The blend of the grand vin is 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 1% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, picked during what was the estate’s earliest harvest since 1989, and this accounts for more than half the...
The blend of the grand vin is 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 1% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, picked during what was the estate’s earliest harvest since 1989, and this accounts for more than half the production in this vintage, higher than usual, a sign of the quality within 2022. The élevage was in 50% new oak, and it was bottled in July 2024. The aromatics are dark, concentrated and spiced, with dried blackcurrant fruits, black olive, damson and rose, crushed gravel and a touch of fragrant mint. A supple, polished, seductive texture follows on the palate, with a wealth of dark liquorice and dried olive fruits wrapped in a superb frame of tightly knit and confident tannins, which linger with a tight and spicy intent on the finish. A wine which combines the dark and exotic fruit of the vintage with a fresh, powdery, sooty and tannic structure. Hugely impressive, with a great future. One for the cellar, as I can see this benefiting from a couple of decades of gentle slumber. Tasted twice. The alcohol is 14.04%, with 14% on the label.