Had eight Bordeaux reds hanging around waiting to be tasted – here are the first five…

Château Maynes-Graves Bordeaux Supérieur 2007 (£7.99 Corney & Barrow)
Earthy redcurrant, blackcurrant, cedar, young, refreshing, touch of vanilla, not complex but good Sunday lunch, roast meat type of wine. B-

Château Martouret Bordeaux Supérieur 2006 (£9.86 Colchester Wine Company)
Bit more structure, but also a riper, sweeter, gentler presence, some cedar, but then let down by a quite dry, slightly bitter finish – maybe a bit over extracted? B

Château Haut Cabut Premières Côtes de Blaye 2006 (£10.95 Lea & Sandeman)
Fragrant, smoky allure, more new oak here but it’s well handled, adding gloss and sheen to the cedar and dark fruit. Earthy tannins, but enough plummy berry fruit to stand up to them. B+

Château Rigaud Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion 2006 (£11.95 Lea & Sandeman)
The warm horsey smell speaks of brettanomyces, OK plush plummy fruit, but then the raisiny edge and the astringency from the brett on the finish strips away the pleasure. Some will like this; I don’t. B-

Corney & Barrow Company Reserve Claret Bordeaux (Ets J-P Moueix) 2005 (£10.99 Corney & Barrow)
Still some bounce to the gentle dark fruit, but overall impression os of something that would have been better a year or two ago. Quite dry, cedary finish, just hanging in there. B-