Berry Bros. Ordinary Claret: Is this the best value red wine you can buy?
We consider the appeal of Berry Bros. & Rudd Good Ordinary Claret
Words: Antonio Wedral
We’ve all found ourselves stumped in our search for the perfect wine. Or maybe not even perfect: just something palatable, reliable, and that doesn’t require twenty years of sommelier knowledge to enjoy.
That was the thinking behind Berry Bros. & Rudd’s phenomenally successful Good Ordinary Claret, which has held the enviable title of best-selling wine for the family-owned wine merchant for decades. Palatable, easy to drink, with a boisterous ruby-red colour and velvety finish, this affordable bottle offers the best of modern red Bordeaux. Its Cabernet Sauvignon blend is sure to appeal to a wide range of palates with little fuss or pageantry.
For while the name may be humble, the standard is anything but. Founded in 1698, Berry Bros. & Rudd is both the oldest wine merchant in Britain and one of the only businesses in the country to hold two Royal Warrants. They still manage operations from their original store in No. 3 St James’s, though they’ve since set up a secondary outlet in nearby 63 Pall Mall – and expanded their global outreach to include offices Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong. As a frequent award-winner and the first wine merchant to set up a website back in 1994 – not to mention their recent wine list app – the company has pushed for excellence at a time when many merchants would be content to sit on their laurels.
While GOC is very much at the accessible end of Berry Bros. & Rudd’s expansive selection, which ranges from the £10 claret to £10,000 alternatives, you’d be hard pressed to find a better entry-point option.
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