ref TC-MX12532 at £85

A six-bottle case containing a bottle of each of the following:

Château de Fonbel, 2007, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Château Beaumont, 2007, Haut-Médoc

Château Dutruch Grand Poujeaux, 2007, Moulis-en-Médoc

Château Charmail, 2007, Haut-Médoc

Château de la Dauphine, 2007, Fronsac

Château Puygueraud, 2007, Côtes de Francs

KEYSee page 144 of the January to April List for full details on alcohol levels

bone dry, to intensely sweet

New vintage

9 1

Mixed Cases

The Society’s GuaranteeDrinking wine bought from The Wine Society should be a pleasurable experience. If at any timeyou are dissatisfied, we would like to hear from you. Contact us and we will be pleased to help.

This offer is open until Sunday 1st April, 2012 while stocks last.

To order thewinesociety.com/bordeaux � 01438 740222 smartphone app

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2007 CLARETS FOR DRINKING NOW

ref TC-MX12530 at £99

Equivalent to £8.25 per bottle

A 12-bottle case containing two bottles of each of the following:

Château La Marzenac, 2009, Lussac-Saint-Emilion

Château Monconseil Gazin, 2009, Blaye - Côtes deBordeaux

Château Bel Air, Perponcher Réserve, 2009, BordeauxSupérieur

Château Jouanin, 2009, Castillon - Côtes de Bordeaux

Château Les Tours Séguy, 2009, Côtes de Bourg

Château Canada, 2009, Bordeaux Supérieur

2009 CLARETS FOR DRINKING NOW

ref TC-MX12531 at £129

SAVE £15.85

A 12-bottle case containing one bottle of each of the following:

REDS

Château du Pavillon, 2006, Canon-Fronsac

Château de la Commanderie, 2008, Lalande-de-Pomerol

Château Puy-Blanquet, 2007, Saint-Emilio

Château Puygueraud, 2007, Côtes de Francs

Château de la Grave, Caractère, 2007, Côtes de Bourg

Château Dutruch Grand Poujeaux, 2007,

Moulis-en-Médoc

Château Beaumont, 2007, Haut-Médoc

Château de Pitray, 2008, Côtes de Castillon

Château de la Dauphine, 2007, Fronsac

DRY WHITES

Château Argadens, 2010, Bordeaux

Vieux Château Gaubert, 2009, Graves

Château Doisy-Daëne, Sec, 2009, Bordeaux

EXPLORE BORDEAUX APPELLATIONSMIXED DOZEN

The International Exhibition Co-operative Wine Society Limited,

Registered office: Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 2BT

Register Number: 1824R(IP)

Website thewinesociety.comEnquiries 01438 741177 Orders 01438 740222

twitter.com/TheWineSociety societygrapevine.com facebook.com/TheWineSociety thewinesociety.com/app

Red winesChâteau La Grave de Bertin,Réserve, 2010, Bordeaux We first bought the delicious 2009, andthe Furt family have done an excellentjob in 2010 too (adding Réserve to thelabel but making no change to theunoaked style). Delicious early-drinkingClaret with sappy charm and freshhealthy fruit. Now to 2014. 13% ref TC-CB3761 £7.25 bottle £87 dozen

Château de Pitray, 2008, Côtesde Castillon A stunning property which has been in the same family for 500 years. A significant proportion of cabernetfranc adds fragrance and elegance, and, in this cuvée, the small part of theblend matured in oak adds structure and sweetness to the healthy fruit. Now to 2018. 13% ref TC-CB3421 £8.25 bottle £99 dozen

Château Lafleur-Beauséjour,2005, Côtes de Castillon From a pretty ten-hectare vineyard inSainte Magne de Castillon, on a mix ofclay and sand soils, whence its roundand well-structured flavour. The lastvintage of this wine to be matured and bottled by right-bank-specialists JP Moueix. The wine’s sweet fruit is now well-rounded by bottle age. Now to 2014. 13.5% ref TC-CB3091 £8.50 bottle £102 dozen

