World’s finest Bordeaux wine lists

IF YOU’RE READING this, there’s a good chance that you’re partial to the occasional bottle of Bordeaux. It’s also pretty much a dead cert that, as a Bordeaux lover, you’ve been to restaurants and found the wine list disappointingly short on bottles from your favourite region.

Those with a taste for the very best wines – and the wallet to afford them – have always found fertile hunting grounds in the weighty, leather-bound lists commonly found at two-and three-star Michelin establishments.

If you’re looking for restaurants that give equal consideration to petits châteaux, satellite appellations and other such offerings, however, pickings can be slim. Fortunately, there are a number of restaurants and wine bars around the world where the Bordeaux selection on the wine list should more than satisfy the Bordeauxphiles among you – even those who can’t afford the top crus classés.

France

So, where should you eat out if you want to take advantage of the best of) has long championed the region’s wines. There are plenty of top-end bottlings, but the range of modestly priced bottles is stunning, starting off with Château Doms Graves 2014 and Saïkouk Médoc 2015, both a steal at €30. Meanwhile out among the vineyards, the wine list at the relaxed Café Lavinal in Pauillac () combines a selection of the Left Bank’s finest with second wines, bottlings from lesser-known properties and regional blends produced by Jean-Michel Cazes (Lou Janou 2012, for instance, is €80-worth of Merlot from Canon-Fronsac, Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaux and Cabernet Franc from St-Emilion).