Bottle Of The Week

Why an outsize bottle? Well, magnums look great at a dinner party, and Chateau Meaume Bordeaux Superieur 1996 (outlets above, magnums usually £16.99) is hugely popular in Ireland as a dinner party wine. But there's another reason. While we wait another six months for the delicious 1998 Meaume to arrive, 1996 is the next best thing - and at this stage you're more likely to stumble on a magnum than a standard bottle. The aromas are sweet, almost heady; but there's austerity under that ripe fruit - a firm, tannic backbone. Give it meat. Or just keep it. 1990 in magnum is now a silky, Pomerol-like treat.