10 Bordeaux wines under £15 for your festive table
The wealth of diversity available from Bordeaux makes it a perfect region to explore this Christmas. From sparkling crémants and sumptuous sweet wines to start the celebrations, to dry whites to enjoy alongside a succulent turkey, fruit-forward reds to serve with a vegetarian feast and crisp crémant rosés for Boxing Day, Bordeaux offers something for everyone to enjoy over the festive period.
A fabulous alternative sparkling wine
Timberlay Crémant de Bordeaux Brut
This Crémant de Bordeaux with zesty aromas of lemon posset and accents of flowers, apple pie and candied lemon flavours with a savoury note and refreshing tartness. It is a blend of the white grape variety Sémillon and the red grape variety Merlot. Crémant de Bordeaux is produced using the traditional method which means the signature ‘fizz’ is created during a second fermentation in the bottle. This sparkling wine is best served chilled. It will be a popular glass to serve as its easy-drinking nature and an elegant dry finish will suit many palates.
Available from Marks & Spencer, £10 per bottle or £60 per case of 6.
An expressive sparkling rosé that will get everyone talking
Timberlay Crémant de Bordeaux Rosé Brut
A great value Rosé Crémant de Bordeaux is produced from a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes. Pale pink in colour, with delicate aromas of strawberries and crushed red currant leaves, this sparkler is uncomplicated and refreshing, finishing clean and dry. Ideal with a wide selection of Christmas canapés, it’s the perfect way to start the celebrations.
Available from Marks & Spencer, £10 per bottle or £60 per case of 6.
Drink pink on Christmas day
BDX Revolution Bordeaux Rosé
While rosé might not be the first thing most people think of on a chilly Christmas day, if you are serving smoked salmon or canapés, it may be the perfect pairing. This rosé displays fresh and fruity nose of red currants and flowers. Vibrant and lively on the palate, it is crisp, dry and crunchy. Produced from a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes using sustainable methods. Serving a rosé can provide a lighter alternative on one of the most indulgent days of the year and be an excellent follow on from fizz.
Available from the Co-op, £8.50.
For those who enjoy Sauvignon Blanc
Calvet Limited Release Sauvignon blanc
This crisp and fresh dry white Bordeaux Blanc is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Fresh, zesty citrus and crushed leaves, rich texture with a crisp and refreshing finish. This is the perfect pairing for goat’s cheese or salmon starters.
Available from Waitrose, £8.50.
A rich textured white wine
Château de Chantegrive Cuvée Caroline 2020, Graves
The wine has a bold, mouth-filling structure with complex smoky aromas and tropical guava nose. Elegant balance between oak and fruit with a satisfying pithy finish. Produced in the Graves appellation from Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc grape varieties. This will be an excellent white wine to pair with the roast turkey as the fuller body will stand up to the variety of intense flavours in the meal.
Available from Millesima, £10.7 per bottle or £128.40 for case of 12.
A great value white Bordeaux from the Entre-Deux-Mers region
Château La Rose du Pin 2021, Entre-Deux-Mers
This vibrant wine has flavours of apples, pears and citrus with a crisp pleasingly balanced almost saline finish. Produced in the Entre-Deux-Mers appellation from Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc grape varieties. Perfect for an aperitif, it is also an ideal accompaniment to goat cheeses or Christmas pudding.
Available from Blanco & Gomez, £13.2 per bottle or £158 for case of 12.
A stylish and typical Bordeaux red
Château Roc Meynard, Bordeaux Supérieur
A delightful Bordeaux Supérieur made from Merlot grapes with a touch of Cabernet Franc. Traditionally made with attractive tertiary aromas. Well-made and full bodied, with some backbone, will make any Bordeaux lover happy. An excellent red wine option to serve with roast turkey and all the trimmings.
Available from Wineaffairs, £13 per bottle or £72.90 per case of 6.
A rich and complex red Bordeaux
Château Le Coin Bordeaux
This Bordeaux blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon is a fully mature, savoury style that is perfect for immediate drinking. Some delicacy and youthful restraint with a grind of pepper, complex and refined, with a firm, elegant backbone, this wine is an ideal food match.
Available from Laithwaites, £13.99 per bottle or £143.88 per case of 12.
A vegan red wine that everyone will love
Château Puynard Tradition Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux
This red vegan Merlot wine displays enticing cassis, foraged blackberries and graphite nose. Rich palate, packed with generous fruit and lovely mature flavours. And it’s excellent value too!
Available from Naked Wines, £12.99.
A sweet treat to “finish”
Château Liot 2019, Sauternes
Sweet wine can also be enjoyed as a brilliant aperitif wine however, with so much choice on Christmas day, it’s the perfect end to a glorious meal. Produced in the famed Sauternes area from a blend of Sémillon, Sauvignon and Muscadelle grapes, this luscious honeyed wine is packed full of lemon curd and almond flavours, lovely sweetness is offset by racy acidity. Youthful and elegant. Surprise your guests and pair it with some strong, salty cheeses such as Stilton or Roquefort and Christmas will be complete.
Available from Waitrose, £14.99
