Chateau Rahoul

Tonight is my first experience of the already legendary 2005 Bordeaux vintage. There appear to be two problems with this vintage: number one, while most good Bordeaux vintages produce wines which are great for your kids to drink, this one is supposed to be for your grand children - this is no good for me. Secondly, prices have gone through the roof.

Both of these points may be true for some wines, but certainly not all. The 2005 Chateau Rahoul is an entry level wine from the Graves area. It has a special link to Australia, as Len Evans owned this chateau for a brief period in the 80s. It drinks well now and is not expensive. The redcurrant fruit is pure and fresh and supported by smoky flavours and an earthy finish. It is definitely a food wine and it shows how strong this vintage is, even at this level. I recommend it to anyone who would like to know what Bordeaux tastes like and who wants to get away from the fruit dominated Australian wines.