Château du Pavillon, 2006,Canon-Fronsac From a tiny estate close to the borderwith Pomerol and planted 100% merlot.Elegant, sweet fruit, freshness andbalance, and real length on the palate.Now to 2014. 13%ref TC-CS7851 £11.95 bottle £143 dozen

Château de la Commanderie,2008, Lalande-de-Pomerol A property we have followed over manyvintages, typically with an aromareminiscent of sloes, with a sweetlyfruity palate. The 2008 is a notablesuccess, with a little more savourycharacter and substance than the lastcouple of vintages. Now to 2015. 13.5% ref TC-CS8121 £12.50 bottle £150 dozen

Château Fourcas Borie, 2008,Listrac-Médoc Previously called Fourcas-Dumont, theestate was created in 1992 by mergingtwo of Listrac’s oldest properties, thenbought by the Borie family of DucruBeaucaillou in 2008. We jumped at thechance of exclusivity in the UK for this,their maiden vintage. Fresh-tasting,sweet-fruited Claret with good balance.Now to 2018. 13.5% ref TC-CM14601 £12.95 bottle £155 dozen

Château Tour du Haut-Moulin,2000, Haut-MédocWell priced for the millennium vintage,this is full-bodied Claret with classiccedary bouquet and flavour and goodgrainy tannins. Now à point to enjoy over the next year or two. 12.5%ref TC-CM12201 £16 bottle £192 dozen

Dry White WinesChâteau Argadens, 2010,

Bordeaux The Sichel family, who also own ChâteauAngludet and make our Society’s Claret,have turned this property at Saint-André-du-Bois in the Entre-Deux-Mers into amodel estate. 65% sauvignon for freshnessand aroma with 35% semillon for bodyand flavour, plus a light touch of oak foradded richness and complexity. Drink overthe next year or so. 12.5% ref TC-BW3951 £8.95 bottle £107 dozen

Vieux Château Gaubert, 2009,Graves Enjoy a glass or two of DominiqueHaverlan’s stylish, dry, barrel-fermentedGraves to complement a generouslycreamy chicken dish. A superb example of this classic style, with well-integratedoak and lovely fragrant fruit. Now to 2014.12.5% ref TC-BW3961 £11.95 bottle £143 dozen

NEW Château Doisy-Daëne,Sec, 2009, Bordeaux The freshness and lightness of touchtypical of the Dubourdieus’ sweet wines isreflected in their dry whites too. Pristineand poised sauvignon blanc scented withhoney, lemon and flowers, with fine lengthon the palate. Now to 2013. 13% ref TC-BW4031 £14.95 bottle £179 dozen

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thewinesociety.com/bordeauxTCMAR12

BordeauxBest BuysFROM £6.25 PER BOTTLE

Irresistible 2009s, standout 2007s and a tour of the real Bordeaux

Save over £15 on th

e Explore

Bordeaux Mixed D

ozen

The magnificent estate of Pitray on the Gardeganplateau has been in the de Boigne family for 500 years

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Explore the real Bordeaux The Dubourdieus’ exquisite white 2009 Doisy-Daëne Sec and the cru classé-rivalling Graves below are both perfect

now. 2010 produced some delicious whites that are less opulent than the 2009s, and we love the vivid freshness ofthe Sichels’ ‘house’ white. Our tastings to make this selection of Claret for drinking now unearthed numerous

surprises and gave us a lot of pleasure, so we hope the final line-up will bring the same for you. It spans a range ofvintages from the freshest young, unoaked Claret (you may remember the 2009 Grave de Bertin was one of our

Wine Champions last year) to a fully mature but affordable Médoc from the celebrated 2000 vintage.

