Christmas reds

Last year at this time I concentrated on recommending red burgundy and other forms of Pinot Noir as I have a bee in my bonnet about this style of wine's being particularly good with the meat-plus-sweetish-trimmings sort of food so often served at celebratory tables at this time of year.

But for many wine drinkers, the epitome of classic red wine for special occasions is red bordeaux, or something similarly claret-like. The best examples have real subtlety, digestibility and the ability to improve for years, sometimes decades, in a bottle.

Unlike burgundy, bordeaux tends to be made in substantial quantity...