2009 Château Couhins-Lurton Grand Vin De Graves
Regular price £59.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%The special clay-gravel terroir of Château Couhins-Lurton has given birth to a great left bank Merlot: it stands out in the appellation for its extreme finesse and intensity of fruit on the finish. Its nobility and ageing potential are a credit to its rank.
Tasting Notes
Colour
Intense, black-rimmed with violet.
Nose
The nose is dominated by the fruit: the ripe black cherry and blackberry aromas are intense but delicately highlighted by mild tobacco and lightly roasted notes. Very skillful barrel aging allows the oak to blend perfectly as a counterpoint to the fruit.
Palate
Very smooth, appears fat and soft… The tannins are ripe, melting and remarkably dense. Often described as jammy, but there are also spices and mild tobacco in the mix. The finish is long and lingering, with fruit that coats the palate.
Production
Fermentation in thermo-regulated stainless steel vats and aged for 12 months in oak barrels (40% new) with racking.
Vintage
While January and February were colder than average, 2009 was nevertheless a warm year (one of the warmest in a century). There was a great deal of sunshine and a remarkable drought during the summer months.
Review & Awards
- JancisRobinson.com 17.5/20
"Really very subtle on the nose with some development at the rim and it has been judged just right - both texture and flavour are great. Better than many a grand cru. So much pleasure and balance. Opulent but not sweet or fat or raisined. Drink 2016-2028."
- The Wine Spectator 94/100
"Loads of crushed sweet berries on the nose, with fresh herbs and licorice. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, polished and soft texture on the end. And plenty of fruit. So pretty. Really impressive red from here." (James Suckling)
Specifications
Year | 2009 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | Merlot 77% / Cabernet Sauvignon 23% |
Country | France |
Alcohol content | 13.5% alc vol |
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 10 units |
Type | Red Wine |
Dietary Information |
Vegetarian Approved |
Allergen Information | Contains sulphites & egg fining agents |
Food Matches | Enjoy with slow-cooked or roast meats. Delightful with confit. |
Cellaring Potential | Can age up to 10-15 years |
Origin | Bordeaux |
Appellation | AOC Pessac-Léognan |
2012 Château Couhins-Lurton Grand Vin De Graves
Regular price £57.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%The special clay-gravel terroir of Château Couhins-Lurton has given birth to a great left bank Merlot: it stands out in the appellation for its extreme finesse and intensity of fruit on the finish. Its nobility and ageing potential are a credit to its rank.
Tasting Notes
Colour
Intense, black-rimmed with violet.
Nose
The nose is dominated by the fruit: the ripe black cherry and blackberry aromas are intense but delicately highlighted by mild tobacco and lightly roasted notes. Very skillful barrel aging allows the oak to blend perfectly as a counterpoint to the fruit.
Palate
Very smooth, appears fat and soft… The tannins are ripe, melting and remarkably dense. Often described as jammy, but there are also spices and mild tobacco in the mix. The finish is long and lingering, with fruit that coats the palate.
Production
Fermentation in thermo-regulated stainless steel vats and aged for 12 months in oak barrels (40% new) with racking.
Vintage
While January and February were colder than average, 2009 was nevertheless a warm year (one of the warmest in a century). There was a great deal of sunshine and a remarkable drought during the summer months.
Review & Awards
- JancisRobinson.com 17.5/20
"Really very subtle on the nose with some development at the rim and it has been judged just right - both texture and flavour are great. Better than many a grand cru. So much pleasure and balance. Opulent but not sweet or fat or raisined. Drink 2016-2028."
- The Wine Spectator 94/100
"Loads of crushed sweet berries on the nose, with fresh herbs and licorice. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, polished and soft texture on the end. And plenty of fruit. So pretty. Really impressive red from here." (James Suckling)
Specifications
Year | 2012 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | Merlot 77% / Cabernet Sauvignon 23% |
Country | France |
Alcohol content |
14.5% alc vol
|
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 10.5 units |
Type | Red Wine |
Dietary Information |
Vegetarian Approved |
Allergen Information | Contains sulphites & egg fining agents |
Food Matches | Enjoy with slow-cooked or roast meats. Delightful with confit. |
Cellaring Potential | Can age up to 10-15 years |
Origin | Bordeaux |
Appellation | AOC Pessac-Léognan |
2015 Lurton Chateau Bonnet Reserve Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon (Jeroboam) in Wooden Box
Regular price £129.75 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%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.
