Château Ramage La Batisse (magnum) 2011

Given that this family-owned estate lies a short stroll from Châteaux Lafite and Mouton Rothschild, you might expect its wines to command hefty prices. Fortunately, Château Ramage La Batisse is just outside the Pauillac boundary, making its price far more attractive to the average wine lover. Georges Pauli, a winemaker of world renown, is consultant here and in the slow-maturing 2011 vintage has made an impressive wine that has cellared well. It has all the classic hallmarks of Haut-Médoc claret with lovely depth of mellow, savoury red fruit, layered with oak spice, silky tannins and finesse. An impressive dinner party claret, especially in magnum. Stand the bottle up a few hours in case of sediment, then pour carefully and steadily.