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Chateau du Retout, Haut-Medoc, 2018
68.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24.5% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot planted here, the vines grow on a gravel ridge, close to Lamarque, where one can catch a ferry across the Gironde estuary to Blaye. Great care is taken in the vineyards, with ploughing between the rows and only natural fertiliser made from horse manure and organic waste from the vines used. This 2018 is a truly appetizing bottle, with aromas of ripe damson and plum, very pure. There is a lovely fleshy texture, with fine tannins and super length to finish.
Les Jamelles, Malbec, Pays d’Oc
The principal grape variety of the Cahors appellation, Malbec is also grown in the Bordeaux region. It is also grown in Argentina to produce wines that hugely popular around the world. This early-ripening grape yields a wine that is extremely fruity and fragrant with deep colour and solid tannins that make it well suited to laying down.
In order to express its full potential, this rather capricious grape variety needs to be grown in poor soil and harvested at optimal maturity.
Les Tours de Laroque, Saint-Emilion grand cru, 2018
This exceptional second wine from the French vineyard Château Laroque near Bordeaux is a true delight, with a fragrant bouquet of intense fruit and dark notes. A perfect harmony of black cherry, cassis and plum liqueur unfolds on the palate, complemented by elegant tannin and a tremendous finish. This juicy fruit and the velvety tannin of Saint-Émilion are precisely what give Laroque wines their signature finesse.