Rating
- 91 points from Decanter Magazine
Specifications
Year | 2015 |
Bottle Size | 3L (Jeroboam - Double Magnum) |
Cultivar | 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon |
Country | France |
Alcohol content
|
14% alc vol
|
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 42 units |
Type | Red Blend |
Allergen Information | Contains Sulphites |
Food Matches |
Nuanced and developed wines go well with rustic meat dishes. You can also pair them with cheese or enjoy them on their own. Try with reindeer steak, entrecôte or hard, aged cheeses, such as Gouda, Parmesan or Manchego. |
Origin | Grézillac in the Entre-deux-Mers |
Appellation |
Bordeaux
|
2016 Château Lanessan, Haut-Médoc
Regular price £23.50 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%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
Year | 2016 |
Bottle Size | 750ml (packed in a wooden case) |
Cultivar | 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot |
Country | France |
Alcohol content | 14% alc vol |
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 10.5 units |
Type | Red Wine |
Cellaring Potential | Awaiting info |
Allergen Information | Contains sulphites & egg fining agents |
Dietary Information | Vegetarian, Sustainable farming |
Food Matches | Your Sunday roast of choice: beef, lamb or nut. |
Origin | Bordeaux |
Appellation | Haut-Médoc |
2016 Château Le Pey Médoc (375ml Half Bottle)
Regular price £8.79 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%This good-value Bordeaux, produced by the Compagnet family, shows wonderful, deep rich berry fruit with an excellent smooth texture and firm spicy structure. This was a particularly wonderful vintage!
Tasting Notes
Palate
Deep rich ripe berry fruit with an excellent smooth texture, firm tannins and good aging potential. The aftertaste is fruity and spicy.
Producer
Over the last four decades, the Compagnet family has built their reputation on the sheer quality of their wines, as well as the great value for money they provide.
Château Le Pey has a total of 49 hectares of vines and is the oldest and most important property of the Compagnet family. The château was classified a Cru Bourgeois in 2003 and is now a member of the Cru Bourgeois Alliance. Françoise and Claude along with their children Olivier and Pierre, cultivate, vinify and commercialise 100% of the production so it is a real family affair.
The soil at Château Le Pey is made up of clay and limestone and the vineyards are planted with 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot. The terroir lends itself to the rich, earthy flavour of the wine and with 12 months’ ageing in French oak barrels (25% new).
Chateau Le Pey is made up of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot and comes from a vineyard area of 32 hectares. The soils here are clay and limestone and the average age of the vines are 20 years of age. The wine spends 12 months in oak of which 25% is new. This Château is situated just north of St-Estèphe.
Awards
- SILVER MEDAL - Concours General Agricole Paris 2016 (2015 Vintage)
- 91 points Wine Enthusiast - from the superb 2015 vintage.
Specifications
Year | 2016 |
Bottle Size | 750ml & 375ml (half bottle) |
Cultivar | Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot |
Country | France |
Alcohol content | 13% alc vol |
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 9.75 units |
Type | Red Blend |
Cellaring Potential | Drink from 2019 |
Food Matches |
This wine goes perfectly with all red meats and cheeses. |
Appellation | Médoc |
Origin | Bordeaux |
2018 Lurton Chateau Bonnet Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon
Regular price £16.49 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%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 2018 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.
Rating
91 points from Decanter Magazine
Specifications
Year | 2018 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon |
Country | France |
Alcohol content
|
14% alc vol
|
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 10.9 units |
Type | Red Blend |
Allergen Information | Contains Sulphites |
Food Matches |
Nuanced and developed wines go well with rustic meat dishes. You can also pair them with cheese or enjoy them on their own. Try with reindeer steak, entrecôte or hard, aged cheeses, such as Gouda, Parmesan or Manchego. |
Origin | Grézillac in the Entre-deux-Mers |
Appellation |
Bordeaux
|
2018 Lurton Chateau Bonnet Reserve Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon
Regular price £16.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%
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.
