Bit of a Bordeaux round-up today, starting with an excellent value Merlot-based wine

Château Clos l’Eglise Côtes de Castillon 2002, Bordeaux, France (£13.95 From Vineyards Direct)
Excellent value for mature claret, this is warm and juicy, and still has plenty of plummy blackcurrant and cedar character. Yes, there’s a touch of brett adding a minty/savoury edge, but it never takes away from the generous fruit. Less than £1 per year, go buy some. S-

Château Pey La Tour Réserve du Château Bordeaux Supérieur 2014, France (£11.50 The Wine Society)
Firm young wine, not shy in the smoky oak department, but there’s plenty of dark, slightly baked plum, berry and blackcurrant flavour, along with a light toffeed edge. Good, and with the potential to improve over 2-3 years, but definitely needs food. B+

Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2010, Bordeaux, France (£22 Sainsbury’s)
Forward and attractive style, generous and truffley, with a warm glow to its juicy plummy flesh, and while it’s ready to drink now, there’s still some freshness and tannin there for those who’d like to keep it another couple of years. S(-)

Terrasse de La Garde Pessac-Léognan 2013, Bordeaux, France (£16 Sainsbury’s)
Looks and smells mature, with a hint of brown and gentle cedary plummy aromas. Similar flavours too, but lurking behind is a framework of slightly underripe tannin which pokes out a little too much from the soft flesh. OK, but not fine. C+

Château La Garde Pessac-Léognan 2010, Bordeaux, France (£23 The Wine Society)
A very different beast, ripe, rich and confident, still not shy in the tannin department but here the tannin is less gawky and there’s plenty of plump plummy blackberry flavour to pad it out. There’s evidence of oak, but it’s in balance with the wine, adding nuances to the light leaf aromas. Manages to be both voluptuous and still refreshing, very tasty now, but will happily last another five years or more. S+