Comte Desclos 2020

Rewind 25 years and nearly every wine merchant offered a good, ordinary claret perfect for lunchtime sipping. Well, Comte Desclos is a revival of that style. Unpretentious and uncomplicated, with lots of appealing fruit, good structure, but no hard edges. Our Bordeaux buyer has taken full advantage of his network of Bordeaux contacts to put this together. He tasted cuvées from the length and breadth of the region, all from the exceptional 2020 vintage. Then using winemaking skills perfected at top estates in Bordeaux and Rioja, he blended this cracking little claret. It’s made mostly from Merlot, so it has soft plum and redcurrant flavour, a touch of oak and enough richness to go with all kinds of dishes. A modern, fruit-rich claret.