Superb fine wine deal: Château Gaudin 2006 Pauillac: Between Château Latour and Lynch-Bages: Case of 12 bottles delivered: Vintage sold out

This Pauillac will win admiring murmurs from your guests (who of course will never guess how inexpensive it is through CountryClubuk). It is the 2006 Château Gaudin, one of the rare independents in Pauillac, who have produced an elegant wine showing plump, velvety dark fruits with spicy undertones. A beautiful structure and soft tannins make it a joy now, and it can be cellared for 3-7 years.

Pauillac is the emerging star of Bordeaux, and this particular region produced the finest wines of the 2006 vintage—Château Gaudin’s illustrious neighbours, Château Latour 2006 and Château Lynch Bages are both considered by the connoisseurs to be the wine of the vintage.

ChIateau Gaudin is made by Daniel Cathiard, one of only four independent winemakers left in the area—the major winemakers are poised to snap them all up if they can! Their vineyard with its gravelly soil is in pole position in Pauillac, facing the open estuary of the Gironde. The average age of the Gaudin vines is 40 years, with some vines of more than 60 years. Cathiard’s wife, Madame Linette Capdeville, took over the seven hectares of vineyard from her grandfather and says she has been making wine since she was nine. They still use an ancient hydrolic basket press, actully made by the Gustave Eiffel foundry for extracting the juice from the grapes, as it is gentler with the grapes than modern methods. Cathiard is highly regarded in the area for his farming skills. He doesn’t use sprays unless necessary and he minimises the use of sulphites at the bottling stage.

The style of the resulting wine is reflective of this delicate, minimal-intervention approach. It is not over-extracted nor, as Madame says, a ‘body-building’ wine. Made in a classic style from Cabernet Sauvignon blended with Merlot, Carmenere and Petit Verdot grapes, it is aged in oak, but only 30% is new oak. The most important element is the fruit, which is sweet and ripe, supported but not overshadowed by oak. The concentration of fruit is readily apparent, with delicate plum and blackcurrant flavours, medium tannins and good length. Our Tasting Panel loved it, particularly with roast rack of lamb and beef fillet. It is the perfect wine for the Sunday roast.

It is drinking beautifully and will continue to improve.

Case of 12 bottles. RRP £420. CCUK £239. Free UK mainland delivery.