Rating
- 91 points from Decanter Magazine
Specifications
Year | 2018 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon |
Country | France |
Alcohol content
|
14% alc vol
|
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 10.9 units |
Type | Red Blend |
Allergen Information | Contains Sulphites |
Food Matches |
Nuanced and developed wines go well with rustic meat dishes. You can also pair them with cheese or enjoy them on their own. Try with reindeer steak, entrecôte or hard, aged cheeses, such as Gouda, Parmesan or Manchego. |
Origin | Grézillac in the Entre-deux-Mers |
Appellation |
Bordeaux
|
2019 Château La Gorce Médoc Cru Bourgeois
Regular price £19.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Tasting Notes
Colour
Beautiful deep Garnet hue
Nose
Fine and generous on the nose with red fruits aromas laced with spice. Full-bodied red wine with blackcurrant, vanilla spice and liquorice notes.
Palate
The rich palate has great attach with a firm structure, supple tannins and superb mouthfeel with all elements well-integrated.
Producer
Lagorce, also known as the Great Gorce refers to a type of vegetation that is found in the Haux commune. It is based on this 16th-century vegetation that the wine estate, Chateau Lagorce got its name. Located in the southwestern part of France, this estate was originally a castle in the administrative region of Gironde. In the 17th century, the Faux family members planted the first Barsac and Sauternes vines in the Lagorce vineyards.
Château La Gorce is run by the enthusiastic and devoted Fabre family who have made first-rate Médoc at this Domaine since 1980. There are 45 hectares in total planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. For the Cru Bourgeois, 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon are combined to form a classic Médoc blend. Only the best grapes selected from oldest vines make it into the Cru which is then aged for 12-18 months in oak.
Awards
- 1 Star - Le Guide Hachette des Vins, 2016
- Bronze - Challenge International du Vin, 2014
- Gold - Concours des Grands Vins de France
Specifications
Year | 2019 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot |
Country | France |
Alcohol content | 14% alc vol |
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 10.1 units |
Type | Red Blend |
Cellaring Potential | 2018-2023 |
Food Matches |
Pair with red meats, game and mature cheeses. |
Appellation | Médoc |
Origin | Bordeaux |
2019 Chateau Mangot Saint-Emillion Grand Cru
Regular price £27.95 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%A plush and appealing, classic Saint-Émilion Grand Cru from this progressive Château.
Tasting Notes
Nose
Complex aromas of bramble fruit with herbal notes and a touch of spice.
Palate
The palate is plush with ripe plum and berry characters, fine tannins, well-integrated oak, and fresh acidity giving balance on the long and elegant finish.
Producer
Nestled in the far eastern reaches of the Saint-Émilion appellation, Château Mangot consists of 37 hectares with a diversity of clay-limestone soils. Whilst vines are naturally the star of the show for the estate’s current guardians, the Todeschini family, 15% of the estate consists of hedges, woods and embankments, which contribute to a rich biodiversity. Brothers Yann and Karl look after the vineyard management and winemaking themselves and are committed to following sound ecological practises.
A lightness of touch and genuine care flows through everything they do; from protecting the soils using only natural fertilisers, to the use of native yeasts and only the very tiniest amount of SO2 in the winery. They do not “make” the wines, but rather guide them into fulfilling their potential as pure, precise and quality expressions of the terroir. The estate was promoted to Grand Cru Classé status in 2022 in recognition of their consistently well-made, polished wines and their commitment to biodiversity and the environment.
Production
The grapes - predominantly Merlot with some Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon - are cultivated on a selection of different soil types and aspects, from clay-limestone hillsides to a limestone plateau, at 35-90 m altitude. Average age of the vines is 40 years - and the vineyard is maintained according to environmental principles. At harvest time the grapes are selected, de-stemmed and undergo a cold pre-fermentation maceration before gentle vinification in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for 4 weeks. The wine is then aged for 13-15 months in barrels of diffferent ages - with 10% remaining in stainless steel. The wine is then blended and bottled, 18-20 months following the harvest.
