A complex and elegant Haut-Médoc, from a good vintage.

Tasting Notes

Drinking beautifully now, this has a classic Médoc cigar box nose, followed by a textured, fleshy, plum fruit and aniseed-scented palate.

Production

From a total of 32 hectares of 30 year old Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot vines, planted on gravelly soils. After harvest, grapes are manually sorted to ensure optimal maturity. Temperature controlled open fermentation in concrete vats, with extended maceration and regular pumping over.

Producer

Château Lanessan has belonged to a succession of eight generations of the Bouteiller family since the 18th century. You might assume such a longstanding family to be traditional and staid, but in fact they are very open and receptive to new influences. In 2009 they employed winemaker Paz Espejo (who came to Bordeaux from her native Spain in the 1990s) to inject new vigour into the estate. Paz’s goal is to “grow excellent fruit while remaining loyal to our fantastic terroir”. Working alongside oeneologist Eric Boissenot and advised by Hubert de Boüard of Château Angélus, she has made significant changes in the vineyard and in the cellar that now are being reflected in the quality of the wines.

Sustainability

In 2011, Château Lanessan joined the Environmental Management System launched by the CIVB to promote sustainable and environmentally-friendly viticulture and in 2014, it was certified HVE Level 3.

Specifications

 Thanks to expressive fruit – but without excessive concentration – Château Bonnet's red wine is unquestionably charming. In fact, it is a benchmark in Bordeaux. The wine is best enjoyed on the young side, although the quality tannin ensures good ageing for several year. With its fresh red cherry notes, this wine makes a great pairing for grilled meats and cheese platters.

Tasting Notes

Colour

Deep ruby-red color scattered with purple highlights. 

Nose

The nose is very attractive and fruity, revealing a delicious array of fresh fruit notes (cherry), underpinned by subtle hints of spice.

Palate

This beautiful Bonnet starts out straightforward on the palate, becoming very round, delicious and sweet. Fresh red fruit aromas (cherry) follow through to the palate.

Production

Grapes come from clay-limestone hilltop vineyards of Grézillac in the Entre-deux-Mers. Aged 12 months in 20% new oak barrels.

Specifications

Fresh, vibrant fruit! The Chevalier immediately presents a captivating expression of the Estate. It embodies all the charm and silkiness one would anticipate from a great Margaux. The tannins are structured yet supple, making it delightful to enjoy young or after a few years of aging in the cellar for the discerning enthusiast.

Tasting Notes 

Expect ripe black cherry, plum, and red currant on the nose, layered with hints of spice, chocolate, and tobacco. The palate is rich and velvety, with a generous fruit core and supple tannins. There's a touch of oak spice and floral lift, and the finish is smooth, with lingering notes of dark berries and a whisper of cedar.

Production

From September 19th to October 16th.   Hand harvesting in several passes, according to the level of maturity of the plots. Meticulous sorting in 
the vines and in the vatroom. Gentle vinification by infusion. Cold maceration. 
Maceration period from 30 to 35 days decided by 
daily tastings. Aged in barrels and casks

Producer

The producer of Chevalier de Lascombes Margaux is Château Lascombes, a historic Second Growth estate located in the Margaux appellation of Bordeaux. The wine is crafted as the château’s second label, offering a more approachable expression of the estate’s terroir while maintaining the elegance and structure typical of Margaux wines.

Château Lascombes itself dates back to the 17th century and is currently owned by Lawrence Family Wine Estates, with Axel Heinz—formerly of Ornellaia and Masseto—at the helm as CEO and winemake

Specifications

Tasting Notes

Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are blended to create this complex and balanced wine of a deep violet color. In the nose, it has floral aromas – such as violet and rosehip – typical of the Malbec variety.  The Syrah contributes spicy notes, good volume in the mouth and silky tannins, whereas the Cabernet Sauvignon complements the blend with a great structure.

Vineyards

Doña Paula 1100 comes from 3 blocks in our Los Indios Vineyard, which is located in El Cepillo, San Carlos, Uco Valley, at 1,100 meters (3,610 feet) above sea level. The sandy loam soil here has great drainage; in some sectors, there are gravel and stone deposits of colluvial origin, always bound by a thick, 70 cm (27.5 in) deep layer of black caliche. Days are warm and nights cold; the average temperature variation is 16 °C (60.8°F), and the average annual rainfall reaches 300 mm (11.8 in).      The vines yield 7 to 9 tons per hectare. At Doña Paula, our vineyards have always been managed using sustainable agricultural practices.

