2016 Deyrem, Siran, Cantemerle, Domeyne, Durantous, Baleau

2016 is an excellent vintage for stocking up on smaller, less well-known but over-achieving Bordeaux reds. And today's offer is full of opportunities to do just that.

Superbly sited between two grands cru classes, east of the village of Soussans and just inland from the Gironde, Deyrem Valentin is a Margaux Cru Bourgeois owned and run by the Sorge family who bought the property in 1928. We loved their 2015 last year but their 2016 is every bit as good - or possibly better.

'The 2016 Deyrem Valentin has a ripe and generous bouquet that calms down in the glass, revealing attractive cranberry and blackcurrant fruit laced with pressed violets and iris. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, lovely pure-black fruit with just a hint of graphite. What I love about this Margaux (one of my favorites incidentally) is the disarming precision on the finish. It is simply a beautiful wine whose silky texture will seduce from 100 yards! 91-93 points' - Neal Martin

Another excellent value in Margaux is Siran and again, their '16 is an easy rival for their '15. From just south of Margaux, Cantemerle is hardly under the radar but will be our cheapest Medoc classed growth and has quietly been raising its already reliable quality level over recent vintages. From the northern Medoc, we have Gonzague Lurton's first release of the vintage, his excellent St-Estephe called Domeyne, which shows lovely richness combined with stony freshness.

On the right bank, Denis Durantou yesterday released his clutch of very good value properties, including St-Emilion Saintayme, Cotes de Castillon Montlandrie and Lalande-de-Pomerol Les Cruzelles. Just after our offer on Wednesday came Cote de Baleau, the small but perfectly formed St-Emilion property recently bought by the Cuvelier family of Clos Fourtet and Poujeaux. /AR

Offered subject to remaining unsold; available 2019