Chateau de Pitray 2016

Question: How much should you expect from a bottle of Bordeaux that cost 10€? Answer: Well, a bit more than this, sorry. I’ve had Crus Bourgeois at the same sort of price (Lamothe-Bergeron, Cissac, Fonréaud come to mind immediately) that were streets ahead of this. I bought four of these – this was the second one to be opened and like the first it was instantly forgettable, 5€ hypermarket fare. I thought Pitray was supposed to be decent stuff? Hang on, let’s ask Hugh Johnson. I’m sure I have his Pocket Wine Guide 2006 somewhere… ah yes, here we are – ‘flavoursome wines, once the best-known of the [Castillon] AC. I suppose ‘once’ might be his get out of jail card there. CT reviews are all over the place, some bof, some enthusiastic. I’m definitely in the first camp at present, but hope that there may be some wild bottle variation. Apart from the two left in the cellar, I’ve gone for six of a different cuvée from the Wine Soc 2020 EP offer. That one apparently has a lot of input from Mme Mitjavile. Fingers crossed.