Vinification

The harvest starts with Syrah in the first week of April, it continues with Malbec by mid-April, and it finishes with Cabernet Sauvignon at the end of the same month. The grapes are hand-picked and then they are destemmed gently, without breaking the berries. Each variety undergoes cold maceration separately, in stainless steel tanks, to extract the primary aromas. Once the alcoholic fermentation is complete, the blend is made, and the aging process is carried out in 20% new French oak barrels, for 16 months.

Awards

• 92 points in the Tim Atkin Argentina Report
• 92 points James Suckling

Specifications

 Château Bonnet is one of Bordeaux's consistently reliable wines. Vignobles André Lurton are committed to making wines that are both full-bodied and balanced, like this Reserve cuvee, which typifies classic Bordeaux. Its faultless pedigree is revealed in its elegant balance, depth and charm.

Tasting Notes

Colour

Deep ruby-red colour.

Nose

The nose is intense, dominated by aromas of black fruit (blackberry, blackcurrant), mingled with delicious chocolate notes.

Palate

The attack is very supple. Round and fresh on the palate. Delightful notes of black fruit accompany us throughout the tasting. This is a well-balanced, easy-drinking wine. The finish has a lovely tannic structure that melts perfectly

Production

Specifications

A Stellenbosch classic from one of the Cape's star Cabernet producers. Expertly crafted from 4 specifically diverse terroirs, from the cool gravelly slopes facing False Bay to the rich red granitic soils around Stellenbosch. 2022 vintage 93 points in Tim Atkin's 2024 South Africa Report.

Tasting Notes 

Nose

A pure varietal nose with fine cassis and black cherry aromas and notes of violet and cedar spice. 

Palate

The palate is ripe and fruit forward with nice depth of fresh blackcurrant fruit and fresh acidity. Well-integrated oak and fine-grained tannins support the lengthy finish.

Production

Fruit is sourced from a variety of sites ranging from the sandy gravel soils of the Firgrove and Raithby ward to sandy/loamy granite soils of the Jonkershoek ward, all harvested by hand at optimal ripeness. Once harvested, the grapes are bunch sorted and pumped into open top fermenters. Here, Christo and the winemaking team vinify each vineyard block separately, allowing the unique characteristics and flavours of each block to develop. After a few months ageing, the final blend is made and the wine spends 12 months in French oak barriques, 25% new, before bottling.

Producer

Le Riche is a family run estate founded by Etienne Le Riche in 1996. Situated close to the historic town of Stellenbosch, the winery is perched on the slopes of the Heldeberg Mountain and surrounded by the majestic Hottentots Holland Mountain range.

If youre based in Stellenbosch and going to specialise in something, Cabernet is a great choice! Le Riche are known as ‘Cabernet Masters’ and rightly so. They select grapes from the best possible Stellenbosch terroirs to craft top quality Cabernets with superb cellaring potential. The estate was founded by Etienne Le Riche in 1996 and remains a family affair.

These wines are elegant and classy with fine grained tannins and subtle oak integration, and while not aiming to be Bordeaux replicas, they do have much in common with the balance and poise sometimes found in top Margaux. With most of their wines sold domestically, it’s a rare treat to find these wines on UK soils. Production is 8000×6 cases a year, with the Reserve range consisting of only 1000 cases. These wines are rare but worth sourcing.

Sustainability

Le Riche work strictly with organic viticultural practices (though not certified), maintaining healthy soils and minimum spraying to ensuring our growers form part of the local Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) system. The IPW scheme, started in 1998, consists of a set of guidelines specifying good agricultural practices related to grape production (farm component), as well as a set of guidelines specifying good manufacturing practices related to wine production (winery component) and packaging activities (bottling activities). Their compliance with the IPW guidelines is assessed on an annual basis through the completion of a self-evaluation questionnaire and is independently audited on a spot check basis.

Accolades

• 93 points | Tim Aitkin

Specifications