CHATEAU PUYANCHE 2005

Description & Press Reviews:
Wine Style:  Dry Red

Chateau Puyanche is made by the Arbo family who have been wine makers since 1900.  Bernadette and Joesph Arbo make their wines in the historic Côtes de Castillon which is now the most fashionable of all the Bordeaux satellites, stretched along the low ridge between Saint Emilion and Bergerac. The Côtes de Castillon is a fabulous source of some tremendous value wines with some of Bordeaux's most talented wine producers setting up shop in the area.

Puyanche is a dark garnet in colour with the aromas of blackberry and plum compotés, leather and spices. This is a supple and complex wine, both well balanced and silky. As an aromatic wine it will go well with many meats including duck, chicken, pork and lamb as well as Italian tomato and pesto pastas, roasted aubergines and moussaka.

Recommended Food and Wine Pairing:
Great with Tome De Savoie: A delicious, hard, cow’s milk cheese made in Savoie in the French Alps - it has a nutty flavour and a smooth texture that melts in your mouth.

Richard Mark James - Wine Writing
With the prices of top Bordeaux reds spiraling ever upwards (except for the 2012 vintage perhaps, which the trade and critics are expressing misgivings about quality-wise) making these wines for well-off investors only, it's nice to find a few tasty bottles for under a tenner - and one, the last red featured below, for £15 from M&S though it's very good. The first three tasting-noted here, a red white and rosé trio, are available from a fairly new on-line specialist called www.bordeaux-undiscovered.co.uk, picked pretty much at random off their website which looks like it deserves closer inspection.

Château Puyanché 2005 - deep colour still for its age, fairly complex nose with developing savoury notes vs 'earthy' cassis and smoky peppery edges even; quite concentrated and lush vs herbal cedary undertones vs fairly meaty and dark, nice firm dry vs ripe tannin combo, thick textured with a bitter twist yet well-balanced. Tasty red with dried cassis fruit and maturing savoury flavours vs funkier 'inky' side; started to oxidize quite quickly a day after opening, so drink now I'd say. Good value at £9.40.

Mike Tipping, The Press, Tipping's Tipples
I liked the approachable and affordable Château Puyanché, with its smooth tannins and lightly spiced plum and raspberry fruit.

The Journal, Helen Savage
Mail order specialists Bordeaux Undiscovered have found another good red Bordeaux that’s so modestly priced it’s hard to see where they make a profit.

Château Puyanche is a Merlot-dominated blend from rolling limestone hills of the Côtes de Castillon, the eastern-most and prettiest part of the Bordeaux region. Wines from the Côtes de Castillon have been good for many years, but they have suddenly become all the rage. This is a deepish ruby red with a typically ripe, soft, brambly smell with a touch of spice. It has plenty of fruit and an attractively firm tannic structure. It’s a really good chunky little claret and a snip at the price.

Clive Platman, Birmingham Post
From a good-value appellation immediately to the east of St Emilion. Still tight, just decant an hour or two before serving to deliver delicious plum, leather and silky tannins.

Paul Levy
"The Cotes de Castillon (Ch.Puyanche) was v good, robust and hearty and good value."

The Sunday Times, Joanna Simon 
"I thought it was true to type and good value"

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