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56481 Wine Soc Petit Chateau_2012_Layout 1 10/02/2012 15:57 Page 1

n Grand Cru

English does not neatly translate the French term sucrosité, which wehave so often heard used to describethe silky, succulent, seductive style ofthe 2009 vintage. This is an excellent,exceptionally well-balanced butremarkably friendly vintage that will appeal to Claret aficionados

and novices alike.

Château Beneyt, 2009, BordeauxThe Vrignauds’ wine was a happyintroduction via the Sichel family and we have re-bought all we could get.Uncomplicated, unoaked, easy to drinklunchtime Claret. Now to 2013. 13% ref TC-CB3561 £6.25 bottle £75 dozen

Château Canada, 2009,Bordeaux Supérieur A property between the Côtes de Bourgand Fronsac that we have followed forsome years. It produces wines of substancethat benefit from a bit of time in bottle,but the extra ripeness in 2009 makes thisapproachable earlier. Now to 2015. 14% ref TC-CB3601 £7.50 bottle £90 dozen

Château Les Tours Séguy, 2009,Côtes de Bourg This is a great success in the 2009 vintage,with the structure typical of the Bourgregion here well covered by ripe, healthyfruit. Now to 2015. 13.5% ref TC-CB3621 £7.75 bottle £93 dozen

NEW Château Jouanin, 2009,Castillon - Côtes de BordeauxModern, plump and sweet-fruited Claretwith generous fruit and a touch of oakspice. A property currently converting toorganic viticulture. Now to 2014. 13.5%ref TC-CB3811 £7.95 bottle £95 dozen

Château Bel Air, PerponcherRéserve, 2009, BordeauxSupérieurA wine of real charm from the Despagnefamily at Naujan et Postiac in the Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux, madefrom low yields of healthy fruit withoutoak embellishment. Now to 2014. 13.5% ref TC-CB3631 £8.50 bottle £102 dozen

NEW Château Monconseil Gazin,2009, Blaye - Côtes de BordeauxUnusual for the inclusion of around 10%malbec in the blend, which contributesblack-fruit flavour and which ripened wellin this fine vintage. Monconseil Gazin liesclose to the border with Bourg and thewine has a certain grip more typical of its neighbours than the more commonlighter Blaye style. Now to 2016. 13% ref TC-CB3831 £8.95 bottle £107 dozen

NEW Château La Marzenac,2009, Lussac-Saint-Emilion Predominantly merlot with a touch of cabernet franc, this is a traditionally made Claret, matured by JP Moueixwithout the use of new oak, with typicalright bank fruit-cakey flavours, supplepalate and well-rounded tannins. Now to 2015. 13.5% ref TC-CS8321 £9.95 bottle £119 dozen

NEW Le Clos du Notaire, 2009,Côtes de Bourg Maître Coutin was the notaire (lawyer) inJonzac and gave his name to this propertyon a hillside site overlooking the Gironde.75% merlot with the balance cabernet, thishas the foursquare structure typical of theBourg appellation, with good fresh attackand pure fruit. Now to 2016. 13.5% ref TC-CB3501 £9.95 bottle £119 dozen

NEW Château Haut Barrail, 2009,Médoc If you enjoyed the 2005, you’ll love thisbeautifully proportioned Médoc. Classicallystyled with good use of oak perfectlybalanced by the extra generosity of sweetlyflavoured fruit that was the blessing of the 2009 harvest. Now to 2015. 13% ref TC-CM15711 £11.95 bottle £143 dozen

NEW Château Saint-AndréCorbin, 2009, Saint-GeorgesSaint-Emilion A modern, opulent wine with the richflavours and sweet-tasting palate that come from mature vines, new oak and this exceptional, fruit-driven vintage. Now to 2014. 14%ref TC-CS8091 £12.95 bottle £155 dozen

See the back pagefor three

Mixed Cases

The quality of Bordeaux’s wines has never been better, and the heartening news is that you don’t have to spend a fortune to discover this for yourself.

