Hello,
Seven of the last ten Bordeaux vintages have seen hotter, sunnier summers than the long-term average. By contrast, the overcast, cool and wet 2024 is described as 'a throwback' by The Wine Advocate, whose wine flavours resemble those of the 1990s.
One would anticipate that only châteaux making the most expensive wines could take the risks (i.e. harvesting later) and make the sacrifices of yield necessary for success in a year when ripeness was a scarce commodity. For this reason, I was thrilled to discover that the very affordable 2024s from Château Sainte-Marie are brilliant!
The red Bordeaux Supérieur is juicy, fresh and immediate, a perfectly-judged response to the vintage conditions. More surprisingly, the white Entre-Deux-Mers Vieilles Vignes has impressive depth and intensity. Impressive to drink already, it hints that it may even improve with keeping. Both are in the France offer, and are fabulous value for money.
Bravo to Sainte-Marie's owners, Stéphane and Laurence Dupuch, for beating the odds to produce such delicious 2024s. |
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∙ CHÂTEAU SAINTE-MARIE ENTRE-DEUX-MERS ∙
This white Bordeaux is full of character, with first impressions of pink grapefruit, gooseberry and a hint of tomato leaf. The aroma is appetising, and invites you to take a sip, which is rewarded by a refreshingly brisk, mouthwatering palate, balanced by breadth and richness of texture. Vintage 2024 has excellent concentration and length of flavour, and tastes like it could develop interestingly with further bottle age.
— Tom King, Fine Wine Manager
£12.60 per bottle
when you order any 12 bottles
(£14 individually, reduced from £16) |
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∙ CHÂTEAU SAINTE-MARIE BORDEAUX SUPÉRIEUR ∙
Beautifully ripe and fresh berry fruit aromas and flavours: mulberry, raspberry and strawberry. Dry in the mouth, with gentle tannin structure, it shows fabulous intensity with lovely persistence of strawberry fruit on the finish. A wine with a definite Bordeaux sense of place, the 2024 has wonderful freshness and fragrance, and juiciness of fruit. The French would call this a 'vin de soif', and it would be supremely enjoyable on a picnic. Delicious now, this is one for drinking, not cellaring.
— Tom King, Fine Wine Manager
£13.50 per bottle
when you order any 12 bottles
(£15 individually, reduced from £17) |
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These are both splendid summer drinking, do take advantage of the special offer prices.
Tom
Tom King
Fine Wine Manager |
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Tom King Fine Wine Manager [email protected]The Great Wine Co., Wells Road, Bath, BA2 3AP
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