#WOTW: an autumnal blast of freshness from Bordeaux
There’s something about the onset of autumn that draws me to a beautiful Bordeaux red.
Glancing outside, the sky is steely grey, the wind is whipping up the faded fallen leaves, it is just starting to rain and the dog wants his walk. It all suggests that tonight, our wine of the week will be the perfect antidote.
Château Thieuley Rouge, 2015 (£10.95 from The Wine Society) is a ‘Right Bank’ style, meaning that it is dominated by Merlot, making up 70 percent of the blend, with the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon. Produced by the Courselle family at La Sauve in Entre-Deux-Mers, the palate is ripe and fruity, with dark cherry, damsons and blackberries, with a twist of spice, just the right amount of heft and smooth satisfying velvety tannins. It’s the perfect partner for a steak pie, but it could also be natty for a nut roast too, as this wine is suitable for both vegetarians and vegans (meaning that it is ‘fined’ – or filtered – avoiding any animal or dairy products, probably using carbon or clay instead).
Bordeaux wines can sometimes scare people, who fear they might be getting something too substantial for a casual night in, but this wine is fresh and accessible, as so many of the region’s wines are these days. It’s good value too, at just over a tenner.