Grand Cru Classé wines account for a mere three to five percentof what Bordeaux produces. What we often affectionatelyrefer to as the real Bordeaux – the Côtes, the ‘satellite’ areasand the wider Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieurappellations – produces most of the region’s wines and this is where we find the greatest value.

This selection is the result of several tastings last autumnwith a view to choosing, and in some cases buying or re-buying, wines we are delighted to recommend fordrinking now. Three mixed cases champion theirresistible 2009 vintage, our pick of standout 2007s, and a mixed dozen to explore the appellations ofBordeaux, which, to encourage member’s to try them,comes with a saving of £15.85.

Joanna Locke MW Society Buyer

BORDEAUX

MEDOC

St-Estèphe

PauillacSt Julien

Listrac-MédocMoulisMargaux

Graves

Barsac

Sauternes

PREMIERES COTESDE BORDEAUX

HAUT-MEDOC

LALANDE-DE-POMEROLPomerol

Canon-Fronsac

Blaye

Bourg

SAINTE-CROIX-DU-MONT

Entre-Deux-Mers

BORDEAUX & BORDEAUX SUPERIEU

Garonne

Gironde

Dordogne

ST-GEORGES-ST-EMILIONSt-Emilion

Puisseguin-St-EmilionMontagne-St-EmilioLussac-St-Emilion

n

COTES DE BLAYE

COTES DE BOURG

COTES DE FRANCS

COTES DE CASTILLON

Bordeaux

• PARIS

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Bordeaux Best Buys Irresistible 2009s: Silky, Succulent and Seductive

Château de la Grave, Caractère,2007, Côtes de Bourg Philippe Bassereau took over the runningof this striking château from his father inthe 1980s and, with the help of his wifeValérie, has steadily improved and refinedthe wine without losing its essential Bourgpersonality. Fragrant and well structuredand usually at its best after four to sevenyears. Now to 2014. 13% ref TC-CB3591 £7.95 bottle £95 dozen

Château Beaumont, 2007, Haut-Médoc Consistently one of members’ favouriteClarets, elegantly structured and wellpriced, the 2007 is forward and charming.Majority merlot but with a significantproportion of cabernet sauvignon (here46%) and just a drop of increasinglypopular petit verdot, which adds freshnessand spice. Now to 2013. 12.5% ref TC-CM12281 £11.95 bottle £143 dozen

NEW Château Puygueraud, 2007, Côtes de Francs The leading estate of its district on the highpoint of the commune, Château Puygueraudwas bought in 1946 by Georges Thienpont,whose family also owns Vieux ChâteauCertan. His son, Nicolas, now makes thiswine, as well as Château Berliquet in Saint-Emilion. Elegant with good structure andrichness for the vintage from 80% merlot,15% cabernet franc and 5% malbec. Now to2017. 13.5%ref TC-CS6781 £12.95 bottle £155 dozen

Château Puy-Blanquet, 2007,Saint-Emilion Grand Cru We thought The Wine Gang’s commentson this wine last November were spot on:‘A supple, ready-for-drinking, merlot-based Saint-Emilion that has the classicflavours of blackcurrant and cedary spice softened with just a touch of oak. It finishes on an equally classic clean, dry note.’ Now to 2013 13% ref TC-CS6711 £12.95 bottle £155 dozen

NEW Château de la Dauphine,2007, Fronsac One of the top properties of the district,well situated on a slope overlooking theconfluence of the Dordogne and Isle,which has benefited from substantialinvestment since 2000. This shows in thewines, which have greater elegance andpolish, and the 2007 is a fine, seductiveClaret full of charm. Now to 2016. 13% ref TC-CS6821 £14.50 bottle £174 dozen

Château Charmail, 2007, Haut-Médoc Olivier Sèze is one of the bestgrower/winemakers of the Médoc. As in1997, which was a notable success here,the cabernet sauvignon and petit verdotwere particularly ripe and healthy, and thewine has a full, soft palate with suppletannins. Now to 2017. 13% ref TC-CM12561 £14.95 bottle £179 dozen

