The blend is 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 4% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, and the élevage was very typical, with 50% new oak, 35% tiny amphorae and 15% used oak. The yield was “not that high” but as...
The blend is 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 4% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, and the élevage was very typical, with 50% new oak, 35% tiny amphorae and 15% used oak. The yield was “not that high” but as usual the team here keep this figure close to their chest. Of note they lost a little Petit Verdot to frost on April 4th, early in the season, and dehydration was the main driver pushing down yields. A nose of delicately confit dark fruits, on the edge for me but not going too far, concentrated blackcurrant and blackberry with olive and slate nuances. A surprisingly bold character appears at the start of the palate, the fruit here sitting within a shell of structure, a polished and crisp outer surface, with a slowly building inner core of berry and damson fruits, with touches of cherry liqueur, all set within a charming texture which comes out on a second taste, with savoury edges to the fruit, tar and slate and olive and liquorice, with a core of ripe, finely knit tannins. This feels cohesive and concentrated, conveying the character of the vintage with honesty, but holding on to a sense of freshness as well. Beautifully handled tannins at the very end, and a correct, structured finish. A wine of great harmony here, but on the edge in terms of fruit profile and alcohol, which comes in at 14.8%, with 14.5% on the label. - Chris Kissack