Château de la Grave ‘Caractère', Côtes de Bourg 2019

Philippe and Valérie Bassereau took over this splendid property from Philippe’s father in 1982, becoming the fourth generation of the family to run it. It is situated in the commune of Bourg on the right bank of the Gironde River where the well-exposed hillsides benefit from good sunlight. The château itself dates back to the 16^th century although it was later restored in the style of Louis XIII.

The Bassereaus have worked hard to steadily improve the wines at Château de la Grave and have been supplying The Society with good value reds for many years. Their wines seem to be getting finer as each vintage adds polish and finesse to the naturally generous flavour and structure of the wine which gives staying power in bottle.

The cream of each vintage’s crop is made into the top wine, Nectar de la Grave which keeps particularly well with its generous flavours. With a predominance of merlot in the blend all the Château de la Grave reds have plenty of charm and fruit. The white Côte de Bourg labelled as Grains Fins is an unusual blend of semillon and colombard which is gently barrel fermented so as not to mask the fragrant fruit.

For members visiting the area, it is worth knowing that Philippe and Valérie have rooms to let in the château which makes a charming place to stay, overlooking the vineyard slopes.