NEW Château Dutruch Grand Poujeaux, 2007, Moulis-en-Médoc Dutruch, in the heart of the village ofGrand Poujeaux next to Chasse Spleen, has been run by Jean-Baptiste Cordonniersince 1993. His investment in quality and the superb old merlot vines (whichmake up 74% of the blend in 2007) have placed it consistently at the top of its appellation. Lovely rounded palate just starting to show some velvety texture. Now to 2019. 12.5% ref TC-CM12831 £16 bottle £192 dozen

NEW Château de Fonbel, 2007,Saint-Emilion Grand CruFonbel is owned by Alain Vauthier ofAusone. Quality has improved here inrecent vintages. This is a well-structuredSaint-Emilion with clean-cut fruit and a proven track record for successfulcellaring. Now to 2017. 13%ref TC-CS6621 £17 bottle £204 dozen

Stand-out 2007s

The wines of Bordeaux – from dry whitesto sumptuous stickies and a rich medley of reds – have always been great wines for food.

For much of the year, oysters are aspeciality and a treat with fresh, youngsauvignon. Good fish from sea or river iseasy to find too, favouring more complexwhites with an element of barrel ageing.

With nine out of ten Bordeaux wines soldbeing red, it is unsurprising that this is,

predominantly, a meat-eating region, with fine beef, duck, and especially the local Pauillac lamb the favourites. A good rule of thumb is to choose a moremature, complex wine for a more elaboratedish, and keep the vibrant fruit and tanningrip for simply, rare-cooked red meats.Sweet wines are versatile too. Often servedas an aperitif, or with foie gras or pâté inBordeaux, they are widely acknowledged asa heavenly match for blue cheese, but theyare also a fine complement to fruit-based,chocolate-free puds.

Sweet Whites‘The onset of pourriture noble, which is the key to greatness in Barsac andSauternes, was rapid and abundant…’ Sebastian Payne MW, Chief Wine Buyer, June 2010

2009 is undoubtedly a superb sweetwine vintage, rare for producingexcellent, luscious wines across the price spectrum.

Château La Grave, 2009,Sainte Croix du Mont From a tiny area on the right bank ofthe Garonne, facing Sauternes, andmaking similar style wines that offerexceptional value in great vintages such as this. A delicious partner to a tarte au citron. Now to 2016. 13.5% ref TC-BW3971 £9.50 bottle £114 dozen

Half-bottle of The Society'sExhibition Sauternes, 2009A little more sauvignon blanc than usual (12%) adds fresh lift in thisexceptionally ripe vintage, wherehealthy botrytis was easier to come by,adding complexity to this benchmarkSauternes from the Dubourdieu familyat Château Cantegril in Barsac. Awonderful match for foie gras andRoquefort. Now to 2018. 14% ref TC-BW4012 £9.95 per half

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To find out more, read The Society Guide to Buying Bordeaux at thewinesociety.com/explore

‘A particularly rewarding and exciting aspect of 2009 is the outstanding quality that can befound in less well-known districts and properties.’ Sebastian Payne MW, Chief Wine Buyer, June 2010

The 2007s are gentle, round and forward, and a pleasure to drink. The best wines have an elegance and charmthat will give pure uncomplicated pleasure. With gentle tannins and milder acidity they are easier than the

previous firmer 2006 vintage. On the whole, they will be good to drink before both 2006 and 2005.

Sunrise over the vineyards of Entre-Deux-Mers

Golden Gates: The entrance to Château Cantegril, producerof The Society Exhibition Sauternes

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Bordeaux Food and Wine matching

Château Beaumont – source of one of The Societ

’s

favourite Clarets

To order thewinesociety.com/bordeaux �01438 740222 smartphone app

FROM £6.25 PER BOTTLE

56481 Wine Soc Petit Chateau_2012_Layout 1 10/02/2012 15:58 Page 4

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