France, Bordeaux

So far south in the Haut-Médoc that it exists in splendid isolation, without vineyard neighbours, in the tiny settlement of Le Pian Médoc, is Château Sénéjac. The usual Bordelais long complicated history is crowned by the purchase of Sénéjac in 1999 by Lorraine Cordier, owner of Château Talbot. Since Lorraine’s death, Sénéjac has been managed by her sister Nancy Bignon Cordier with operations overseen by Alfred Tesseron and his team from Château Pontet Canet. There are 39ha of vineyard, in a single block, planted with 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, with an average age of 35 years. The wines of Château Sénéjac offer splendid value and relatively early appeal.