Many years ago when my liver and I were much younger I spent a few nights in Saint-Émilion a beautiful medieval city situated in the Bordeaux wine region that produces one the world’s finest red wines.

In the early mornings I used to don my trainers and run through the cool fresh vineyards just as the sun began to rise I felt like I was in heaven.

It may not have been on a par with Theresa May’s wheat field frolics but I will never forget breathing in that sweet air before the heat of the day kicked in.

The Bordeaux wine region is divided by the Garonne and Dordogne rivers, with the left bank known for Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant wines and the right bank for Merlot-dominant ones.

The left and right divide in their rugby team has some equally tasty and mouth watering vintages and when Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey are uncorked then the beautiful aftertaste their artistry creates leaves you with a craving for more.

Toulouse is the heart of the South-West wine region, which encompasses a vast area with diverse terroirs and grape varieties. 

The region’s wines are known for their unique character producing a range including red, white, rosé, and sparkling as well as sweet and fortified wines.

A blend of the Bordeaux and Toulouse teams would create the ultimate alchemy in rugby terms but yesterday it was time to decide which of the two teams would proceed to the Champions Cup semi final stage and who would be left to drown their sorrows.

The fascinating sub plot between opposing number tens Emile Ntamack and Mathieu Jalibert filled the pages of L’Equipe and Midi Olympique in the week leading up to this epic showdown. Both wonderfully gifted fly halves occupy the National jersey with distinction but the ridiculously gifted Bordeaux man is the current incumbent although there is a feeling that Dupont and Ntamack work better as a half back pairing.

Like a fine vintage poured under pressure, Bordeaux matured beautifully over the course of eighty minutes, turning a tense, tightly corked contest into a rich and full-bodied 30–15 triumph over Toulouse

The first half saw two sides swirling, sniffing, testing. Toulouse uncorked the early notes, with Ntamack and Teddy Thomas adding sharp, fruity tries that gave them a 12–5 lead. Even when reduced to 14 men, they held firm-structured, composed, like a wine refusing to open too soon.

But after the break, Bordeaux began to breathe. The aroma changed. The game opened up—and at the centre of it all was Matthieu Jalibert swirling through Toulouse’s defence with elegance before pouring over for a crucial try. Suddenly, the balance shifted Bordeaux’s blend had found its depth.

Toulouse began to lose their structure. A yellow card for Antoine Dupont added bitterness, and Bordeaux seized the moment. Their pack rumbled forward with earthy power, before full bodied Ben Tameifuna crashed over the try line.

Pulling the strings with the calm of a seasoned sommelier, Maxime Lucu began to dictate territory and tempo. And when Arthur Retiére added the final flourish, it was the perfect finish, long, smooth, and deeply satisfying.

From a first half on the back foot Bordeaux aged into the game, revealing layers of power, finesse, and character. A performance to savour, and one that leaves their European campaign breathing with promise, like a great wine beginning fully mature.

So whilst Bordeaux’s evening glass of Saint-Émilion will have tasted all the sweeter last night, Toulouse will have probably woken up with a bitter aftertaste in their mouths as once again their European dreams were left cast adrift on the banks of the Garonne.