To try it out for ourselves, we ran a small tasting yesterday to see just what all the fuss was about, and found, as expected, that this really is a very classy Claret. Comments by Oli Barton, Laura Atkinson, Emma Brown and Lucy Christopher.

Oli: That’s a very vibrant red! Very inviting!

Laura: Yes, there’s a very classic Ruby hue to this, it’s quite lovely.

Emma: It smells darker than it looks though: I’m getting lots of rich, dark berry fruit on the nose.

Laura: Absolutely, it’s almost black and blue on the nose! Blueberries, blackberries and the typical blackcurrant aroma you get from Cabernet Sauvignon.

Emma: There’s also something cherry-ish about it, almost like the sour cherry notes you might get off a Nebbiolo wine, but it blends beautifully with the black fruit.

Oli: It’s very very ripe, and very very rich. That’s a really expressive nose, nothing shy about that at all.

Emma: I definitely agree with the ripeness, I imagine that’s due to the heat of the 2009 vintage in Bordeaux, so that’s probably why we’re getting such heady fruit notes!

Lucy: Personally I love the oak influence on this vintage, it’s really subtle and deliciously creamy.

Oli: Agreed! It’s very complex, as you said the oak is subtle, it’s not like being smacked around the face with a barrel, which you can get from some young Clarets.

Laura: There’s the sweet spicy flavours you’d expect from the oak but there’s almost the tiniest hint of smoke to it as well, which keeps it balanced instead of cloying.

Emma: As the office foodie, I feel obliged to say that this belongs next to a chunk of rare roast beef.

Oli: Yes, I’d say this is very adaptable, and would go with lots of different foods; I’d definitely have this with roasts or a cheese platter.

Laura: What makes this particularly good with food (I imagine, it’s not like we have any beef here unfortunately) is that it’s instantly approachable. I actually tried the magnum of this a few days ago and found it a little more closed and acidic, so I’d definitely recommend decanting that one before serving it with food.

Lucy: I’m sorry I’m not speaking up too much, I’m just too focused on tasting this! It’s gorgeous.

Laura: I have to say this has to be the best Extra Ordinary Claret I’ve ever tasted, even better than the beautiful 2005. Which is saying something.

Oli: I think we can all agree on that. This really is a rich, balanced gem.

To learn more about Extra Ordinary Claret, both the 2009 vintage and the history of the wine, please visit our website.