Bordeaux

A compex bouquet that combines fresh fruit and mineral hints with smooth spicy notes, Supple juicy and aromatic on the palate.

Attractive bouquet of red and black fruit, lovely and fresh, clear cut and complex. Dense and round on the palate, it is powerful yet elegant and has a very creamy texture.

A second growth in Margaux with 75 hecatres of vineyards planted with predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot but with some Cabernet Franc and Carmenere as well. The grapes are fermented in a variety of oak vats, concrete tanks and stainless steel vats with separate parcels being vinified separately. The wine is then aged in French oak with a n average of 80% of it being new oak. It has classic notes of cassis, blackcurrant and tobacco with cedar and truffle notes. It is a soft, medium bodied win with elegant tannins.

Chateau Camensac are one of the less well-known Classified Growths. It is a Fifth Growth in Haut Medoc, just north-east of St-Julien and, in the past, Michel Rolland consulted there. They only have plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with the average vine age being 35 years old. They ferment in stainless steel vats, then age the wine in a mixture of new and old oak barrels for 17-20 months. Medium bodied with a round mouth feel and gentle tannins. There are flavours of black fruit, earthy characteristics and slightly agricultural notes. A wine to enjoy now with roast meats.

This wine is a very deep red colour, almost black, but is bright and shiny. The aromas are of black cherries, blackcurrant and fresh plum. There is also a hint of pepper and old rose. The use of wood in this wine is well judged making the flavours prolonged. There is a fullness to the wine which is well balanced by tannins. The finish has a spicy yet plummy note. This wine will drink well between 2013 – 2025.

A deep colour with shades of violet. A bouquet of spices and burnt wood with hints of orange peel and black-currant leaves. A gentle attack in the mouth with a close-knit, very unctuous background. A straightforward wine, superbly balanced, elegant and full bodied.

A deep colour with shades of violet. A bouquet of spices and burnt wood with hints of orange peel and black-currant leaves. A gentle attack in the mouth with a close-knit, very unctuous background. A straightforward wine, superbly balanced, elegant and full bodied.

Chateau d’Angludet is a seriously elegant Margaux without the price tag. The chateau sits surrounded by Cru Classé neighbours but is itself classed a Cru Bourgeois, meaning that this, their first wine, comes in at around half the price of its neighbours, yet at a very comparable quality. A classic mix of Cabernet Sauvignon (the majority), Merlot and Petit Verdot, this ready-to-drink Left Bank specimen has all the subtle, unique and classic Margaux flavours and is quite brilliant with big meats and cheeses. Or lay it down: this one will continue to improve for easily another ten years.

Vintage 2010Cabernet Sauvignon 51 %, Merlot 49 % The vineyard cycle began with a cold, relatively wet winter, resulting in a slightly later bud-break than in 2009, in mid-April. Growth was then boosted by dry, sunny weather in April.May and June were characterized by alternating periods of rain and sunshine. June began with a cold spell that complicated the flowering of the Merlot, resulting in flower abortion and uneven grape size. Fortunately, July was very dry (less than 20 mm of rain) with relatively high temperatures, which helped the vines to catch up from the delays caused during flowering. August and September were very dry, with beautiful daytime temperatures and cool nights creating ideal conditions for the grapes to slowly reach optimum ripeness. Tasting notes (at bottling): Bouquet of red fruit. A supple wine with plump, silky tannins.

Beautiful dense, deep purple silky colour. The nose offers very ripe fruit with slight hints of menthol finishing with roasted notes (toast, hazelnuts). The attack is supple with good length carried by pleasant, well-integrated tannin leading onto a smooth finish.

A deep, intense red colour. Lovely, jammy prune and blackcurrant aromas. Elegant, silky and precise on the palate, with dense, harmonious tannins. A smooth finish for this particularly attractive vintage.

Grand-Puy Ducasse 2006 has an intense, deep garnet colour, with a pure nose of ripe fruits and blond tobacco. The palate, juicy and delicious, is dominated by a vibrant fruit, mixed with notes of soft spices and of licorice. The wine is medium-bodied with integrated and silky tannins, and has a long length. It is a Pauillac to keep in the cellar and that has started to show a part of its charms.

The wines show elegance in their aromas. Fresh fruit is the chief aromatic component, with impressively deep colour and soft tannins.