Society Claret and White Burgundy

This friendly and fresh-tasting claret is one of The Wine Society`s most consistently popular wines. Supplied for over a quarter of a century by family-owned Maison Sichel, the bespoke blend varies from vintage to vintage, but merlot takes the lead role, and the wine is made without any oak to avoid masking its bright, red and black fruit flavours. This is made to be drunk young, on its own or with a wide variety of dishes. The new label for this perennial favourite shows three muses that can also be seen on the Grand Theatre opera house in Bordeaux itself. The 2022 is a blend of 58% merlot, 34% cabernet sauvignon, 5% cabernet franc, 2% petit verdot and 1% malbec.

A fine, dry white wine of great delicacy from the Mâconnais in southern Burgundy, the warmest part of the region. The wine is ripe and round, with flavours of toasted hazelnut, apple and stone fruit, a hint of citrus and a lovely streak of minerality. The quality of the wine reflects the deep involvement in its selection by successive buyers and the skill of our ‘man on the ground`, Jean-Marc Darbon, who excels in sourcing the right blending options for us to work with. The zander (sandre in French) thrives in the rivers of Burgundy and is shown on this wine`s new label. It has a fine flavour because its carnivorous and so is much superior to that of weed-eating fish. It`s as good as wild brown trout to eat and appears frequently on menus in Burgundian restaurants. Don`t hesitate to try it.