Mike Tipping finds his tastes turning to claret (From York Press)

Mike Tipping finds his tastes turning to claret

11:38am Saturday 14th January 2012 in Tipping's Tipples By Mike Tipping

TASTES change, including mine. Every region has good and bad wine but finding a decent Bordeaux, at the lower end of the scale anyway, was a challenge.

The New World wines were a safer bet.

If you had given me the choice between a ten-quid claret or a ten-quid New World wine, the latter would usually win hands down. These days I’m not so sure.

Maybe Bordeaux reds are an acquired taste and I have acquired it. But perhaps the Borderlais have upped their standards, to meet the challenge set by the New World. Or could it be a combination of both?

Whatever, the four clarets recommended this week, although not exactly in the bargain basement, do offer good value for money. Any one of the quartet would make the Sunday roast an altogether more enjoyable experience.

York-based wine merchant HC Wines stock a decent, modern-tasting Bordeaux Superieur, Château Lamothe Vincent Heritage 2009. With a tad more sweetness than most clarets, it charms with flavours of plum, cassis, dark chocolate, vanilla and some firm tannins.

Le Grand Chai 2009, Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux, is modern and juicy too. Mainly merlot but with 20 per cent cabernet sauvignon, it suggests raspberry, blackcurrant and damson fruit, with violets and spice.

The Wine Society’s own labels are good value in the main, the Society’s Saint-Émilion 2008 being no exception. A velvety merlot, with a dash of cabernet franc, it is concentrated, with cherry, raspberry, plum, cedarwood, cocoa and spice.

Or if you want to splash out, Majestic has Château Labégorce 2002, Margaux, which is mature and ripe for drinking now. Complex and balanced this is cabernet driven, with cassis, cherry, raspberry, notes of mint, spice and vanilla.

Wine list

• Château Lamothe Vincent Heritage 2009, Bordeaux Superieur, £8.45 from HC Wine (hcwines.co.uk) 18/20.

• Le Grand Chai 2009, Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux, £10.99 from Laithwaites 17/20.

• The Society’s Saint-Émilion 2008, £10.95 from The Wine Society 18/20.

• Château Labégorce 2002, Margaux, £19.99 at Majestic 17/20.