Chateau Gigault Cuvee Viva, 2014, Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux

Across the river from famous Margaux lies the Premières Côtes de Blaye. With Stéphane Derenoncourt as winemaker, this terrific estate is ensuring the region’s wines get the recognition they deserve. Cuvée Viva is a rich, world class, modern claret.

Château Gigault was recently acquired by four like-minded quality enthusiasts, and now releases two wines – a traditionally made claret and this, their no expense spared Cuvée Viva. One of the four owners is Stéphane Derenoncourt, who also makes wine at some of Saint Emilion’s greatest estates (La Mondotte, Canon La Gaffelière and Pavie Macquin). America’s leading critic Robert Parker always scores the wine highly, describing it as “consistently one of my picks as an overachieving wine”. And about this particular vintage he said it’s “an impressively opulent wine – complex, deep, flashy”. Hand-picked, low yield Merlot aged in new oak, this is a deeply flavoured, well structured claret, velvety smooth, too. A top pick with roast lamb.