Specifications
Year | 2019 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | Merlot 80%, Cabarnet Franc 15%, Cabarnet Sauvignon 5% |
Country | Bordeaux France |
Alcohol content |
14% alc vol
|
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 10.5 units |
Type | Red Blend |
Cellaring Potential | Awaiting info |
Features | Contains Sulphites |
Food Matches |
Drink with lamb or beef, or keep it simple with rich tomato-based pasta dishes.
|
Origin | Montagne de Saint Émilion |
Appellation
|
Saint-Emillion Grand Cru |
2020 Château Haut-Grelot Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon
Regular price £13.59 Sale price £11.39 Save 16%
Very well made and incredibly well balanced
Tasting Notes
Château Haut-Grelot was established in 1920 in the village of Les Grelots by the Bonneau family. Today the Domaine is comprised of 58 hectares of vineyards and is run by Céline and Julien, who have been awarded the title of “Best Young Talent” in Bordeaux. The vineyards are made up of sandy gravel on the hillsides bordering the Gironde Estuary and sand clay-silt on the hillsides further inland. Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux benefits from an ideal microclimate where there is a high level of sunshine and just enough rain. The reds are fruity and concentrated and the whites are fresh, vibrant, and delicate. The Rouge is produced from 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and spends some time in oak barrels creating rich, plummy fruit supported by silky tannins.
Colour
Ruby red colour
Palate
Lovely flavors of red berry fruit with vanilla, spicy nuances. On the palate, the wine is round, fruity, and well balanced with a long aromatic finish.
Sustainability
Since 2015, Euralis and Château Haut Grelot have set up a program called OPTIDOSE to reduce phytosanitary products. Their philosophy is to preserve the landscape and ensure the best quality of their wines.
Alan's Personal Tasting Notes
"All the cassis and blackcurrant aromas and flavours we come to expect from quality Bordeaux - but the plum mines of the merlot isn’t far behind in concentration. Like the white, it is very well made and incredibly well balanced with the forward fruit tamed by a mix of vanilla and spice - no doubt from some oak aging.
Extremely silky tannins with good length, finishes this off nicely.
To summarise the Haut Grelot Red & White are a fantastic pair of very well-made and well-balanced wines that show Bordeaux well at this price point - not something you can always say at this price point!" January 2022
Specifications
Year | 2020 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | 70% Merlot 30% Cabernet-Sauvignon |
Country | France |
Alcohol content |
|
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 9.75 units |
Type | Red Blend |
Cellaring Potential | Awaiting info |
Allergen Information | Contains Sulphites, milk and egg |
Food Matches |
|
Region |
Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux |
Appellation | Bordeaux |
2022 Ginestet Classique Lussac-Saint-Émilion
Regular price £14.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Good value satellite Saint-Émilion.
Tasting Notes
A very classy Claret nose leads on to a ripe, flavoursome Merlot palate, smooth with a pleasingly long finish for such a good value wine.
Producer
For over a decade Boutinot has been in partnership with leading Bordeaux négociant Ginestet, to offer high quality wines from a selection of châteaux in key appellations as well as consistently fine, benchmark Bordeaux wines.
Production
Lussac is a village to the North West of Saint-Émilion, granted appellation status in 1936. Predominately Merlot vines averaging 25 years of age grown on gravelly/clay soil. Grapes are carefully harvested before being destemmed and crushed and transfered to temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. Fermentation last around 10-15 days, with 7 days maceration.
Sustainability
As both a négociant and a producer of its own wines, Maison Ginestet has long been convinced of the need to work the land in a viable manner and it places substantial emphasis on partnerships with sustainable agriculture-accredited winegrowing estates. Some growers are fully organic, and Ginestet is certified to bottle wines made from organically grown grapes.
In 2006, Maison Ginestet set up an international wine school at its Carignan-de-Bordeaux site. Through the Ginestet Wine Academy, Maison Ginestet shares with its commercial partners the expertise it has gained over more than a century of producing and marketing Bordeaux wines.
Specifications
Year | 2022 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | Merlot 80%, Cabernet Sauvignon 25%, Cabernet Franc 5% |
Country | Bordeaux France |
Alcohol content |
14% alc vol
|
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 10.5 units |
Type | Red Blend |
Cellaring Potential | Awaiting info |
Features | Contains Sulphites |
Food Matches |
Fantastic with a classic Sunday roast and also good with lamb dishes.
|
Origin | Montagne de Saint Émilion |
Appellation
|
Saint-Emillion Grand Cru |