Bordeaux prices have gone through the roof, we keep hearing. Not just through the roof, or even sky-high, but through the stratosphere into outer space. This dizzying escalation relates mainly to the region's finest and most famous red wines - the likes of Chateau Petrus and Chateau Le Pin, the 1990 vintage of which changed hands at Sothebys a few weeks ago for £1,145 sterling a bottle. But there seems to be a trickle down effect. Where does this leave honest, everyday red Bordeaux for those of us miles away from millionaire-hood? Maybe not out of reach, but somewhat out of favour, I'd say.
Hunting about these past few weeks for bottles on the modest sort of budget that might suit continuing Lenten denial, yet do justice to the Easter lamb, I found price was one of the factors steering drinkers away from the wines which were once Ireland's favourite reds. There's almost no such thing as inexpensive claret. Not the sort you'd want to drink, at least. Sticking initially to a budget of £6.99 for this week's list of recommendations, I soon discovered there would be a lot more goodies to enthuse about if the limit moved up to £7.99. Wine prices are climbing generally at the moment and Bordeaux, even in its simplest form, is caught in the upward trend.
But there are other reasons why basic red Bordeaux have lost ground in recent times. For one thing, quality has been disappointing, with a run of poor vintages for four years in a row, from 1991 to 1994, coming through in a deluge of tart, dilute wines. The good news is that these lean vintages have now all but disappeared from the shelves, to be replaced by two much better ones: 1995 and 1996.
Another likely negative, in a world hell-bent on demystifying wine almost to the point of treating drinkers like kindergarten infants, is that Bordeaux comes across as complicated - again not just at the lofty level of its classed growths but at the other humble extreme. So many chateau names, so many producers . . .
Yes, it needs effort. I don't believe I will ever get to know more than 1 per cent of them myself, but I hope they stick around. Wouldn't it be sad to see the grandest wine region in the world lose that complexity that is so closely bound up with its traditions, its geography, its trading structures? Not to mention its complexity of flavour - not just Cabernet's blackcurrants and Merlot's spiced plums but hints of cedarwood, meat juice, liquorice, lead pencil shavings . . .?
In this regard, too, Bordeaux may seem difficult. Compared with the brighter, fruitier, more upfront wines of the New World, it can seem restrained, even austere. Red Bordeaux is not, generally speaking, something to sip merrily at a drinks party, or to knock back eagerly while you are busy in the kitchen constructing dinner. It unfolds slowly, gradually commanding your attention - when it's halfway decent, that is - because it's understated but intriguing. Alas for everyday claret, its image is more bound up with old tweed jackets and sagging corduroy trousers than Armani. It is seen, I believe, by vast numbers of wine drinkers as deeply unadventurous. It is pigeonholed with sherry - another victim of fashion's injustices - as the drinking reflex of elderly fuddy-duddies. This is plainly daft, because young, red Bordeaux can be deliciously appetising - a wine you'll want to get to know better, as dinner progresses, rather than abandon after a few mouthfuls. That is what marks it out from more extrovert reds - the sort that shove all their charms in your face from the word go. Claret needs time. It also needs food to temper the biting, savoury character that's inclined to result from high acidity and assertive tannins. But remember, that's healthy. The one point on which all the medics currently researching the benefits of alcohol seem to agree, is that booze is at its most beneficial when consumed with a meal.
What about the geographicalcum-legal maze with which claret for everyday drinking is entangled? The most basic is labelled simply "Bordeaux". One step up, supposedly, is "Bordeaux Superieur" - slightly higher in alcohol and produced from a slightly lower yield of grapes, so that it should theoretically pack a little more punch. Next come wines from what are known as "the Cotes" - a batch of appellations which are seen as promising territory for bargain-hunters. Overshadowed by more prestigious areas but fighting hard for recognition, the Cotes de Bourg, Premieres Cotes de Blaye, Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux, Cotes de Castillon and BordeauxCotes de Francs are names to watch out for. Smarter appellations are rarely to be found, these days, for under £8. But, as is so often the case, the official quality tiers count for less than the skill of a particular winemaker, or the determination of a particular chateau owner to improve his or her vineyards. Accordingly, you may hit upon a plain, lowly Bordeaux which tastes miles better than a grandsounding Medoc, as I did the other day, rather than the reverse as expected. That's part of what makes Bordeaux such a minefield, but it's one that is worth exploring. With the riper, rounder 1995s and 1996s coming our way and this most aristocratic of wine regions no longer looking down its gallic nose while the New World steams ahead on quality and value, Bordeaux is becoming more userfriendly. It's a magic name - a classic that serious wine-lovers keep coming back to. Give it a chance with the Sunday roast, one of these weeks, and savour those subtle, tantalising flavours.
Best of Bordeaux for under £8
Cadet Claret, Bordeaux, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, 1995 (widely available, £6.49-£6.99). I've never been a huge fan of Mouton Cadet, but this, its younger brother, costing a pound or so less, is a thoroughly pleasant, well-priced introduction to Bordeaux. Mainly Merlot, so it's soft and easy - not at all austere.
Chateau Le Grand Verdus Bordeaux Superieur 1995 (Tesco-Quinnsworth, usually £6.99; on special offer at £5.49 for two more weeks). This longstanding Quinnsworth favourite offers typical Bordeaux character at an unbeatable price. See Bottle of the Week.
Chateau Bertinerie Premieres Cotes de Blaye 1995 (Wines Direct, £6.99 if you buy a case which may be mixed). A touch sweeter and smoother than many, this one is packed with ripe, almost jammy fruit which would make it a good transition into Bordeaux for drinkers more used to New World flavours.
Chateau Grand Monteil Bordeaux Superieur 1994 (Roches Stores, Londis Orwell, Ballyboden & Maynooth and many independent off-licences, £6.99£7.49). 1994 wasn't a great year but this wine is so well made that it tastes better than some of its younger rivals. A satisfying mouthful at a very fair price.
Chateau Lafitte Canteloup Haut Medoc, Cru Bourgeois, 1995 (Dunnes Stores, £7.49). It's unusual to find a cru bourgeois - just one level down, in the Medoc, from the famous classed growths - at this price. Still a little tannic (keep it for six months or so if you can), but it's certainly tasty and fuller in flavour than basic Bordeaux.
Mitchell's Claret, Bordeaux Superieur, 1995 (Mitchells, £7.50). Pierre Perromat of Chateau Pierredon in Entre-Deux-Mers bottles his light, lively Bordeaux Superieur for Mitchell's own label. Made for easy drinking - quite soft and juicy, but savoury too.
Chateau Lamarche Bordeaux Superieur 1995 (Vineyard, Galway, on promotion at £7.99 for the next month). This one is richer, with more grip on the palate, a nice touch of spice and that slightly vegetal character we associate with a Merlot-dominated homeland like Fronsac. House claret in the St Stephen's Green club, which suggests it passes muster with serious Bordeaux fans.
Chateau Nardique La Graviere Bordeaux Superieur 1995 (McCabes, £7.99; £6.99 if you buy a case). Another beauty, very much in the classic mould; enticing cassis and vanilla with firm structure underneath providing a bit of bite and a delicious savoury finish.