Château Les Charmes-Godard
Contrary to popular opinion, you can find excellent wines at very favourable prices in Bordeaux, you just need to know where to look. The minor appellations of the right bank, beyond the borders of the St Emilion and Pomerol vineyards, are excellent hunting grounds for those seeking out wines which combine quality and value. As with any other region, however, it helps to have some idea of which names, which châteaux and which winemakers regularly deliver this goods.
The Francs Côtes de Bordeaux appellation is one worthwhile destination. It is home to a number of properties associated with famous names, not least Château de Francs, run by a viticultural super-group (if a band with two members can be considered a ‘group’) comprising Hubert de Boüard de Laforest of Château Angélus and Dominique Hébrard, onetime co-proprietor of Château Cheval Blanc. Another is Château Ad Francos, an ancient property and the ancestral seat of the Rolland family (they have long vacated it, but Michel Rolland does still consult here).
