Larrivet de Haut Brion 2007: Value Pessac

I wasn't sure what wine reviews meant by "grip" until I tasted this, the Larrivet de Haut Brion 2007.

Suddenly, I got it. This very quaffable red is classic Pessac.

I noticed a great dark fruit nose, I think it was cherry and plum, smooth tannins and a strong, long finish.

 My bottle came from the Chateau, which I was able to visit in mid-October this year with a few friends.

A month after the harvest

The 2007 is not seen by others as the best recent year but I thought it's a really decent Pessac wine, and for £15-25 a bottle you'd struggle to match it for power and elegance.

A lot of five year old wines lack personality, but this is a lovely, simple, peppery claret, smooth, supple and with a more complex finish than you think it will have on first tasting.

It's between £15-20a bottle according to wine-searcher.com

It needs an hour or so in the decanter, but it's well worth a try for something slightly off the beaten track.

Some photos of the recent chateau visit are below.

More on the Chateau is here.

Bizarrely, this middle barrel was aged in seawater. It didn't work

The first tasting of the day. Very hard to taste at 10am...

The vats

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Chateau Picque Caillou 2005 (Pessac-Leognan)

This Chateau Picque Caillou 2005 from the UK's Wine Society is a decent buy at £18 per bottle if you are a Society member.

It's from a region of the Medoc, Pessac-Leognan, that I'm just starting to explore.

Pessac-Leognan seems to combine a spiciness with a smoothness that's quite surprising as a combination.

The 2005 is still of course, very young. I can see it aging very well.

It has a very compelling, rich and long finish that makes it go well with the oyster mushrooms with garlic and chilli I just cooked as an accompaniment. At £18 a bottle, it's worth a punt.

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 2006 hits the spot

"Come again?" I hear you say.

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 2006 for £42 per bottle?

Yes, I'm afraid it's true. It's hard to break it to you, but it's available at that price.

On a more serious note, it's both younger and more expensive than I like in a drinking wine.

But what a bargain! I had several glasses in late September at Lafitte itself (see pic)

It drinks older than a 2006, no doubt about it.

"Aromas and flavors of earth graphite sweet cassis cherries smoke and spice. Medium-bodied with admirable concentration soft tannin and impressive purity texture and length this powerful wine is built on an elegant framework" says this note on Exelwines.

Couldn't have said it better myself. You can buy it here.