80% merlot and 20% cabernet franc from a tiny one-hectare vineyard between Château Fonroque and Clos Fourtet just north of the town of St. Emilion. Vines here are as old as 80 years planted in rock limestone soil. The nose is punctuated by black fruit which continues on the palate in rich plush layers. As is Jonathan Malthus' style this wine is all texture-creamy from start to finish. There is a saline lift underneath and the wine manages to be deft while rich. Simply yummy. A great Malthus success.

This single vineyard cuvee from Jonathan Maltus is planted with 80-year-old vines that somehow survived the famous frost of 1956. Rooted in a thin layer of clay over limestone, they have produced a sensational dense ruby/purple-colored 2011 offering fragrant notes of forest floor, spring flower, lavender, creme de cassis, and a subtle touch of smoke. Broad, savory, rich and brilliantly executed, this wine can be drunk now or cellared for 12-15 years. The composition is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. - Robert Parker

The Les Asteries has a decadent spicy bouquet with macerated dark cherries almost honeyed fruit with hints of crushed strawberry and Chinese 5-spice. The palate is full-bodied with succulent liquorice-tinged fruit that leads to a weighty toasty finish that is balanced and long in the mouth. There is good persistency here and will appeal to those who enjoy a more "forthright" Saint Emilion. Tasted April 2012.