There are times when I think that the world's greatest wine region is losing the plot. One of those times was earlier this summer when the Bordeaux's world-famous chateaux released their 2005 vintage to consumers and collectors.

Two things were remarkable. The first was the exceptional uniform quality of the 2005s across almost all appellations, which prompted producers, merchants and critics alike to suggest that this was nothing less than the vintage of this or any other century. Better even than legends such as 1945, 1959, 1961 or 1982.

Of course, given this level hype, serious claret lovers were bracing themselves for some fairly stiff price increases, particularly from the top tier Chateaux - the First Growths and 'Super Seconds'. Nonetheless, it was widely agreed that £3,000 a case would be fair market value for the very top wines.

However, what people weren't prepared for were the remarkable, (astonishing even) prices that some blue chip chateaux slapped on their 2005s. A number doubled the price of their 2000s and quadrupled the price on their 2004s. The net result was that some First Growths were soon selling at £5,000 a case - and more.

But the wine that really took the biscuit was the 2005 Chateau Petrus, which ended up changing hands at £20,000 a case. And remember, this is ex vat and duty, so the final bill will be nearer to £24,000 - or a cool £2,000 a bottle for a wine that is still in barrel and won't be ready to drink for another 20 years!

At the other end of the Bordeaux market though, it's a very different story. Here vignerons are struggling to make a living as the price of basic red Bordeaux falls through the floor, taking quality with it. No wonder many growers in the less fashionable parts of the region are throwing in the towel in the face of tough competition, particularly from New World brands.

In other words, the big problem with red Bordeaux, whether it's at the top of the bottom of the market, is that it just isn't good value any more to most drinkers. Too much of the time, Bordeaux appears to be trading on its past reputation rather than delivering the kind of value for money wines that people want to buy.

Only recently, I went to a Bordeaux tasting of 60 or so wines in London and came away feeling that there were barely a handful that I would actually want to have in my cellar.

Having said all that, you can still find great quality and value in Bordeaux if you know where to look. In the 2005 vintage, for instance, many Petits Chateaux and Crus Bourgeois produced wonderful wines and only increased their prices very modestly. I bought a case of Chateau de Fonbel in St Emilion for just over £100, which probably works out cheaper than a single sip of the 2005 Petrus.

Another good place to look are in some of the less well-known appellations of the Right Bank, including the Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux and the Cotes de Castillon. The terroir is good, land is cheap and you'll find no shortage of ambitious winemakers producing some very exciting wines.

So for this week's case, I've picked four of these very affordable Right Bank chateaux. I've also chosen the wines from different vintages and at different price points to give you plenty of variation. The most expensive retails for around £12 a bottle and the cheapest costs just under £6 so you've got a good range of Bordeaux for almost any red wine occasion.

The first is the 2004 Chateau du Pin-Franc from the Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux. Owned by the family of Jean Queyrens, this is superb drinking claret which I think is a real steal for the price.

Next up is the 2003 Chateau Nardou from the Cotes des Francs just east of St Emilion. Not only is this one of the region's up and coming appellations, this is one of its up and coming labels. This vintage also struck gold at the Concours General de Paris competition last year.

Then we have two sublime fine wines from another family-owned producer called Bernard Dubourg and his Chateau Haut-Gaudin. You'll also find Chateau Haut-Gaudin in the Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux where it too is gaining a reputation as one of the region's rising stars.

So there you have it. Four lovely clarets at an average of price of just £8 a bottle, which prove that Bordeaux can still deliver the goods without costing the earth.

For more details on the wines and to order this week's offer, click here.