Ch Bessan Segure, Cru Bourgeois 2008 £9.99 Majestic
Warm, cedary, blackcurrant (cooked) and appealing nose. Sweet fruit and a lot of vanilla. Good price, when reduced. Quite posh looking, so good for dinner parties.

Yes. A Medoc claret, at £7.99 a pair

Posh in the cellar as well, the '02 and '05 came in quality wood (no knots) half cases, smart and trad branding in italic 'palace' script.

The Majestic description reads like the '02 wine when on offer with 8 years maturity I know, I have two '02 boxes (empty now) but filled with other wines in my cellar.

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Duncan

Sorry, if you wanted Bessan in wood - no go

The Bessan Segur '08 is still £7.99 despite a a price increase for some of my favorites at Majestic. Shippers and importers were upping prices at the end of January

I bought half a case to be sure.

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Duncan

So should I be going for bessan or Griviere ?

I've 5 bottles of Griv 02 left but don't think it's worth having any for too long. Perhaps 04 is a better purchase?

This is another Merlot dominant Medoc - I haven't looked it up, But it tastes and feels like 60/40.

There is a good Merlot / vanilla bouquet here, not powerful, but nice when just opened. The Griviere '02 is a riper and slightly fuller wine, and the finish on Griviere is a tad longer and slightly sweeter.

Mel has this wine sussed in a few words.

Nice claret, the additional flavour here, over what Mel has said is:

Anyone bought unsweetened Kraucus Polish bottled black cherries from the Polish Deli ? Well, may be not, but that is the other flavour in this wine. Please note, the wine dries a tad in the glass, so drink as you go, if you don't want a savoury twist on the finish

For £7.99 no sweat

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Duncan

Shez......Damn Good question ?

If your '02 Griviere has a load of sediment in the bottom of the bottle - I want it. Send it to me by courier - please. The Griviere '02 with all the gunk, a good pile of it, are the best bottles by a big margin, for both structure and depth of flavour and richness. The one I had on Saturday was far from dying. Shez, I have just one bottle of the '04 and then Reading central store was empty of it. None.

I will phone round, perhaps try the Sonning store.

Take 4 Bessan Shez, Knowing you, the ripe (vaguely tropical stone fruit) and slightly fuller style of the Griviere is ahead in your mind and on your palate for these clarets. The best Griviere bottles do not dry in the open glass.

Bessan has the Polish bottled black cherries though, & may be a smidgeon of black unrefined / unsweetened choc.

Tricky to choose. They are interestingly quite different Medoc clarets

Both are good for the dosh. Bessan is building quite well this evening - but the fruit needs more lift. '08 Bessan is not the keeper of the '02 and '05 wines. No, it tires in the glass.

Griviere wins.

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Duncan

Thanks for the swift response Duncan
Looks like I'll be giving both a go depending on stocks in store

Shez...It was a fluke, I was adding TN stuff, and you came up on-line

The '02 Griviere with the heavy sediment is the one - Mark agrees.

Mouth watering advice at a price.......

Shez, the BriO de Cantenac Brown '07 is bloody nice, truely wonderful mouth feel.....£18.99 ... ready now onwards, not a long term claret. Just a very very nice one - exceptional depth of Margaux flavour, a little bit too linear (not the grand vin) and a seductive heady and sexy perfume.

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Duncan

I had a Griviere 2001 on Saturday. I was very impressed. Nice evolved fruit. Balanced enough to go with or without food.

It's a shame the 2002 has gone up a couple of quid. The website says 2004 is available too. I have enough aged claret to take me through 12 months or more, but would like to take some that'll be ready beyond that. I'm in no rush though. I am quite happy to wait for better vintages.

Pitray 06/07 is £8.99. Seems to have some good reviews.

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tribs

Pitray used to be Bob Parkers go to house claret apparently
Last bottle I had didnt do it for me - not enough evolution so have given it a miss since.
Think Duncan is experienced with this wine too

Pitray is one of the largest properties in Castillon. whether the volume produced there has anything to do with popularity in the UK in recent years ?

I have drunk Pitray, but much more in the past. I'm not sure why ? Last vintage bought may have been as far back as '03 / '02. I like Castillon merlots, which are good value. Pitray has a 2nd wine, so you'd think the selection process would improve quality of the first wine.

I don't remember the wine as a stonker for the price. More recently I've had the L' Estang and the Bellevue "What'sit" named wines from french supermarkets. I know you have to consider the merlot vintage 1st, when you buy these Castillon wines. Pitray is noted as one to look-out for by David Peppercorn in 1987, but he doesn't bother with a profile !

Can't really help - but you get my spiel as usual


It's suddenly getting rather Cold here this evening - I've turned up the heat in my office, and then, even more just now....Brrrrrr.

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Duncan

Could get into double negatives tonight (and tomorrow)

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.