Chateau Les Ricards' 2007 is one of Bordeaux's truly great values. A good, honest Claret, and one of our picks from the vintage.

Château les Ricards' vineyards, perched on a rocky ridge dominating the Gironde's estuary, are renowned for producing exceptionally characterful wines. Deservedly coming into more prominence now, this is undoubtedly one of the finest estates in the Blaye region and one of the truly great values in Bordeaux today.

A lovely aromatic nose of lifted black tea and berry fruits with hints of eastern spice and graphite pencil notes.There is a wonderful purity of fruit on the palate, black berries notably to the fore. Super vitality, moreish and a thoroughly decent effort. Admirable.

"This wasn't the easiest of vintages and it required a lot of work it the vineyard to salvage the fruit, so it's rewarding to see small domaines from 'lesser' appellations turning out decent wine. An appealing nose, clean although very slightly dusty, with an attractive layer of berry fruit, nuanced with dark Assam tea leaves and green olives. It gives the suggestion that there is at least some flesh here, and indeed on the palate this is so, a well-judged and restrained texture showing at the very front, with more grip and tannin showing through the midpalate. Grippy, dry but with a little substance, with a little bitterness and tannin at the end." Winedoctor.com