Chateau Beau Rivage 2006

Sometimes there is a wine that bucks the trend and in this case it is the trend of me being catastrophically disappointed with Bordeaux. This is not because I am a new world-o-phile, but merely because of poor quality wines for ridiculous prices at all levels. I abhor to start a review in the negative, but I feel this wine requires some context simply because it blew me away ... more than once.

Christine Nadelié the woman behind this exceptional wine has produced a red that has convinced me that Bordeaux can produce some of the best wines in the world and actually be affordable at the same time. The trick? Look for somewhere off the beaten track, in this case a family owned vineyard in Macau just 5km from Margaux.

• (Chateau Beau Rivage 2006 €18.99 O'Briens Wines): Ruby Red. A nose of; Plums, leafy Blackcurrant, cedary oak with a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg, truffle and a hint of tobacco. I have a feeling this truffle will emerge more as the wine develops further. The palate is a mix of intense blackcurrant, lifted red fruits, cherry and plum to flesh out the mid-palate, dark chocolate, spice and some earthiness to round off these eclectic fusion of flavours. There is excellent acidity and good firm tannins. Throw a couple of bottles of this away for a while if you can. That said it is drinking exceptionally well now with an hour in the decanter. Score (92)

Every so often I unearth a wine like this, a wine that is in balance with its home, producing excellent fruit and not selling on speculative pricing that seems to rise exponentially every year, encapsulating a sense of place and time. What some might call the art in the bottle.

Shane