The single most important wine region in the world, and the most studied. Two banks of the Gironde estuary, two principal grape varieties, and a classification system from 1855 that the trade still measures itself against more than a century and a half later.
The collection runs across the full Bordeaux ladder — from well-made Haut-Médoc and Saint-Estèphe at the entry through Grands Crus Classés in the Médoc and Pessac-Léognan, into the Right Bank's Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, and up to the First Growths and Premier Grand Cru Classé A. Second wines from First Growth estates feature too — often the smartest line in the cellar.
What's listed is what we can buy in the right vintage at the right price. The names rotate. The standard does not.
Left Bank
The Médoc and Pessac-Léognan, north and south of the city. Cabernet Sauvignon-led blends — structured, tannic, built to age. Saint-Estèphe at the northern end of the peninsula, Pauillac at its heart (home to three of the five First Growths), Saint-Julien below it, Margaux to the south, and Pessac-Léognan on the gravel of the Graves. The 1855 classification covers most of what's worth knowing here — First through Fifth Growths, and the Crus Bourgeois beneath them.
This is the Bordeaux that goes with a roast leg of lamb, a côte de boeuf, a 36-month Comté.
Right Bank
Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. Merlot-led, often with Cabernet Franc — softer, plumper, more immediately giving than Médoc Cabernet, but no less serious in the great vintages. Saint-Émilion runs its own classification, revised every decade; Pomerol has none, and yet contains some of the most coveted wines in the world. The Right Bank is generally the better introduction to fine Bordeaux for anyone who finds young Médoc too austere.
Second Wines
Many First Growth and Super Second estates produce a second wine — made from younger vines or barrels not selected for the grand vin. In good vintages, these drink at a level well above their price, with the house style intact and the structure to age. Often the most quietly intelligent buy on a Bordeaux list.
Drink Or Hold
Most serious Bordeaux improves in bottle, sometimes for decades. The classified Médoc properties in particular are built to last — ten to fifteen years before they hit their stride, longer in the great vintages. Right Bank Merlot is generally drinkable younger but the top estates still reward patience.
Cellaring is a personal decision. We stock wines across the curve — bottles ready to drink, bottles to lay down, and several in between.
Delivery
Next-working-day UK courier — or choose your preferred delivery date at checkout. Orders before 2pm dispatch same day. Wine can be ordered alongside food in the same delivery. Free weekday delivery over £225.
