Château de Camarsac Cuvée Prince Noir 2006 - Laithwaite's

I have been a fan of Bordeaux for as long as I can remember - it was basic AC Bordeaux costing around €4 a bottle bought in a French supermarket that really first got me into drinking wine - that's still my favourite way to buy wine, even if Euro-parity and soaring petrol prices make it less of a bargain these days (see here for more details).

The wines we bought in those early days, I remember, had vibrant fruit, were well-made and had a mouthfilling texture with good, balanced length.

Further up the scale, I have found, there is more refinement, finesse and greater texture and whilst you can spend the equivalent of a case of everyday wines (and more !) on a bottle, I have found really superb Bordeaux at under a tenner (see here).

Which brings me to this wine; after trying it, I can see why people might decide Bordeaux is overrated or too old-school and go for something New World instead. Unusually for a Laithwaite's wine it had good texture - but what it lacks is fruit, perfume and complexity

It's a basic AC Bordeaux Superieur, so the grapes can come from anywhere within the Bordeaux region (the "superieur" tag just means the grapes are slightly riper). Now, there's no shame in that - if it's an interesting wine and priced accordingly.

Sadly, this is neither as the list price of £9.99 feels a bit toppy (although I actually bought this as part of a discounted mystery case).

And whilst it's not a badly-made wine - there is fresh balanced acidity, some pencil-shaving aroma, smooth tannins and a decent length - it's just not that exciting.


£9.99 (plus delivery) from Laithwaites

Links

Laithwaites - http://www.laithwaites.co.uk/