Bordeaux 2012 Primeurs: Castillon & Co.
It is only natural that in a vintage that appears to have favoured the earlier-ripening Merlot over Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and other later-ripening varieties, that the hunt for good value wines should take us to the lesser appellations of the right bank. But then the alarm bells should begin to ring; after all, my tasting experience in St Emilion seemed to suggest that lesser vineyards had not coped well, having struggled to fully ripen their fruit in this rather trying vintage. Why should we expect similarly placed domaines along the limestone slopes and plateau of Castillon, or on similar soils in Fronsac, or within the satellites of the St Emilion and Pomerol appellations, to fare any better?
One reason, of course, is that we should not automatically reject these appellations as being minor. Exploration of these communes – in my search for value and realism in Bordeaux I have visited estates in all four appellations in the last twelve months – has taught me that there is excellent untapped quality here. Often this reflects admirable terroir, and it is wrong to dismiss these appellations as minor and of no interest simply because they have not achieved the same fame as St Emilion or Pomerol. It is worth remembering that the latter of these two renowned right bank appellations was little-known sixty-or-so years ago, and wine merchants brave enough to deal in these wines often had a lot of work to do when trying to sell them.
