The 2009 vintage in Bordeaux has rightly been described as a vintage of a lifetime and yes if you wanted a bottle of Château Lafite Rothchild 2009 today it would set you back £1,047.67 from Grand Cru Store However, away from the first growths like Lafite Rothchild, Latour and Margaux there is plenty on offer at decent value from wines awarded Cru Bourgeois in Bordeaux. Many of the Cru Bourgeois wines are a handicap certainty for current drinking (with a few hours decanting), whilst others will be being able to sustain a top flight performance for many years ahead. For some immediate enjoyment take less than a tenner into Waitrose and buy a bottle of Château Segonzac 2009, Cru Bourgeois, Premières Côtes de Blaye, £9.99, save 20% until 14^th August to £7.59, to taste all the wonderful dark fruit flavours that this beautiful year produced in Bordeaux, coupled with some friendly

tannins and medium to full bodied structure. Moving up the price scale but still offering tremendous value is the Château Petit – Bocq 2009, Cru Bourgeois, Saint-Estephe, £150 case of 12 x 75cl bottles in bond delivered, www.justerinis.co.uk with silky smooth, yummy, refined fruit, subtle oak fine structure, needs decanting and will provide real enjoyment for the next five to seven years. This was a terrific match with quality rib eye on Saturday. One of my consistent favourites is Château Cissac 2009, Cru Bourgeois, Haut Medoc, £17.99, The Sampler, whilst Château La Haye 2009, Cru Bourgeois, Saint-Estephe, £25.00, www.swig.co.uk is a wine that needs to be included in your next Bordeaux case.

There are numerous other Cru Bourgeois wines to look out for from wine merchants like The Wine Society, Haynes Hanson & Clark and Tanners.