Bauduc Clos des Quinze

The Clos des Quinze is a single vineyard where mostly Merlot (70% in this blend), Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon is grown on clay and gravel slopes near the river Garonne. This classic Bordeaux blend was aged in French oak barrels for 12 months. To enjoy the wine at its best, it should be drunk with good food and preferably decanted beforehand.

Château Bauduc is a lovely 200 acre estate, with woods and parkland surrounding the Château and its 70 acres of vines. Both red and white varieties are grown on the clay, gravel and limestone soils - mostly Merlot with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes for our ‘Appellation Contrôlée’ reds and rosé, and Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon for the whites.

Each vine is tended by hand around eight times a year, from the winter pruning onwards, and passed by tractor some 22 times a season: trimming, spraying, mowing, turning the soil, and so on. We employ a system of ‘lutte raisonée’, or reasoned viticulture, whereby we only spray when we have to, or rather, panic when we have to.

Much of the vineyard has been replanted in the last ten years. We've replaced knackered old vines in wide rows on high yielding rootstocks with much narrower rows of higher quality rootstocks and varieties: a lot more work but far better grapes in the long term, in theory.

Excellent red, white and rosé, all marked by their sheer drinkability. Affordable, approachable, Bordeaux needs another 100 Bauducs - and fast.”Oz Clarke’s Wine Buying Guide.

The Chateau Bauduc range is sold in Gordon Ramsay's world-class Michelin Star restaurants. The winery was featured on Oz and James Big Wine Adventure on BBC2.

see the video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZArMcR_pa58

2004 vintage - 91 points (robertfranciswine.ie) "I loved the fruit, the veg, the secondary flavours and everything about this wine... take a bow, take a bow!"