timothy Connor, Heddon Street Kitchen.

'Meaty and leathery, with some decent ripe plum fruit and a spice note on the finish.'
Martin Lam, team leader.

'Blackberry and toasted notes, with some tobacco and fresh grass, showing good texture of tannins on the palate. A good match with duck breast.'
Filippo Pastorini, consultant.

£6.26 Tate Smith

Château Peychaud, Côtes de Bourg 2016, Bordeaux, France

Bronze medal winner

'This delivers a lot... a textural wine with ripe red cherries, some spice and vanilla, with a dry finish.'
Claire Love, Loves Consultancy.

'This is showing good concentration, structure and intensity at a very low price level. Perfect for gastro pubs.'
Mattia Mazzi, Cornerstone.

'A bargain. Good concentration and balance, with hints of violets.'
Oliver Zelenczuk, London Shell Co.

£6.35 The Oxford Wine Company

Antoine Moueix Propriétés, Château Patache d'Aux, Médoc 2016, Bordeaux, France

Bronze medal winner

'A more modern style of Bordeaux here, with a big lick of oak and extraction.'
Joshua Castle, Noble Rot.

'Dark plum with ripe strawberries and velvety tannins well-integrated with refreshing acidity, and some dried herb notes too.'
Chiara Sieni, MM Grocery.

'Big structure, and fruity, with a good herbaceous character giving the wine extra layers of complexity.'
Rui Pereira, Cavalry and Guards Club.

£21.00 Charles Taylor Wines

Château Lilian Ladouys, St-Estèphe 2016, Bordeaux, France

Bronze medal winner

'Graphite and leather notes lead to ripe forest fruit and blackberries, with good tannins and acidity.'
Chiara Sieni, MM Grocery.

'Mineral and precise fruit, this has a lovely palate presence.'
Joshua Castle, Noble Rot.

'Intensely aromatic, with grippy, dry tannins.'
Rui Pereira, Cavalry and Guards Club.

£30.89 Matthew Clark

Producta, Esprit de Lussac, Lussac St-Emilion 2016, Bordeaux, France

Bronze medal winner

'A lighter, easy-going style with red fruit and dark berries, and some tobacco and menthol. More red and dark fruit on the palate is joined by some mushroom and bark notes.'
Carolina W Seibel, Comptoir Cafe and Wine.

'Classic Bordeaux, with oak, toast, blackberry and blackcurrant, and a dry finish.'
Rémi Cousin, Le Gavroche.

£8.44 Majestic Commercial

Vignobles Rousselot, Château au Pont de Guitres 2015, Bordeaux, France

Bronze medal winner

'Dry, broody red berry fruit on nose, leading to some lovely crunchy intensity and balance on the palate, with a dry finish. Young and vibrant.'
Claire Love, Loves Consultancy.

'Loads of flavour here, with a savoury character and some jammy fruit, spices, wood and chocolate.'
Lucie Hammerschmiedova, Portland Restaurant.

£16.50 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Château Montcabrier, Bordeaux Supérieur 2017, Bordeaux, France

Bronze medal winner

'Herbaceous, with fresh red fruits on the nose too, leading to a palate showing white pepper and delicate spices.'
Gaetano Giangaspero, C&C.

'Leather and older fruit, with some savoury mushroom notes - easy Old World claret that ticks a few boxes.'
Jade Koch, team leader.

'Tea leaves, red berries and a hint of iron.'
Filippo Pastorini, consultant.

£8.83 Matthew Clark

Château Merigot, Côtes de Bourg 2016, Bordeaux, France

Bronze medal winner

'Blackberries, raspberries and some noticeable tannins, with nice black peppercorn spice too, and good integration of oak.'
Juan Manuel Marcos Perez, The Gilbert Scott Restaurant.

'Herbal red and black plums and cherries, with some dark chocolate and grippy tannins on the palate, so this would be best served with some grilled lamb chops.'
Tom Forrest, team leader.

£11.35 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Château Desmirail, Initial de Desmirail, Margaux 2012, Bordeaux, France

Bronze medal winner

'Savoury and sappy, with smooth, round tannins - old school.'
Jan Konetzki, team leader.

'Nice ageing, with some balanced ripened fruit alongside soft tannins.'
Nelio Pinto, Candlesticks.

'Super-elegant, this is creamy, soft, rich and velvety, showing some blackcurrant notes.'
Rui Pereira, Cavalry and Guards Club.

£26.73 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Château Julien, Bordeaux 2018, Bordeaux, France

Bronze medal winner

'Juicy red fruit and some nice fine tannins here, leading to a complex, dark and chocolatey finish.'
Joshua Castle, Noble Rot.

'Generous, rich and full, with forest fruits and a pleasing balance and weight.'
Sue Jones, The Harrow at Little Bedwyn.

'Fabulous for the price.'
Tim Smith, Winesurfer Consulting.

£10.54 Hallgarten & Novum Wines

Château du Moulin Rouge, Haut-Médoc, Cru Bourgeois 2016, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

Château Reynier, Bordeaux Superieur 2016, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

Direct Wines, Château d’Anvichar 2018, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

Direct Wines, Château Le Coin, Rouge 2018, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

Direct Wines, Château Le Coin, Sauvignon Gris NV, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

Antoine Moueix Propriétés, Château Liversan, Haut-Médoc 2017, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

Château Sénéjac, Comte de Senejac, Haut-Médoc 2014, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

Château Boutisse, St-Emilion Grand Cru 2017, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

Château des Bardes, St-Emilion Grand Cru 2016, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

£15.64 Matthew Clark

Château Lyonnat, Lussac-St-Emilion 2012, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

£13.71 Matthew Clark

Château de Rouillac, Pessac-Leognan Rouge 2012, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

Union de St-Emilion, Château La Croix Ferrandat, St-Emilion 2016, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

£12.61 Bibendum

Château de Come, St-Estèphe 2015, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

£24.92 Top Selection

Château du Puy Bonnet, Montagne-St-Émilion 2014, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner

Chateau Haut Caillou, Lalande de Pomerol 2017, Bordeaux, France

Commended medal winner