Trust these affordable reds from Bordeaux created from cabernet and merlot grapes

Bordeaux-based winemaker Jean-Marc Sauboua is our guide to finding good French wines at a reasonable price.

Bordeaux-based Jean-Marc Sauboua has shaped The Australian Wine Club’s selections this week.

At its heart, wine is about friendship and trust.

It starts with the relationship between grape growers and wineries. Relationships often span generations; in Europe’s premier regions, some dealings are measured in centuries.

Trust is the bedrock: trust from winemakers in the growers’ ability to consistently nurture their vines to create premium grapes; trust from growers that wineries will honour buying agreements in bad times as well as good.

When it comes to choosing what we buy as wine lovers, trust also plays a role. We may place our trust in labels we’ve enjoyed before, or perhaps trust flows from knowledge gained directly from the winemaker at a cellar door or tasting event.

Let’s face it, wine isn’t like cola or bourbon: it’s not manufactured in accordance with a strict, controlled process. Good wine has the imprint of its maker in every bottle. Its characteristics vary from season to season, from region to region.

We never know exactly how a wine will taste but it’s these variations that capture our hearts, minds and palates. There’s always more to understand, more to discover. The only inhibiting factor is the size of our wallet – this is where trust can be valuable.

Jean-Marc Sauboua.

At The Australian Wine Club, we put our trust in a team of winemakers, tasting teams and buyers that span the winemaking world. When it comes to finding good French wines at affordable prices, Bordeaux-based Jean-Marc Sauboua is our guide.

Jean-Marc’s selections have shaped the wine club’s selection of affordable French reds on offer this week. You’ll find multiple gold medal winners from families and winemakers who’ve been growing and working with the grapes of Bordeaux for decades.

Jean-Marc was trained at Château Haut-Brion, one of Bordeaux’s five Premier Grand Cru Classé (First Growth) estates, and has been making and sourcing wine in the region for 35 years.

“Trying wines from other places is like travelling,’’ Jean-Marc says. “It’s enlarging your experiences and knowledge. It’s a way of life.’’

French reds, in general, tend to be less fruit-forward than Australian cabernets and merlots, offering an elegant, savoury drinking experience. Here’s a chance for a French adventure without a jetsetters’ price tag.

Reboul Salze 2021

From the Right Bank of Bordeaux’s Premières Côtes de Blaye; crafted by the highly regarded Christophe Reboul Salze, who’s been friends with Jean-Marc for years. An array of aromas lift from the glass: vanilla, cassis, plums, along with tobacco and floral notes. Fruit flavours flow through on a velvety palate, with swirls of coffee and vanilla. Soft tannins. Classic French merlot. 13.5% alc; RRP $34 a bottle.

SPECIALS $26.99 a bottle in any dozen; $25.99 in Affordable French dozen.

 

Chateau Bellerive 2016

From an excellent vintage, this eight-year-old merlot-dominant blend from the heart of Medoc shows off an array of complex aromas and flavours: blackberries, cocoa spice, sweet aniseed, smoky tobacco and dark chocolate on the back palate. Voluptuous mouthfeel, mature tannins and a persistent acid line. Serious drinking. 14% alc; RRP $50 a bottle.

SPECIALS $39.99 a bottle in any dozen; $25.99 in Affordable French dozen.

 

Chateau le Bonalguet Bordeaux 2020

This serial gold medal winner hails from a small family estate at Saint-Germain du Puch, between Bordeaux and Saint-Emilion. Deep cherry, plum and cassis aromas lift from the glass, with a hint of floral, mocha, vanilla and cedar spice. The medium-bodied palate carries blackcurrant and plum flavours on fine-grained tannins. Super approachable. Decant for an hour. 13.5% alc; RRP $32 a bottle.

SPECIALS $22.99 a bottle in any dozen; $25.99 in Affordable French dozen.

 

Le Grand Chai Medoc 2019

From Bordeaux’s Left Bank, this blend of merlot and cabernet opens with subtle aromas of cassis, vanilla and leafy, savoury hints. Ripe fruit flows through on the palate followed by hints of tobacco, spice and leather. Mellow tannins carry the flavours to a savoury finish. Lovely balance. 13% alc; RRP $38
a bottle.

SPECIALS $29.99 a bottle in any dozen; $25.99 in Affordable French dozen.

 

AFFORDABLE FRENCH DOZEN Three bottles of each wine above for $25.99 a bottle. SAVE $150 a dozen.

Order online or phone [phone] Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm AEST. Deals are available only while stocks last. The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaites Wine, LIQP770016550